Academic English

Airplane flights come and go at airports everyday. What kinds of public announcements would you expect to hear at an airport while waiting for your flight? Write down your ideas before beginning the listening.

“hot under the collar” = get angry
“Many of the passengers got really hot under the collar when they found out the plane would be delayed another two hours.”

“strike up” = begin a conversation
“He struck up a conversation with another passenger and found out that they attended the same high school.”

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

Have you ever had to wait for a delayed flight? What was the reason? What other reasons can you think of that would cause the flight to be delayed or cancelled? Would you be satisfied if the airline offered you a free flight to another destination for future travel if they had to cancel your current flight until the next day? Why or why not?