Cabin lights and “ding” sounds

The little lights and sounds in the cabin are an ordinary language the crew use among themselves.

Chimes

Most “ding” sounds in the cabin are crew communication: cabin crew calling the pilots or each other, a passenger pressing the call button, or the seatbelt sign switching. Airlines and aircraft types use different tone patterns; most of the time it just means “pick up the phone”.

Seatbelt and no-smoking signs

On the panel above your head the seatbelt sign switches on and off. The no-smoking sign stays on for the whole flight.

Dimmed cabin lights

On night takeoffs and landings the cabin lights are dimmed, so your eyes adjust to the dark and you can see outside more easily. It's routine on every night flight.

Floor and exit lights

The light strips along the aisle floor and the signs above the doors are part of the cabin layout and are kept ready throughout the flight. They're shown in the safety briefing at the start.

Call button

The button with a person symbol above your seat calls the cabin crew. Don't hesitate to use it if you feel unwell or want to ask something.