Captive Audience

You gotta hand it to the airlines – the know they have a captive audience when you fly.

We’re all used to the pre-flight checklist the TSA requires the airlines to review with you before each and every flight. We accept them as SOP when we fly. The flight attendants come on over the loudspeaker and go through their shtick so loud it is virtually impossible to ignore them.

Now, flying USAir has taken that loud, obnoxious, flight attendant to a whole new level. Carey and I were halfway through our flight back to Orlando from DC when the flight attendant came on over the loudspeaker. To advertise for a USAir credit card.

I was forced, captive, and had to listen. There was no mute button. There was no way to go to another room. There was no way to tune it out. For five minutes, the flight attendant went on and on about the rewards of signing up for the USAir credit card.

As you can imagine, I was annoyed. It was so loud that it literally hurt my ears to have to sit there and endure it. And, of course, they know this. They turn the volume up so loud because even if you are wearing headphones you are forced to hear what they are saying. Even if you are in the lavatory, a speaker is in there telling you all about the USAir credit card.

There’s absolutely no reason why they needed to commandeer my flight for a commercial. I was enjoying my book. Carey was listening to music and sleeping lightly, he head on my shoulder. If the credit card is so important to them, place a leaflet in my seat back. Place an ad in their own USAir magazine.

In short- I DID NOT OPT TO RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE. I was spammed by USAir on my flight and there was no spam filter. It is the lowest form of advertising – unsolicited, intrusive, and obnoxious to a captive audience that has no choice in the matter.

Shame on you USAir.