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In exit row but was not told about safety and asked for a verbal response

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In exit row but was not told about safety and asked for a verbal response

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Old Dec 8, 2016, 4:09 am
  #16  
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Originally Posted by securesmaskfirst
So, I was on a flight where I was on the bubble to get an upgrade to first, so the GA asked me to not board until then end of boarding to see if a pax could make the flight, they did, so she had me board after zone 3. I was in the exit row. As we were about to take off, I asked my seat mate if we have been told about the safety info for the exit row. He said, they did ask the row behind us, but not our row since I was not in my seat yet. We never got the safety talk. I don't really care, and could recite it myself. Just wondering if others have seen this sort of thing before?

Wow. Do you think there's a way you could sue the airline? I bet the settlement would be nice. After all, the difference between surviving a crash into a mountain and not surviving could be you knowing how to open the exit door. This is really serious.
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Old Dec 8, 2016, 9:47 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by FlyingDanishPenguin
Wow. Do you think there's a way you could sue the airline? I bet the settlement would be nice. After all, the difference between surviving a crash into a mountain and not surviving could be you knowing how to open the exit door. This is really serious.
Not in a million years. That would be crazy.
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Old Dec 8, 2016, 10:32 am
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Originally Posted by securesmaskfirst
Not in a million years. That would be crazy.
It wasn't really your own interests you were asking about. The exit row passenger has the best chance to get out. You were bringing up the question on behalf of the passenger way in the back who might be delayed if the exit row passenger struggled with opening the exit.

I think that in drills, airplanes are supposed to evacuate in 90 seconds. In a real emergency (like a fire before takeoff, for example) everything should work as well as possible so that the drill performance can be equaled or exceeded. It's good to pay attention to deficiencies, rather than be complacent.
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Old Dec 8, 2016, 11:08 am
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a few years ago my friend and I flew CM from MCO to PTY - we purchased exit row seats. we were asked at check-in if we could assist in case of an emergency and could assist in Spanish. I am fluent in a few languages, Spanish being one...my friend, not so much. his response to everything was "si" - this is the guy who adds "o" to everything (caro for car, telephono for telephone etc)

we sat in our exit row seats on my merits of the speaking Spanish - it was hilarious hearing him answer "si" to questions being asked that were open-ended questions.

at the time it was funny, though hindsight it was reckless on our part and Copa's part too, God forbid an accident was to happen.
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Old Dec 8, 2016, 11:36 am
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I was on a LH flight from ZRH-FRA and we didn't get any type of briefing. Exit row or safety.
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Old Dec 8, 2016, 11:53 am
  #21  
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Originally Posted by FlyingDanishPenguin
Do you think there's a way you could sue the airline?
Yes, you can certainly hire a team of lawyers and sue the airline.
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Old Dec 8, 2016, 4:06 pm
  #22  
 
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Originally Posted by securesmaskfirst
It was a short flight and I didn't see the FA other than when they were giving the safety talk about masks and things. I didn't complain to the airline. I think that out of the 150 flights I took this year that I can keep quiet with a minor breach in protocol.

I posted it into Ft to see if this is a sometimes experience of something regular. Do you think I should make a complaint?

I don't think it was all that serious...just curious.
If this is the most important thing you have to worry about consider yourself lucky - you clearly fly enough (as do most of the exit row passenger - exception noted in thread) that you can probably recite the rule!
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Old Dec 8, 2016, 8:44 pm
  #23  
 
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For years we have been seeing irate posts about all the pre-flight announcements and how they should just leave us frequent flyers alone to work or listen to our music. Now we seem to be b!tching about NOT getting the briefing. They just can't win!
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Old Dec 9, 2016, 12:58 am
  #24  
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Originally Posted by securesmaskfirst
Not in a million years. That would be crazy.
Absolutely not. The audacity they had not to point to the sign on the wall and read it out loud to you. You should totally sue.
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Old Dec 9, 2016, 7:52 am
  #25  
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Originally Posted by abmj-jr
For years we have been seeing irate posts about all the pre-flight announcements and how they should just leave us frequent flyers alone to work or listen to our music. Now we seem to be b!tching about NOT getting the briefing. They just can't win!
You could perhaps borrow the same team of lawyers to sue them when they read *too many* preflight announcements. @:-)
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Old Dec 9, 2016, 8:06 am
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I was on a WN flight and the FA made the speech and asked for a verbal yes. The man across the aisle from me said no. The WN said that he would have to move. He then said 'I was kidding'. She then said "But I wasn't". He was moved. His wife was sitting next to him. The FA asked her if she wanted to move too, and she said 'no, he's on his own, but thanks for asking'.
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Old Dec 9, 2016, 8:47 am
  #27  
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On BA when I have selected an exit row seat and go to the lounge, the dragon/angel has to verify on their screen that I'm suitable for an exit row (the computer asks several questions) before it will let me into the lounge.

At origins where there is no BA lounge, the same questions flash up at the gate when boarding. Presumably they may appear when checking in, but I usually have a mobile BP.
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Old Dec 9, 2016, 9:09 am
  #28  
 
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Originally Posted by FlyingDanishPenguin
Absolutely not. The audacity they had not to point to the sign on the wall and read it out loud to you. You should totally sue.
I think you're sort of missing the point. First, the OP wasn't making any sort of complaint about any slight to him personally. Second, the purpose of the instructions and request for assent isn't to benefit the exit row passenger in any way; it's to try to establish that the exit row passengers understand and accept the JOB of being an exit row passenger. The person that the rules are intended to benefit is the passenger way in the back, who needs everything done right, without delay. Inviting the OP to sue the airline for an injury he did not experience, and did not perceive himself to have experienced, is just silly.
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Old Dec 9, 2016, 6:50 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by pinniped
Was the ability to speak a local language a requirement to sit in the exit row?

I never select exit row on an airline where I know or suspect English won't be widely spoken. Although it's the language of international aviation, I just assume that FAs may only know it minimally and would be more effective speaking their native language in an emergency (to another native operating the exit door, if necessary).

Plus I always assume a country could require local language fluency to sit in the exit row on their domestic flights.

I honestly don't know if it was a requirement or not. However, I am fluent in the language - it was the assumption that that couldn't possibly be true that I found so funny.
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Old Dec 10, 2016, 2:31 pm
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Carl Johnson
I think you're sort of missing the point. First, the OP wasn't making any sort of complaint about any slight to him personally. Second, the purpose of the instructions and request for assent isn't to benefit the exit row passenger in any way; it's to try to establish that the exit row passengers understand and accept the JOB of being an exit row passenger. The person that the rules are intended to benefit is the passenger way in the back, who needs everything done right, without delay. Inviting the OP to sue the airline for an injury he did not experience, and did not perceive himself to have experienced, is just silly.
Well, that may or may not be true. But can we get back to talking about how serious this mistake was? The lives of all passengers onboard that aircraft and any other aircraft within approx. 500 miles of the aircraft were in serious danger.

Imagine this: you're about to crash into a mountain side. You don't have time to read the "PULL HERE" sign on the emergency exit handle. Nobody sat down and explained to you the meaning of that "PULL HERE" sign.

As you crash into the mountain at 550 MPH, you are doomed - but - you could've been saved, had you just had the chance to turn your head 15 degrees to the left (or right, were you seated on the starboard side of the aircraft) and read that "PULL HERE" sign. It's not your responsibility as a passenger to know where you are or what you're doing. And complaining about it on FT isn't enough.

I think the OP should totally sue.
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