Kgmm77

agreed. I'll edit for clarity!

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

Surely it goes beyond whether a person is able bodied or not? What about weight and balance?

Plenty of times I've been on an aircraft where rows, including multiple front rows and/or some emergency exits have had to be empty for takeoff and landing. But pax have been free to move to those seats to spread out during flight.

What if the able bodied person can't get back to their seat for landing in those situations?

Hodders

Rapid decompression would lead to a rapid descent to 10000' (or MSA), but then rate of descent would reduce from then on, and descent while quicker than normal below 10000' would have to allow time for pre landing configuration checklists/fuel dumping etc. With regard to CAA rules, CAP 789 only requires able bodied persons to be sat in exit rows during taxi, take off and landing phases.

LiviLion

That is just one example. There are better things for CC who are there primarily for your safety to be doing than helping someone move from exit row seat to another seat, it's adding complexity where none need exist in the first place.

KARFA

Rather than hypothesising, name an example of where this has ever been a problem please?

EJetter

I once sat in an exit row seat on a Vueling A320 which had a tray table in the armrest AND a tray table on the back of the seat in front, which was rather odd.

YorkieFlyer

I would draw the line at the CAA regulations and BA's conformance with them both in their instructions to cabin crew and in them following their own procedures in practice

Thomathy

I really, really hope there is some alternative meaning for the abbreviation 'POS' that I am unaware of.

Hodders

I can't speak for BA procedures, but the cabin crew actions you described seem to comply absolutely with CAA CAP789...

LiviLion

I used to read it as Piece of .... but in here it means Person of Size

LiviLion

Why should I - it's all about prevention rather than detection. Would you rather see an episode of Air Crash Investigation where people died because the exit row was blocked by a person who should not have been there and the recommendation was to not let people in the exit rows who shouldn't be there.

Or would you rather people are not in these seats in the first place so safe exit can be made when required. I know exit row exits have been used in the past, I've not heard any stories to suggest POS were in the seats so all good then - carry on like this.

Like it's always stated on program like this - it's never usually a single point of failure that causes the problem but a combination of events. Removing POS from the exit rows removes one of these possibilities from the equation.

I can't really add any more - if you can't accept the above then you are quite the apologist.

YorkieFlyer

post 7 by peter01 would seem to differ with your interpretation. I'd be grateful if someone not sat on the rear deck of the Blue Star Paros could confirm or deny the regs

KARFA

I think you seem to have made up your mind on this regardless of any knowledge of actual evidence that it has ever been a problem.

I assume both BA and the CAA have taken a logical and scientific approach and let the evidence dictate their conclusions. I have every reason to believe they have far more information and expertise than any person posting on this thread and have decided on regulations and policy accordingly.

Tafflyer

I think the issue of bags etc. is a different one to a person of size that may will take a significant amount of time to move around the cabin.

The point involving alcohol is a good one and I would welcome crew limiting drinks to passengers sat at exit rows. I believe the crew is not allowed to serve you if you appear inebriated anyway and would like to see a passenger boarding in that state also moved elsewhere.

And generally, where do you draw the line, well that is up to the crew with the absolute authority of the captain to make that decision and only their judgement counts, not our speculation here.

Hodders

Peter01's quote is off the CAA website, but if you go into the CAA CAP 789 (https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP%20789.pdf), on page 347 the CAA requirement is quite clear, and specifically related to taxi, take off and landing phases of flight.