In-flight comedians on the rise

After Southwest Airlines' experiment with humor on its flights, a number of other carriers are following suit.

Last year, Southwest began encouraging its flight attendants and pilots to use humor if they felt it was in their personality.

The result was a completely different flying experience instead of the traditional announcements about flotation devices and seat belts.

Southwest flight attendants began joking with passengers about things like bumpy landings and turbulence. Some flights even staged competitions with cash prizes.

A popular line after a less than graceful landing was: "Folks, contrary to popular belief, that wasn't the captain's fault. That wasn't even the first officer's fault. That's what we call the asphalt."

Now the trend has extended to other airlines. Independence Air has certain staff members designated as "FLYi Guys," whose job is to entertain passengers while checking in and on the flight.

Some airlines, such as United's discount carrier Ted, have completely changed its in-flight script to reflect the loose and laid-back atmosphere the company wants to project.

One line in a revamped script told passengers to put their oxygen masks on before helping their children, and if they had two children it was time to decide which one they liked better.

Naturally jokes have had to be carefully scripted. Jokes about crashing, security, and fear of flying are clearly out of the question.

While some passengers have indicated they appreciate the jokes more than others, research suggests that on the whole it is popular, and many enjoy the diversion.

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