Cabin crew reveal what those in-flight ‘dong’ noises mean when it ISN’T about your seat belt
The ‘dong’ noises are a secret communication between the pilot and the flight attendants that cover everything from turbulence to landing gear
EVERYONE knows that the seatbelt light on a plane is accompanied by a ‘dong’ when it turns on and off.
But have you ever wondered what the extra ‘dongs’ are throughout the flight, when the seatbelt light remains unlit?
It turns out that the extra ‘dong’ noises are a secret communication between the pilot and the flight attendants.
Qantas cabin crew have now revealed all about the mystery noises , explaining what each different beep is supposed to mean.
According the flight attendants, the first ‘dong’ after take-off is about the landing gear on the plane.
They said: “On our Airbus aircraft you’ll hear the ‘dong’ sound shortly after take-off – this sound lets crew know that the landing gear is being retracted.
“Depending on where you are sitting, you can probably hear or feel it moving - if you’re downstairs in the pointy end of one of our Boeing 747’s – you’re basically sitting right on top of the front landing gear.”
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The second ‘dong’ of the flight usually comes when the seatbelt sign is switched off, with the following ‘dongs’ meaning a range of things base on the hi or lo tone of the chime.
For example, a single chime signals a passenger asking for service in their seat – when this happens, a panel will light up in the galley and a second light will appear over the passenger’s seat.
A hi-lo 'dong' is the ringtone of a crew phone from one galley or section to another, who are probably asking if there’s more snacks for another part of the cabin.
Then a triple chime of two lo ‘dongs’ signals a priority message from the captain or other crew members.
The Qantas cabin crew said: “This could be letting them know there may be turbulence ahead, so they should start putting away the meal carts and be ready in case the fasten seat belt sign comes on.”