Old-school communication, so hot right now.
In this fast-paced world, we’re often accused of burying ourselves in various different screens and thus being highly antisocial and rude as a result.
Crammed into a busy plane may not be the most obvious environment to try and change that, but one Icelandic airline is doing its level best to improve in-flight entertainment via old-fashioned human interaction.
Air Iceland Connect, a small regional airline that doesn’t offer luxury items like screens in the back of the seat in front of you, WiFi or headphones, have employed hardback notebooks in a bid to encourage passengers to share the story of their trip.
The hardback journals are placed in seat pockets along with a note asking people to write or sketch their own personal travel experience and leave it behind for future passengers to discover.
A journalist for FT became engrossed when leafing through one of these ‘Shared Stories’ journals while on a flight last week, finding everything from basic travel tips to diary-style confessionals.
He relates the stories of people finding themselves in strange, life-changing situations and others who shared their tales of broken relationships and new loves.
There’s also a cute dedication to a cat from a 10-year-old girl from Dublin, who describes her beloved feline as “the flame to my candle.”
The unique move has proved to be a big hit with passengers, according to airline representative Anika Krogh.
“People seem to love the books,” she says.
“I guess taking a flight is often an emotional time, leaving a loved one, starting a new job or an adventure.”
Journal image credit: FT
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
