Why then are there still "No Smoking" signs, lights and speeches STILL on commercial jet flights???

I realize that other countries buy U.S. made jets too, but you'd think that ones bound for U.S. would have that waste of time and space corrected by now.

Because many other countries still have huge smoking cultures. Those people also travel on international flights, and need to be reminded that smoking is not permitted on North American based flights.

Often the old jets are sold to countries that allow smoking after they are 'too old' for use in the US.

They want to light up too, keep their jobs, know the ruling is arbitrary, but hope somebody'll say something. No one has. Invertebrates, basically.

b/c there are many international passengers, even on US domestic flights.

also, i think it's to torture the smokers by reminding them that they CAN'T smoke. haha.

Some airlines still allow smoking, so rather than making different planes for different airlines, they just keep the smoking lights.

International passengers, and the fact that some people, yours truely included, have not flown since they banned smoking on flights (I don't smoke, I just have no where to go).

They also have to give the speaches because of liability purposes. It's like why they read you your rights, they can't arrest you for doing it unless they tell you not to.

B-Cool

The signs and speeches are still there for a couple of reasons:

-Making the speech at the beginning of a flight keeps anyone from trying to use "I didn't know it was against the law" as an excuse. You are supposed to pay attention during the emergency instructions and if you don't, then it's your fault and you can't plead ignorance

-Many people are not familiar with US travel restrictions and regulations; smoking onboard may be legal where they come from

-Removing the signs just for the sake of removing the signs is an unnecessasary expense. Airlines are not going to invest that kind of money in what's basically a cosmetic change when they are operating on very thin profit margins or narrowly avoiding bankruptcy to begin with. Notice how the lights and signs are attached to the plane next time you fly; they'll have to refit the entire console over each seat, not just remove a sign here and there.

Some people who have never flown before may smoke, so it's important that they know that they can't. dcgirl's response also proves a good point, that it's an unnecessary expense, and that it lets people know they can't smoke so later they can't pull off an "I didn't know that" excuse.

Some airlines are actually getting rid of the signs. I was on the US Airways Shuttle not too long ago (I took 4 flights with them, all on Airbus A319's.), and in place of the "No Smoking" sign, they had a sign that said "Turn off electronic devices", which is much more useful and informative. I don't know if they have them on other aircraft yet, but I'm sure they will soon.

Because, believe it or not .. people still smoke on planes!!!!! They hide in the toilet and light up, then set off the alarm when the smoke from their ciggie hits it. Then they get dragged off to the local police station on landing because they broke international law.

So, those signs and speeches are here to stay, indefinately. Some people have NO IDEA how dangerous it is to smoke on a plane. They're called 'stupid'. If the signs weren't there, and no speeches were made, these morons would be in the toilets all the time puffing away, setting off the alarm the whole flight.