4.3 On the plane
Source: eslfast.com
Talking to a flight attendant
| A: Can I ask you some questions about the in-flight instructions? | OR: – I am kind of confused about the in-flight instructions and need to ask you a few questions. – Would it be all right if I asked you a few questions about your in-flight instructions? |
| B: I would be happy to help you clarify anything you need help with. | OR: – I would love to help clarify any questions you might have. – It would be my pleasure to help you with any questions you might have. |
| A: Could you help me find out where my nearest exit is? | OR: – Where is that card that shows my nearest exit? – When you were talking about the nearest exit, what were you talking about? |
| B: There is a card in your seat pocket that shows you where your nearest exit is. Yours is two rows in front of you. | OR: – There’s a card in this seat pocket that shows you where your nearest exit is. Your nearest exit is right here. – That card is in the seat pocket right in front of you. Your nearest exit is directly behind you. |
| A: Where is my oxygen mask that you were talking about? | OR: – Is my oxygen mask up here? – What if I need an oxygen mask? |
| B: Your oxygen mask is above you, next to the reading light. It will drop down when you need it. | OR: – The oxygen mask is above you and will drop down if you need it. – Your oxygen mask will drop down if we lose cabin pressure. |
| A: I am concerned about landing in the water. | OR: – Do we have any life jackets on this plane if we need them? – Where are the life jackets? |
| B: The life jackets are under your seat. You can also use your seat cushion as a flotation device. | OR: – You will find your life jacket under your seat if you need it. Also, you have a seat cushion that can be used as a flotation device. – Your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device and your life jacket is under the seat cushion. |
| A: What is the most important thing we can do to stay safe? | OR: – It seems really windy outside. – If I want to be safe, what can I do? |
| B: The most important thing you can do is keep your seatbelt fastened when the captain asks you to. | OR: – Always make sure that your seatbelt is fastened when you are requested to fasten it. – Keep your seatbelt fastened at all times. If you fall asleep, keep it fastened loosely around you in case we hit turbulence unexpectedly. |
Talking to a seatmate
| A: That rain is really coming down out there! | OR: – It sure is windy out there! – I can’t believe how bad the weather is today! |
| B: Yes, it’s kind of crazy weather outside. | OR: – Yes, according to the weather report, we will be flying through a pretty nasty storm. – It definitely is not the perfect day to fly, is it? |
| A: I get kind of nervous flying in this kind of weather. | OR: – I am scared of flying to begin with, but bad weather makes it a little worse. – I don’t really like flying in this kind of weather. |
| B: I don’t think anyone feels all that comfortable flying in a storm. | OR: – It is normal to feel a little nervous about flying in bad weather. – Anyone who actually enjoys flying in bad weather is out of their mind. |
| A: Do you think it will be this bad the whole trip? | OR: – Will the whole flight be this bad? – How long do you think this will last? |
| B: On the weather channel, this storm looked to be a big one. It will probably be with us for a while. | OR: – Usually the pilot can get enough altitude to get above it. I hope that happens this time! – I think that it will probably let up once we get out of here. Let’s cross our fingers! |
| A: I worry about too much ice on the wings. | OR: – What if we hit a flock of birds? – What if one of the engines stops working? |
| B: I have to believe that our pilot knows what he is doing and we’ll be okay. | OR: – I trust that the airline wouldn’t let us take off without feeling that all was okay. – Plane crashes are very rare. We’ll be fine. |
| A: When do you think the pilot will turn off the Fasten Your Seatbelt sign? | OR: – Do you think that the pilot will ever turn off the Fasten Your Seatbelt sign? – How much longer do you think that the pilot will leave the Fasten Your Seatbelt sign on? |
| B: He’ll turn it off as soon as he knows that we are through the turbulence. | OR: – When we are past the turbulence, I am sure that the pilot will shut the light off. – The pilot needs to make sure that there is no more turbulence before he lets us get up. |
| A: Do you think that we are going to crash? | OR: – Do you think that we are going to die? – Do you think we are headed for an air disaster? |
| B: Maybe. You just never know. | OR: – Would you like a pillow and blanket so you can take a nap? – Can I buy you an alcoholic beverage? |
Ordering food and drinks
| A: I was wondering if I could order something to drink. | OR: – I am getting thirsty and was wondering if I may order a drink. – When you get a chance, could you take my drink order, please? |
| B: Yes, we have alcoholic beverages as well as coffee, tea, or soda. | OR: – On this flight you may have your choice of bar drinks or coffee, tea, or soft drinks. – Yes, I would be happy to take your drink order. We have coffee, tea, or soda as well as bar drinks. |
| A: How much do drinks cost? | OR: – Do you charge for beverages? – What is the price of drinks? |
| B: Our alcoholic beverages are five dollars each. All others are complimentary. | OR: – Our alcoholic beverages are five dollars apiece. All others are two dollars each with free refills. – We offer nonalcoholic beverages for free. Our bar drinks are five dollars each. |
| A: When will our meals be served? | OR: – Are we going to get fed on this flight? – Do we get to eat on this flight? |
| B: We will serve a snack with the beverages. Dinner will be served a few hours into our flight. | OR: – We always pass out a small snack with your beverage. You will be served dinner in a few hours. – You will get a small snack served with your beverage. We will be serving dinner about halfway through the flight. |
| A: What are our dinner choices? | OR: – Do we have a choice of what we get for dinner? – What are we having for dinner tonight? |
| B: You will have a choice of chicken, fish, or beef. I will be bringing a menu by shortly. | OR: – We are serving a chicken, fish, or beef plate. You may select whatever you choose. – Tonight we have chicken, fish, or beef to choose from. You will get a chance to look at a menu a little before our mealtime. |
| A: I am a vegetarian and need a vegetarian meal. | OR: – Do you have vegetarian meals? – Can I order a vegetarian plate? |
| B: Vegetarian meals need to be requested at least two days before your flight. I might be able to find you extra servings of vegetables, however. | OR: – With advance notice, we are able to accommodate a wide variety of special diet needs. Once we are in the air, unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do. – We serve many different meals for people with religious or dietary restrictions. We do need to know about this at the time you book your flight. |