Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - Positive Change in Electronic Device Policy

I know there was once a long thread about Alaska's policy requiring electronic devices to be turned off BEFORE the aircraft door was closed. Our flight attendant tonight announced that on May 25, the policy would be changed to having to turn off devices WHEN the aircraft door was closed.

This is similar to the policy on other airlines that I fly. This will certainly help for those times when the announcement is made to turn things off and then we sit there for several minutes (door open) waiting for baggage to load, maintenance to sign off a log, etc.

Great. Now people who think they are more important than they really, talking about crap that can wait until they land will be talking a few more minutes.

:td:

I guess I'm fortunate in that I really haven't sat next to many passengers who are actually talking on their phones. More folks I've encountered are texting or updating e-mail.

I consider this to be a most welcome development.

I'm usually cranking out a last minute email or text so this is good news.^

Great. Now people who think they are more important than they really, talking about crap that can wait until they land will be talking a few more minutes.

:td:

As much as that can "be annoying" from time to time, there are plenty of people who are reading a book that isn't made of paper.

Great. Now people who think they are more important than they really, talking about crap that can wait until they land will be talking a few more minutes.

:td:

+1

I just hope this isn't the first crack in to allowing cell phone use in flight.

I know there was once a long thread about Alaska's policy requiring electronic devices to be turned off BEFORE the aircraft door was closed. Our flight attendant tonight announced that on May 25, the policy would be changed to having to turn off devices WHEN the aircraft door was closed.

This is similar to the policy on other airlines that I fly. This will certainly help for those times when the announcement is made to turn things off and then we sit there for several minutes (door open) waiting for baggage to load, maintenance to sign off a log, etc.

^^^^

I guess I'm fortunate in that I really haven't sat next to many passengers who are actually talking on their phones. More folks I've encountered are texting or updating e-mail.

Ditto. I can count on one (OK, maybe two) hand the number of times I've heard phone conversations during boarding. Either that's not a big concern, or most people are actually fairly reasonable with their vocal volume levels when on the phone.

I consider this to be a most welcome development.

I'm usually cranking out a last minute email or text so this is good news.^

Ditto! I'm lucky to now have a job that allows me to travel pretty freely as long as I stay caught up on work. And since all of my work is real-time (answering emails, processing transactions), it's not stuff I can just cache and deal with later. Time is often of the essence, since a missed window can mean the difference between one of the transactions going through or being denied.

+1

I just hope this isn't the first crack in to allowing cell phone use in flight.

That's coming someday anyway. This has absolutely no effect on that. This is just a realignment of the way the current FAA regs about PEDs are interpreted for AS.

In hindsight, I did write the FAA about this some time ago--at least a couple years, I think. I wonder if my email had anything to do with this change. If so, it sure took 'em long enough. ;)

the rules have NEVER been a deterrent to those texting on smart phones. I'm sure you've seen them. They hide the device from the flight attendants in order to get a few more messages off. Now they'll just keep them on just that little bit longer.

+1

I just hope this isn't the first crack in to allowing cell phone use in flight.

It's only a matter of time. Virgin Atlantic is now offering that service on some of its planes (except when over U.S. airspace).

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/us/en/the-virgin-experience/aeromobile.html

For me it is just a few more minutes to read my eBook or send another email/text. Such is the world we live in. I don't like being always on, but getting as much sent out before the 20 minutes or so of dead time from door closure to 10,000 feet can be important some days.

I'm very good about complying. When I hear the door close on an AA flight, I put my phone and iPad in airplane mode and then power off. But I hate having to turn it off on an AS flight, only to have the captain come on the PA two minutes later saying we are waiting for a mechanic to come sign off the log book and that it will be another few minutes before we really can leave the gate. My phone takes a while to restart from off.

It's a little thing, but from what I recall it irked a bunch of people. They also tend to have us shut down devices well before 10,000 feet on the descent. I do push this one a bit but if the flight attendant asks me directly I will turn it off. Once I hear the double chime, I shut down right away regardless of instructions.

I'm very good about complying. When I hear the door close on an AA flight, I put my phone and iPad in airplane mode and then power off. But I hate having to turn it off on an AS flight, only to have the captain come on the PA two minutes later saying we are waiting for a mechanic to come sign off the log book and that it will be another few minutes before we really can leave the gate. My phone takes a while to restart from off.

Good on ya for complying, makfan. I, too, have an iPhone and notice more often than not when a seatmate has one, that they haven't powered it down during flight. When they take it out of their purse/seatback/etc., they simply hit the home button, the screen lights up and they text away or make a call. No waiting for boot-up. :td:

I, too, have an iPhone and notice more often than not when a seatmate has one, that they haven't powered it down during flight. When they take it out of their purse/seatback/etc., they simply hit the home button, the screen lights up and they text away or make a call. No waiting for boot-up. :td:
This is what I do nowadays...in airplane mode, though FWIW. I was recently on a SEA-PDX flight across the aisle from a pilot (in uniform) who did the exact same thing with his iPad...and didn't even wait for the 10,000 feet chime to turn it on.

the rules have NEVER been a deterrent to those texting on smart phones. I'm sure you've seen them. They hide the device from the flight attendants in order to get a few more messages off. Now they'll just keep them on just that little bit longer.

Or like my last flight on UA where my seat mate was texting even after wheels lifted of and was texting again about 2 min before we touched the ground

With all this texting, iPad usage and Kindle reading during take off and landing I'm surprised that planes haven't fallen out of the sky yet!

Oh wait - just remembered that there have been exactly zero incidents related to portable electronics. :)

As an FYI both my flights yesterday (PDX-SEA and SEA-IAH) was the standard "can't shut the door until all electronics are turned off".

As an FYI both my flights yesterday (PDX-SEA and SEA-IAH) was the standard "can't shut the door until all electronics are turned off".

It's not May 25th yet.

With all this texting, iPad usage and Kindle reading during take off and landing I'm surprised that planes haven't fallen out of the sky yet!

Oh wait - just remembered that there have been exactly zero incidents related to portable electronics. :)

Who cares? It's an FAA regulation and I'd rather trust their experts.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/safe-cellphone-plane/story?id=13791569#.T72qBb9qMy5

Who cares? It's an FAA regulation and I'd rather trust their experts.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/safe-cellphone-plane/story?id=13791569#.T72qBb9qMy5

That story and the report rely far too heavily on anecdotes to give it much weight.

The fact that many of us have seen pilots use PEDs below 10,000' speaks much more loudly than an outdated, baseless FAA reg.

That said, I do not disagree with complying with the 10,000' regulation until it's overturned. This thread is about when to shut off PEDs before departure, and the updated change about that is a very positive move, even if it seems minor.

It's not May 25th yet.

:( Been on the road too much lately and didn't even realize.

I fly DFW-SEA and SEA-PDX and will report back.

That story and the report rely far too heavily on anecdotes to give it much weight.

I could not agree more.

Who cares? It's an FAA regulation and I'd rather trust their experts.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/safe-cellphone-plane/story?id=13791569#.T72qBb9qMy5


FAA "experts"? :rolleyes:


Just so that there is no misunderstanding - I turn my phone off for takeoff and landing.

Having said that - there are times when the element of time is critical to a deal. A last minute text or email might make the difference between success and/or failure. The shutting off PEDs prior to door closure policy was lame, IMO.

I could be wrong but I'm assuming that passengers such as myself - a business traveler (MVP or MVPG for 27 consecutive years now) are important to AS. Simply put - my success = more revenue for AS.



Boeing has conducted many investigations and has gone so far as to buy laptops directly from passengers that supposedly interfered with aircraft electronics.

They then tried to replicate the supposed interference with the suspicious laptops. They were unable to reproduce any interference.

They have also conducted tests in air and on the ground with cell phones and other electronics and have yet to cause interference.


This information is right on Boeing's website.

I can buy the argument that there is a remote, but still legitimate possibility that cell phones might interfere with NAV/COM signals. However, I think it strains credulity to suggest that an iPod or a Kindle in airplane mode could cause the autopilot to disengage.

I'd also point out that it has become increasingly common for airline crews to use iPads in the cockpit for their navigation charts during all phases of flight. If the FAA thinks it's safe for them to use them up there, right next to all those sensitive electronics, why should it be a problem for me to read an ebook or listen to some tunes in row 26?

WiFi used to be a no-no in flight until the airlines figured out how to make money off of it. Until they figure out how to monetize cell phone use, I doubt we'll see any changes to the FAA rules.

Until they figure out how to monetize cell phone use, I doubt we'll see any changes to the FAA rules.

Don't worry--that is happening as we speak. It's only a matter of time. ;)

Don't worry--that is happening as we speak. It's only a matter of time. ;)

Hopefully, it will be expensive enough to discourage people from yakking it up for the entire flight.

Personally, I prefer to conversing with people on the ground via iMessage/Google Talk/Facebook over WiFi rather than sharing all my business with everyone within earshot.

Hopefully, it will be expensive enough to discourage people from yakking it up for the entire flight.


For those who are flying for business, they often just charge it to the corporate card.

Personally, I think all of those who need to carry on their conversations while in the air should just take it outside.

Mike

For those who are flying for business, they often just charge it to the corporate card.


You would think so, but as I recall back in the days of seat-back AirPhones they didn't seem to get that much use.

That story and the report rely far too heavily on anecdotes to give it much weight.

The fact that many of us have seen pilots use PEDs below 10,000' speaks much more loudly than an outdated, baseless FAA reg.

That said, I do not disagree with complying with the 10,000' regulation until it's overturned. This thread is about when to shut off PEDs before departure, and the updated change about that is a very positive move, even if it seems minor.

Yes, I realize what this thread is about. I was responding to a post that was addressing the idea that because planes don't fall out of the sky there is nothing to prove that electronics could provide interference with flight deck instruments. As with that article, anything here is relying too heavily on anecdotes as well. Just because planes aren't dropping from the sky doesn't mean that electronics couldn't pose a hazard.

I would agree, this change in policy is a very good thing. It makes life a little easier for everybody involved - flight crew included.

the rules have NEVER been a deterrent to those texting on smart phones. I'm sure you've seen them. They hide the device from the flight attendants in order to get a few more messages off. Now they'll just keep them on just that little bit longer.

Since I usually fly exit row if I'm not upgraded I often sit next to pilots who are deadheading and on 4 or 5 different occasions in the last two years I've seen them leave their phones on once the flight attendants walk away, and have them on for the entire flight, with the radio enabled. I've even noticed them texting while we're in the air, because once you get down under around 10,000 feet your phone starts picking up signals.

Awesome!!!!!

QL

They also tend to have us shut down devices well before 10,000 feet on the descent. .

Please don't assume you have until 10,000ft to turn things off. Sometimes the FA's need to take their seats earlier and we have to prepare for landing at the top of descent due to forecast turbulence or, as when going into DEN, at 18,000ft due to the normal bumps on the east slope of the Rockies.