frobozzelectric

when was the last time there were commercial flights that allowed passengers to light up?

i do not think smoking will ever come back in commercial aircraft. maybe soon the no smoking sign will not even be necessary, it will go without saying.

lighters are not even allowed on board, so even without the sign nobody should be able to light up.

i do enjoy a stogie once in a while, but it is in the privacy of our own home.

savonarola

I believe smoking was concretely banned by the mid/late 90's, though I can't remember it.
The sign, on the other hand, should not disappear soon, probably as a security measure. Many planes still have ashtrays in the lavatories. It may seem contradictory with the smoke alarms - that even get a special mention during security instructions! -, but, if anyone decides to defy the law and have a smoke, it is better to put it out in the ashtray. Accidents have happened because a lit cigarette was just tossed in the regular paper bin.

ft101

I've seen it replaced by a mobile phone symbol on some recent flights with EK.

WorldLux

The sign will not disappear as people will start smoking again. There's always someone in a large group of people saying "I can smoke. There's no sign saying otherwise".

On newer airplanes the sign has been replaced by a sticker, which seems reasonable given that the "no smoking" sign usually isn't switched off.

frobozzelectric

interesting, i have not seen that one yet.

CPRich

I've seen many newer planes without the sign.

And no, I haven't heard anyone say "I can smoke, there's no sign that says I can't" - there are many, many things you can't do and there aren't signs calling out every one.

There is no economic argument to redesign/re-certify/replace the interior of an existing airplane just to remove an old sign. As new aircraft are introduced, interiors completely refreshed, etc., they will gradually fade away. But many aircraft are operational for 20, 30, etc., years, so they will likely be around somewhere for awhile.

ROCAT

Delta and American on their new B738/9's have Seat Belt and Wifi instead of the no smoking light. Nearly every B788/9 that I have been on does not have a no smoking light.

djk7

I've never flow EK, but I do recall seeing the "electronic devices can be used" symbol in place of the no smoking light before. I'm not sure which airline, but I think it was US domestic on a narrow body Airbus.

As others have mentioned, a sticker can be used for no smoking, no light really needed.

BuildingMyBento

People smoke anyway (I've seen e-cigs used in the US, pilots smoking in Egypt and China, and random folks all over lighting up).

That's why there are still ashtrays by lav doors...in case someone is smoking, ashtrays are good places (on a plane) to put out a cigarette.

Plenty of other electronic signs could be added to the list. "Keep your socks on" is one of them...

PAX_fips

same for a 4U/EW in an A320.

(and lighters are allowed in at least ol yurop)

Duke787

Yeah seems like most US carriers have updated to this on either new planes or when refurbing old planes (if I recall correctly the refurbed DL A320s I flew at the end of 2016 were wifi and seatbelt only and the refurbed CR9 I flew two weeks ago definitely was)

WorldLux

You say that, but let me tell you a small story regarding people and signs prohibiting something. Back when I was a student working a summer job, people would park on the private parking spots outside the office, despite it being very clearly private property (it was like parking on someones driveway).

To stop this, they put up a single sign for every row of parking (~5 spots/row) saying that all of it were private parking. Yet people still park outside because the - and I quote one of them "The sign is only in front of that spot. I can therefore park on the other".

We (the summer jobbers) were then told to put up a sign for every efffing parking spot and people still did it. In the end every parking spot had TWO signs saying "Private parking" and occasionally people still park illegally there.

If there's one certain thing, it's that you'll always find that one guy, who's going to do something illegal because there isn't a sign telling him not to.

CyBeR

You underestimate people. The need to smoke is apparently very primal to many.

CPRich

Neither of the last 2 posts addresses anything I said. I haven't heard anyone say they could smoke, and there are lots of things you can't do that aren't signed.

skylady

You are permitted to carry lighters in the US