US Airways Dividend Miles - NOTHING allowed in the seat back pocket?

I took a flight PHL-IAH over Thanksgiving on US (I usually fly NW or CO, but couldn't beat the fare). On the way down, the flight attendants went row by row prior to take off and landing and insisted that everyone in the cabin remove EVERYTHING of their own (magazines, water bottles, *single sheets of paper*, etc) that wasn't the airline magazines or barf bags prior to take off/landing. At first I asked if they were joking (had three sheets of paper - my itinerary in the pocket). They weren't. They said it was a new FAA regulation and for safety. I didn't want to argue, so I tossed the three sheets of paper below the seat in front of me. At take off, everything that would have been securely in paxs' seat back pockets slid between rows and down the aisles.

On the return flight, the crew didn't make this inane request. Go figure.

I've never encountered anything like this before in my life. I've since flown a few times (NW/UA) and didn't have any FAs mention this craziness, so I'm assuming that it was just that crew (in order of liklihood, IMO): a) being morons; b) having horrible days and sharing their mood with everyone in the cabin; c) playing a joke on pax; d) enforcing a new regulation that no other FA that I've encountered since has seen fit to mention, insinuate, or enforce.

What the hell?

ugh. :td: :td: :td: :td: :td: :td:

peace,
~Ben~

PS> It was also the messiest I've ever seen a plane left (and I fly NW!). I imagine that it was pax throwing their trash under the seats in front of them out of spite, but maybe they were instructed to "stow" their trash there instead of the seatback pocket. Just insane.

PPS> Credit where credit is due: I haven't flown US out of PHL in a long time (used to SUCK!) but on the Friday after Thanksgiving, I had not a single problem on the ground - coming or going. ^ ^ ^

I had the exact same thing happen on a UA BOS-SFO flight the Monday after Thanksgiving. I thought they were joking too! If the plane is going down in flames I doubt the 2oz pretzel bag will be a factor in my safety :p

I had the exact same thing happen on a UA BOS-SFO flight the Monday after Thanksgiving. I thought they were joking too! If the plane is going down in flames I doubt the 2oz pretzel bag will be a factor in my safety :p

Yeah - I wondered how my three single sheets of paper were more of a danger than the US Airways magazines. :td: I should have flown Southwest. LOL

peace,
~Ben~

I heard the same on one NW flight about a month ago and one DL flight 5 or 6 weeks ago. No clue what the reasoning is, but its STUPID and ends up with people holding a lot of loose items.

I love it when an airline employee cites the blanket "FAA regulations" to explain their position on something. Rarely is it true. In this case, I can most assure you that there is no FAA regulation that says you may not put papers, etc. in the seat pocket in front of you.

Instead, it's the airline(s) being cheap and the F/A's being lazy by passing the cleaning responsibilities onto the customer.

What she might have done, which is something that's a bit more acceptable, is to announce that they are coming through the cabin towards the end of the flight with a bag, requesting that passengers please check the seat pockets and the area around them for any refuse to toss in.

I've been on 51 segments this year (36 on DL/NW and 25 on US). So far, only once, on a US flight (SDF-CLT) was this "rule" enforced on a flight I've been on.

I have had this several times. I walked off a US mainline where magazines and laptops were in seatbacks and onto a PSA RJ. Everytime I was asked to put magazines (couldn't fit laptop) under seat in front of me. One PSA FA told me it was PSA policy and thanked me for putting my laptop under the seat without being asked. I did it because every prior PSA flight I was requested to do it. You know us old dogs can be trained. :) :)

I've had this happen several times on the DL version of a Barbie jet being operatied by every one's favorite airline, ASA. I was always in the buckhead seats. My lap top is one of those itty bitty Dell's that fits nicely into the pocket.

Not a big deal though since the overhead is only about six inches over my head so I don't even get out of the seat to stow it away or retrieve it. :)

I love it when an airline employee cites the blanket "FAA regulations" to explain their position on something. Rarely is it true. In this case, I can most assure you that there is no FAA regulation that says you may not put papers, etc. in the seat pocket in front of you.

Instead, it's the airline(s) being cheap and the F/A's being lazy by passing the cleaning responsibilities onto the customer.

What she might have done, which is something that's a bit more acceptable, is to announce that they are coming through the cabin towards the end of the flight with a bag, requesting that passengers please check the seat pockets and the area around them for any refuse to toss in.

As the New US Airways is adopting a more 'budget airline' ethos, this does not surprise me. Living in Europe, where we have a great network of cheap airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet, we have become used to the 'pay for your own food and tidy up after yourself' policy, and are usually happy to comply in return for the great low fares, which have enabled people in the north of England, such as here in Liverpool, to visit places like Paris, Prague etc for as little as $50.

You don't eat cheaply in Burger King and expect waitress service. Ryanair have even removed seatback pockets so there is nowhere to stuff your trash, and the very polite FA's regularly move around the cabin regularly with bags. What is not acceptable is rude FA's pretending it is an FAA regulation. Safety is clearly not compromised by placing sheets of paper in the seatback pocket. Maybe they resent being told to clear up trash which see see as the airport cleaners' job. Many airline employees will find the transition hard, and this is clearly the teething period...

On PHL-IAH, was this an EMB-170 flight operated by Republic perhaps?

If so, that is an airline regulation. On a Republic-operated UAL Express flight (well, Republic plane) similar request was made and enforced (by a militant flight attendant named Ginger). Even made us take novels out and put them in the overhead bin.

Afterwards, I did some investigation. A friend of mine who is the media relations spokesperson for a major airline contacted her counterpart at Chautauqua/Republic. Apparently during certification, their FAA POI (Principle Operations Inspector) went crazy after seeing some laptops in seatback pockets. Thus, she declared the airline cannot allow anything other than what the airline puts there in the pocket. Wanting to get certification, the airline just agreed to go along with it.

So yes, it's stupid. But it's the rule at some airlines and at least with Republic it's actually in their aircraft certification.

An FA was being very militant about this in Envoy on the 330 to SJU last week. I was in a bulkhead row and had some stuff in that little tiny magazine pocket up front and she moved it to the overhead. I thought it was very wierd. If you can't get out of the bulkhead row in Envoy on the 330 because of a few pieces of paper you are WAY too big :)

Sean

I've had this happen several times on the DL version of a Barbie jet being operatied by every one's favorite airline, ASA. I was always in the buckhead seats.


Buckhead seats? Are those anything like bulkhead seats? Or, are they only found in overpriced, trendy restaurants near Peachtree Street? Someone has been spending waaaay too much time changing planes in ATL. :D