alarm in the air

5 minutes after my Sri Lankan flight took off from Bangkok, alarms went off.

It took me a few seconds to register that it was indeed an alarm coming from the plane itself, and not someone's watch or phone.

We were still smoothly ascending and everyone around me seemed quite calm--much to my bewilderment. In the meantime, I was starting to panic and to wonder whether this was the end for me!


Mercifully, the alarm stopped after what was probably only 10-15 seconds.

There was of course an announcement that followed:

"That was a false alarm. Please disregard."

Huh? That's it?


So much for clarification.



I must say that when it comes to airline announcements, I prefer the more detailed to the minimal. American pilots, in my experience, tend to be the most communicative...which I appreciate!



Not to give the wrong idea regarding the quality and safety of Sri Lankan Airlines, it is ranked in the same class as carriers such as ANA, JAL, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic. They also served the most delicious vegetarian food on-board... :)

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