US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - The Forward Lav

I don't know how many of you saw this in USAToday:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/vacations/destinations/2003/2003-05-30-lav.htm

It's about coach passengers coming into F to use the lav. Many of the quotes seem to come from US frequent fliers...kinda mirrors some threads here lately, so I thought I'd share.

I think they should install a red velvet rope across the aisle between the coach and biz/FC sections. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif

I wish Kitty Bean had contacted me! I'd have given her an earful! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by geo1005 (edited 05-31-2003).]

I'm not sure I see what the big stink is.

Even with the curtain, I don't think it really stopped that many people who were seated towards the front of the plane.

If you really wanted to get fancy, you could make the front lav have a card reader that required your DM Preferred card for access.

That way, if CPs got stuck in coach, you wouldn't be adding insult to injury by making them use the same lav as the unwashed masses.

US Air could also then start the L-Upgrade program. CP get unlimited lav access; gold get 4 free for each 10,000 miles flown and anyone can buy them.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by HereOrThere:
I'm not sure I see what the big stink is.
</font>

Big stink, I get it! hardehar! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I've flown on some airline where they said it was a security requirement that coach pax can't use first class lavs and that first class pax who need to queue to use the lav should stand in coach (ie not around the cockpit and first class lav).

Back when I used to fly in first I didn't care if anyone came up from coach. Now that I'm in coach I almost always go to the back unless there's a cart in the way and I can't wait. The way I see it, I'm bored in a plane and the long way back on a turbulent plane like's a free roller coaster ride http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I don't think that coach pax should use the F/C lav under normal circumstances. If I was in coach & needed to use the lav in F, I nicely ask the F/A if I can do so. I only have asked for going to the F lav (while sitting in coach) in very limited circumstances. (Bev/food cart blocked the way to coach & going immediately to the lav was necessary in that instance).

What is wrong with asking the F/A if it is OK to go to the F lav? Having manners & being polite goes a long ways! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

When I'm in coach, I don't even think about using the F lav. I don't care too much when the people in the back use the F lav...unless of course, I need to use the bathroom and they are keeping me from using it.

Before I started to fly significantly, I didn't know that the F lav was so important to some people, so if there was a line in the back lav, I would go up front. My point is that many leisure and some business travelers do not know that people in F really care that much that the cattle are using their bathroom.

For the first time ever, the FA explained to several passengers that they couldn't use the FC lav. They were all sent back. On the way out, a passenger, an older woman, complained, and was told the reason was that because there could not be a 'congregation' of people milling about near the cockpit. It is a safety issue, apparently.

Jane in PHL

Two things from my outbound flight this week:

1. I noticed that the FA announced, prior to departure, that there were 3 lavs in the back of the plane for coach pax. Did not say that they could not use the front lav, but I think that she made it well understood that they were not to go up front to use the b-room.

2. I used one of the lavs in the back of the bus because the person in the front was taking quite a long time. Do you think the people in coach were mad at me because I was using one of "their" lavs?

I actually flew a couple of UA flights this week and they made the same announcement - they also added that no one was to stand up by the forward lav, since its right near the flight deck, and if anyone it was occupied, people should use the rear lavs instead.

So, maybe people thought you were being security conscious! :-)

If you have to GO, GO!

I found this to be a big discussion on a recent transcon flight.

On a full flight I was sitting in back just a few rows from the front cabin. The front cabin attendent scolded several coach passengers, sending them back and actually made a second announcement that we were to use the bathroom within our assigned class of service.

When the service carts kept blocking up the isle several people around me who "had to go" still made their move while the attendent was distracted.

Given her displayed attitude I would not have stopped to ask permission if I had an urgent need.

I guess I kinda mind when Y pax come up to F. If there is no one in there is one thing, but when there is someone already in there, why Y pax feel the need to come up and stand there in a line with their butts in your face.