Virgin Atlantic cabin crew taught how to whisper

Virgin Atlantic has appointed a 'whispering coach' to ensure cabin crew do not disturb the highest-paying passengers on flights. Crew will learn how to whisper to Upper Class passengers at a volume of between twenty and thirty decibels on a special, day-long training course. Sir Richard Branson's airline says that the measure will have a "calming effect" on passengers in its new, fanciest ever Upper Class suite.

Virgin's Upper Class passengers pay around £6,000 per person for return flights from London to New York. The airline says its new whispering strategy has been "formulated with input from speech experts" and trialled on test-flights and with several focus groups. Virgin's customer service training supervisor Richard Fitzgerald has been designated the new whispering coach.



He says his brief is to ensure the most relaxing night's sleep possible for the airline's high rollers. Mr Fitzgerald will train flight attendants how best to "engage with passengers", coaching them on the optimum "tone, volume and sentiment" to adopt. The airline trumpeted: "His specialist training will also ensure that no passenger is unduly disturbed whilst sleeping and that all passengers wake up and arrive at their destination feeling rested and refreshed."

It said that its 'Magic Touches' training ethos will also see crew learning how to be tactile, 'read' passengers and wake them comfortably as part of "the most luxurious way to travel by air". Mr Fitzgerald said: "The crew are now trained to whisper at tones between twenty and thirty decibels due to its calming effect and the fact that it won't disturb other passengers whilst lights are out. It is incredibly important that all Virgin Atlantic's cabin crew have their skills honed in order to provide the most comfortable experience possible for our passengers."