PETER SAGAL, HOST:
We want to remind everyone they can join us most weeks right here at the Chase Bank Auditorium in Chicago, Ill. For tickets and more information go over to wbez.org. Or you can find a link at our website, waitwait.npr.org. Right now, panel, it is time for you to answer some questions about this week's news. Helen, in the worst thing to hit an airplane since the goose in Sully's engine, Southwest Airlines announced they are going to expand their program featuring what on select flights?
HELEN HONG: Oh, I know this.
SAGAL: (Laughter).
HONG: They're going to start making you listen to bad bands on the plane.
SAGAL: Exactly right. Live concerts on the plane.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
FAITH SALIE: Oh.
(APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: And you may think, no way. There is no way in this world an airline is going to strap me into a cramped seat and then, while I am helpless, have a guy in a cowboy hat stand up with a guitar and sing about his truck. They're not going to do that.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: But they have already done it. Southwest has partnered with a Nashville music group to provide live concerts in some planes. And they've gotten reactions from trapped passengers...
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: ...Ranging from, this is a good one, best flight ever to, if I say it did not drive me insane with rage, will you let me off this plane?
(LAUGHTER)
SALIE: Wait, does this take place before takeoff or during the entire flight?
SAGAL: Well, you take off. And then once you're sort of cruising...
SALIE: No.
SAGAL: ...It's like - so the band gets up and says, hello, over Cleveland, they say.
SALIE: Oh (laughter).
ALONZO BODDEN: What could go wrong? I mean, people are so happy when they fly.
SAGAL: Exactly.
(LAUGHTER)
BODDEN: Everyone is so comfortable already...
SAGAL: Yeah.
BODDEN: ...A little serenade that you didn't expect could only make the experience more joyful after getting on Southwest, fighting for your seat.
(LAUGHTER)
BODDEN: I think it's a...
SALIE: Well, interestingly...
BODDEN: ...Beautiful moment.
SALIE: ...I once did a story on this. Do you know how Southwest devised their seating policy? They used ants.
SAGAL: Oh, I heard about this.
SALIE: It's bio-inspiration. They took a - the way that ants all know how to funnel into a small space.
SAGAL: Yeah.
HONG: But did they make the ants listen to a band...
SAGAL: Yeah.
(LAUGHTER)
HONG: ...On the plane?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND")
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD: (Singing) We're an American band. We're an American band. We come into your town. We'll help you party down. We're an American band.
SAGAL: Coming up, we take a trip to the world of tomorrow on our Bluff The Listener game. Call 1-888-WAITWAIT to play. We'll be back in a minute with more of WAIT WAIT... DON'T TELL ME from NPR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.