JetBlue TrueBlue - Are exit rows required to have pax?

Last week my wife and I flew TPA-DCA. We were seated on the aisle in 13C/D. Both our rows were fully occupied, as was all of row 14, including a screaming lap infant.

I noticed that among the four exit rows (10 ABC/DEF and 11 ABC/DEF one of the rows had one passenger and the other three were completely empty. Just as the cockpit door was being closed (and while a few pax behind us were still stowing stuff in the overheads) I asked a flight attendant if my wife and I could quickly slip up to 11 C/D. I acknowledged that we had not paid the extra $ for those seats, but noted that it would provide some emergency row exit coverage where there otherwise was none, as well as providing the others in Row 13 with some extra room.

I was a bit shocked when he looked at me and just said "no, you can't" and then walked away. Since we were both already on the aisle we could have moved in about 5 seconds without disrupting any other pax.

Was I out of order with my request? It was painfully obvious at that point that B6 was not going to earn any extra $ from selling those exit row seats, and from my perspective our moving would have enhanced emergency escape safety on the plane and provided four other people, in addition to my wife and me, with a more comfortable flight.

Are exit rows required to have at least one passenger each? If not, why not?

No, there is no requirement that exit row seats be occupied.

There are federal regulations that restrict who may occupy an exit row seat (can't be under 15, must be able-bodied enough to operate/lift exit door, etc).

I don't blame an airline for instructing the FAs to deny you an extra-cost seat when you didn't pay for it.

I'm tall enough that I cannot imagine NOT paying the nominal charge for extra legroom.

Was I out of order with my request?

No, it is fine to ask. But I think the FA was right in not letting you move to the extra-room seats that you did not pay for.

At 6'4", I see the money for EMS seats as money well spent. Which is why I pay for them.

Last week my wife and I flew TPA-DCA. We were seated on the aisle in 13C/D. Both our rows were fully occupied, as was all of row 14, including a screaming lap infant.

I noticed that among the four exit rows (10 ABC/DEF and 11 ABC/DEF one of the rows had one passenger and the other three were completely empty. Just as the cockpit door was being closed (and while a few pax behind us were still stowing stuff in the overheads) I asked a flight attendant if my wife and I could quickly slip up to 11 C/D. I acknowledged that we had not paid the extra $ for those seats, but noted that it would provide some emergency row exit coverage where there otherwise was none, as well as providing the others in Row 13 with some extra room.

I was a bit shocked when he looked at me and just said "no, you can't" and then walked away. Since we were both already on the aisle we could have moved in about 5 seconds without disrupting any other pax.

Was I out of order with my request? It was painfully obvious at that point that B6 was not going to earn any extra $ from selling those exit row seats, and from my perspective our moving would have enhanced emergency escape safety on the plane and provided four other people, in addition to my wife and me, with a more comfortable flight.

Are exit rows required to have at least one passenger each? If not, why not?

I think it was fine to ask, but the policy is pretty clear. You wanted more legroom for free. The "enhanced emergency escape safety" business is just an attempt (not a bad one, IMO) to find an excuse to get something for nothing.

Do other airlines let you sit in first class when the seats are available? The exact same reasoning applies here. The EMS seats are considered to be a premium product. If the airline starts giving them away for free, then it degrades their ability to sell those seats to people in the future.

Finally, if they let you move into those seats, how do they prevent everyone else on the plane from doing the same thing?

It was painfully obvious at that point that B6 was not going to earn any extra $ from selling those exit row seats

True, but if they let passengers move to those seats in your case, then they would be less likely to buy them in the future, hoping for a chance to get them for free.


Are exit rows required to have at least one passenger each? If not, why not?

The FAA creates and maintains the exit row requirements that airlines must follow. Here (http://www.flightsimaviation.com/data/FARS/part_121-585.html)is a link to the FAR. If you are up for some research on the details, there are probably huge volumes of information somewhere about how the current rule was developed.

Hey, I get it that I am not "entitled" to the extra legroom and no, I would never ask if I could move up to first class on a flight. One of the reasons I fly B6 is because of the 34 inch seat pitch in "regular" seats, which I find more than adequate for a two hour flight like this one, and I do buy-up on the transcons.

I was obviously wrong in thinking that the FAA and the airlines would prefer to have an able-bodied adult in an emergency exit row as opposed to having nobody there. Yes, all six of us in row 13 would have ended up more comfortable at no incremental cost - or revenue - to B6, but it seems to me 120+ folks also would have been just a wee bit safer in the unlikely event of an emergency.

. . . but it seems to me 120+ folks also would have been just a wee bit safer in the unlikely event of an emergency.

I'm not sure that your assumption is valid. Think about it this way: If there's nobody sitting in the exit row, and the plane crashes (or suffers a severe landing with casualties), the survivors will be assured of a clear shot at the exit door, as there's a zero percent chance of encountering a dead, but belted in, body blocking the door. Sitting in the exit row certainly doesn't ensure that you're one of the survivors. ;)

It could be that the best exit door strategy for the entire planeload of passengers is to have nobody sitting in the exit rows. But since the tall want to sit there, the FAA long ago wrote the rules governing the requirements to sit there.

I'm not sure that your assumption is valid. Think about it this way: If there's nobody sitting in the exit row, and the plane crashes (or suffers a severe landing with casualties), the survivors will be assured of a clear shot at the exit door, as there's a zero percent chance of encountering a dead, but belted in, body blocking the door. Sitting in the exit row certainly doesn't ensure that you're one of the survivors. ;)

It could be that the best exit door strategy for the entire planeload of passengers is to have nobody sitting in the exit rows. But since the tall want to sit there, the FAA long ago wrote the rules governing the requirements to sit there.

Indeed. I've been on a 737 with 10 people on it, where I was the only one in the exit row, and I got up (jokingly I refused to say yes to the "can you operate the door etc.") and left so I could have a 3 seat section to myself to lay across and get some sleep.

Do other airlines let you sit in first class when the seats are available? The exact same reasoning applies here. The EMS seats are considered to be a premium product. If the airline starts giving them away for free, then it degrades their ability to sell those seats to people in the future.

Why yes, US Airways does. Before moving anyone up, they check to make sure everyone qualified for an upgrade receives one, and then they ask the first class pax if they have anyone traveling with them who would like a free upgrade. After that, the upgrades are at the discretion of the FAs, and then after First is filled, then the standbys are allowed on board.

I've flown with US a 4 times and have noticed this practice occurring in 3 of the 4 flights. In fact, I've been upgraded once because the FA thought I would benefit from the larger seat (I'm a big and tall guy). First was definitely nicer and I decided to pay for an upgrade on my return trip. It's a rather good marketing strategy if you ask me!

In fact, I've been upgraded once because the FA thought I would benefit from the larger seat (I'm a big and tall guy).

I am almost positive that this is against US policy. FAs generally do not have discretion to upgrade passengers on most airline.

I've seen FAs do it on United as well (with a UA crew, not a CO crew) although it was only one passenger. They had an open seat so they let this guy sit in First to be with his family.

I am almost positive that this is against US policy. FAs generally do not have discretion to upgrade passengers on most airline.

Overbooked Y?

Overbooked Y?

That would be dealt with by gate agents. The other poster was talking about FAs just giving away F seats to whomever they wanted to.

When I am traveling in a pair, at the time of ticket purchase I intentionally pick seats away from each other, like seats behind each other or aisle & window seats leaving the middle open. Then when I get to the gate, I ask if we can be paired up. I have been comp'd to EMS seats before to seat us together, but not always or often. Other times the middle is doesn't get filled, so we still get some extra space that way. If the middle is filled, that person is usually willing to switch to aisle or window so we still end up together. You can try to skip seat selection and then hope to get paired in EMS seats at the gate too.

When I am traveling in a pair, at the time of ticket purchase I intentionally pick seats away from each other, like seats behind each other or aisle & window seats leaving the middle open. Then when I get to the gate, I ask if we can be paired up. I have been comp'd to EMS seats before to seat us together, but not always or often. Other times the middle is doesn't get filled, so we still get some extra space that way. If the middle is filled, that person is usually willing to switch to aisle or window so we still end up together. You can try to skip seat selection and then hope to get paired in EMS seats at the gate too.

The aisle and window combo is a good pick. The middle seat will either be empty, or they will be happy to switch with one of you.

Do other airlines let you sit in first class when the seats are available? The exact same reasoning applies here. The EMS seats are considered to be a premium product. If the airline starts giving them away for free, then it degrades their ability to sell those seats to people in the future.

Why yes, US Airways does. Before moving anyone up, they check to make sure everyone qualified for an upgrade receives one, and then they ask the first class pax if they have anyone traveling with them who would like a free upgrade. After that, the upgrades are at the discretion of the FAs, and then after First is filled, then the standbys are allowed on board.

I've flown with US a 4 times and have noticed this practice occurring in 3 of the 4 flights. In fact, I've been upgraded once because the FA thought I would benefit from the larger seat (I'm a big and tall guy). First was definitely nicer and I decided to pay for an upgrade on my return trip. It's a rather good marketing strategy if you ask me!
Huh? That is NOT the policy at US. F/a's definitely do not pick and choose who to upgrade. If they're moving people up from Y it's because the GA is clearing last minute elite upgrades. Your upgrade was definitely the exception, not the norm.

If the GA was clearing last minute elite upgrades, then why would the FA ask people sitting in the front Y seats if they would like to move to F? They didn't check to see who it was, or whether they had any sort of status (I sure don't!).

Maybe it was because it was on the BOS-PHL/PHL-BOS shuttle?

I've only flown on US 4 times (BOS-PHL and back twice) so I'm sure my experience is probably luck and not the norm.

Hey, I get it that I am not "entitled" to the extra legroom and no, I would never ask if I could move up to first class on a flight. One of the reasons I fly B6 is because of the 34 inch seat pitch in "regular" seats, which I find more than adequate for a two hour flight like this one, and I do buy-up on the transcons.

the main reason I buy the EMS seat is for the greater chance of having an empty center seat, as I hate fighting for armrests with strangers. If they let everyone just fill in the EMS seats, I would no longer buy EMS. I'm glad they do a great of protecting their premium product. In fact, in every case I've seen someone help themselves to an EMS seat, the FA always catches them and sends them back.