[mikeash]

I can't remember the last time I heard an in-flight announcement that I actually needed to hear. They're far from "usually important." 99% of flights could happily go from start to finish without a single use of the PA, if it were legal to do so, and if the airline could exercise self-control.

The PA system should be reserved for actual important safety-related announcements. It's outrageous that the same system that would be used to tell you to brace for a crash is also used to repeatedly flog credit cards, duty-free sales, and other such nonsense, training everybody to ignore it.

[sokoloff]

There is a specific legal requirement for the passenger briefing. You'll notice that the briefing pretty much follows the script required by the law: http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/91.519

[gergles]

> The oral briefing required by paragraph (a) of this section shall be given by the pilot in command or a member of the crew, but need not be given when the pilot in command determines that the passengers are familiar with the contents of the briefing.

Maybe the airlines could make you take a quiz on the ground to get early boarding, and if everyone passes, no briefing!

[mikeash]

That would be why I said "if it were legal to do so...."