nichelle

I was in an exit row on a flight out of LGA a few days ago. The FA came through and did the regular speech. She then confirmed with everyone that we were willing to help in an emergency. We were then delayed for take off. A few minutes later another FA came through and noticed that in one of the exit rows, there was a couple with a baby that was in a travel seat right next to the window. She had them all move and switch seats with the people in the row in front of them.

So, it was caught before take-off. But I wondered why the FA who confirmed exit row protocol with everyone didn't notice the issue with the baby in the seat.

kenn0223

We have to go though annual training about travel safety and there is about 2 hours and a quiz on traveling on commercial airlines. The highlights are:

1. Locate and confirm the existence of the life vest for your seat,

2. Know where your top 3 exits are with at least one on each side of the airplane,

3. Keep your shoes on and tied during taxi, take off and landing, and

4. Remove headphones, cinch seat belt, and focus on the immediate actions required to evacuate during the take-off and landing sequences (engine spool up to gear up and gear down to taxiway).

I've been on a few (2-4 a year) flights with a missing life vest (e.g. found plastic container and it was empty). The last two times I only pointed it out after we landed since we were not flying over water and didn't want to wait since if you point it out prior to departure you will be waiting until they track down a new one. My understanding is the MEL includes a life vest for every seat (and perhaps spares) not just the occupied ones.

Check out NRT-GUM and NRT-SPN....very few English speakers, especially in coach and a lot of exit seats to 757

L1011toHNL

Huge pet peeve! At the end of November on DL1020 (actually AF006) CDG-JFK. Was seated with wife and daughter in aisle seat in row behind exit row in Y. Just after door closed, male FA came to me to ask if I would switch with the lady in the exit row center. She had an injured leg. I was confused because of the understanding of the "...AND ABLE" responsibility of exit row seating. I switched until we reached 10,000 feet, and then moved back. Don't you know, 20 minutes before landing, he came back once more, and asked if I was ready. He hadn't mentioned another call to service during the first incident. I asked what would have happened if there had been an inflight incident, would I have needed to hastily switch again. He giggled, and walked away. Again, I switched, irritated this time, but wondering if it was a U.S. FAA requirement to be ABLE as well as willing.

KRSW

Let me add #5 - Have your documents and essentials (Passport/credit cards/phone/glasses) on your person until 10,000 feet as well. BA2276 which caught fire at LAS comes to mind. There were issues with pax who didn't have passports being stuck in immigration limbo, no money, and no way to communicate with loved ones until that could all get sorted out.

flyerCO

They may have issues boarding an international flight. However since the US doesn't do exit immigration they never left. No way for them to be stuck in limbo. The plane never even left the ground or US airspace, much less touchdown in foreign soil.

CMK10

Years ago I was on a United flight from DEN-PHX. A woman had a panic attack in the gate area complete with sobbing, hang wringing, hyperventilating etc. This somehow led the gate agent to move her from the back of the plane into the exit row next to me. I told the flight attendant about this, that my seatmate had had a panic attack and was now in the exit row. The F/A said "we are only allowed to ask people if they're willing to assist, if they say yes, we have to let them sit here".

Thankfully the odds of a passenger needing to assist are relatively low, but it's still worrisome.

Often1

Every major study done on survivability in an aviation disaster demonstrates that 100% adherence to safety rules is a major factor in outcomes. It is not about each particular aspect of the rules, but rather about training and taking it all seriously.

Thus, life vests may not matter on a flight which does not have an over-water segment (although I suppose there is always a lake or river somewhere), but the fact is that when training is drummed into the crew, the crew take it seriously, enforce it and do not get into disputes with passengers who all seem to know better (just look at this thread), things go better overall.

The fact that someone with an infant is seated at the exit window and that is not spotted by the FA and you comment on it here means that you saw it, knew that it was an issue and apparently did not raise it.

It was your safety at risk. This is not about someone sneaking up to C+ or grabbing a beer off the cart, but your safety.

So, hit the call button or raise the issue discretely.

Mr. Elliott

A couple of years ago on a DL 757 flight, I was the only one seated in a 3 seat exit row, I had an aisle seat. Just after the boarding door was closed a couple seated behind me moved up and took the window and middle seat.

The FA came around and asked the standard able and willing question, while I and the husband seated in the middle seat answered yes to the question, his wife did not answer and her husband said in broken English she did not speak English. The FA said that while he could stay in his seat, his wife had to return back to her original which she did and stayed there for the entire flight.

I feel more than very comfortable with the willing and able to assist questions, as a FAA licensed aircraft mechanic I have experience opening emergency exits on large airplanes, they basically operate all the same, except with the newer B-737 emergency exits which swing up when the handle is pulled as opposed to the more common type that has to be removed inward. I have even coached my wife on how to open the emergency exits because normally she will sit in the window seat while I sit in the middle seat which actually is better for me because it gives me more room to lean over and pull the emergency exit in.

Mr. Elliott

Ysitincoach

WRONG!!!
The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 prohibits exclusion of passengers with disabilities from exit row access. FAA regulations are so vague, that it's hard to articulate whether someone in a wheel chair can lack the sufficient mobility, strength or dexterity in both arms and hands or both legs to perform emergency evacuation tasks, solely on the basis of requesting a wheelchair.

Southwest is one of the number one violators of the ACAA with their pre boarding policy excluding exit row access. A perfect example is passengers of size. You can very well have a passenger of size with shoulder width qualifying them for a POS second seat and Southwest pre boarding, but not necessarily need a seatbelt extension disqualifying them from the exit row.

Just be careful before you go calling out fellow passengers to the FA, when you may not fully be versed on the ACAA.

Pharaoh

This itself appears to be incorrect. Transportation.gov states, "Airlines may not keep anyone out of a specific seat on the basis of disability, or require anyone to sit in a particular seat on the basis of disability, except to comply with FAA or foreign-government safety requirements. FAA's rule on exit row seating says that airlines may place in exit rows only persons who can perform a series of functions necessary in an emergency evacuation."

And disabilitytravel.com expands on that a bit: "The carrier ... may deny specific seats to travelers who are less than age 15 or lack the capacity to act without an adult, or who lack sufficient mobility, strength, dexterity, vision, hearing, speech, reading or comprehension abilities to perform emergency evacuation functions."

Ysitincoach

How do you articulate the definition of mobility, strength, dexterity, etc...?
Cabin crew are not medical professionals.

Widgets

I meant a wheelchair request in a reservation will technologically inhibit an exit row seat assignment. Someone who needs wheelchair assistance presumably lacks full mobility required by the FAA.

mpheels

They are not medical professionals, yet they are ultimately tasked with the responsibility of assessing the ability of passengers to fulfill the responsibilities that go with an exit row seat. Exit row passengers don't just open the door in an evacuation, they also may need to facilitate evacuation, or at the very least not impede it. The law allows airlines to bar passengers with disabilities from exit row seats if the passenger is unable to fulfill the responsibilities that go with the seat - boarding unassisted is a fairly low bar to set when assessing ability to fulfill the exit row responsibilities.

Ysitincoach

Anyone can request a wheelchair.

I could too, despite qualifying for all the exit row requirements.

flyerCO

True, but you've then given the airline grounds to say you're not qualified to sit in an exit row. You could admit you're not disabled, but then they don't have to provide a wheelchair.