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Why doesn't the aisle seat armrest raise?

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Why doesn't the aisle seat armrest raise?

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Old May 11, 2006, 12:10 am
  #1  
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Why doesn't the aisle seat armrest raise?

Only on a very few flights have I ever seen aisle seats where the armrests go up. Why?

It would seem to me that a) this would add significantly to safety in the event of an evacuation, b) would make getting in and out of the seat (or seats in that row) easier.
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Old May 11, 2006, 4:40 am
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Probably to minimize the spillover of pax into aisle. But a fair number of RJ
(don't recall which brand, sorry) aisle armrests have the secret button.
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Old May 11, 2006, 6:50 am
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I believe it does on some CO flights. On my most recent flight, it did.
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Old May 11, 2006, 7:00 am
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If the aisle armrest is up and the passenger falls out (turbulence, sleeping, or just clumsy) they could hurt themselves or the person across the aisle. It makes sense and avoids an inevitable lawsuit.
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Old May 11, 2006, 9:47 am
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Originally Posted by violist
Probably to minimize the spillover of pax into aisle. But a fair number of RJ
(don't recall which brand, sorry) aisle armrests have the secret button.
Any idea on where this secret button is located? Might come in handy one day.
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Old May 11, 2006, 9:51 am
  #6  
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To keep stupid inconsiderate people from raising it and sticking their feet or head into the aisle area.
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Old May 11, 2006, 9:53 am
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Originally Posted by Nanook
Any idea on where this secret button is located? Might come in handy one day.
look on the underside of the armrest back by the hinge-there should be a cutout/hole with a small metal piece in it. the metal piece is the release for the armrest.
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Old May 11, 2006, 10:18 am
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The Air Carrier Access Act requires something like half of them be able to be raised. Every one I've ever seen has the secret button.
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Old May 11, 2006, 11:09 am
  #9  
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Either underneath the armrest,about an inch from the back, or in the hinge component, will be a button that releases the armrest. Out of hundreds of flights I've only found one on which I couldn't locate the release.
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Old May 11, 2006, 11:18 am
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Originally Posted by CPRich
Either underneath the armrest,about an inch from the back, or in the hinge component, will be a button that releases the armrest. Out of hundreds of flights I've only found one on which I couldn't locate the release.
And which flight was that?
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Old May 11, 2006, 3:58 pm
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The older the plane the less likely it is that the armrest will raise, but if the seats have been replaced since the passage of the ACAA, most of them should have hinges, and of course, a corresponding latch. You are not allowed to keep an aisle armrest raised in-flight, though -- the FA's will insist that it be lowered except when the plane is standing still on the ground.

I've found that most pax have no idea that most armrests can be raised. I routinely flip them up when waiting to debark (especially when I'm wearing a skirt) and almost every time someone else will ask me to explain how I did it.
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Old May 11, 2006, 4:52 pm
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Originally Posted by miki
And which flight was that?
Midwest Express. I don't remember the aircraft type. I flew their Fairchild 328 Jets for a few months but had to make a connection one time and was on a different aircraft type - one I hadn't been on before. I just couldn't find it.


Originally Posted by 22wingit
I've found that most pax have no idea that most armrests can be raised. I routinely flip them up when waiting to debark (especially when I'm wearing a skirt) and almost every time someone else will ask me to explain how I did it.
Same here. I've had a few FA's ask how I knew to do it.
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Old May 11, 2006, 7:56 pm
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I tend to flip them up on the window side to get an extra inch or two of space between the armrest and the wall.
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Old May 11, 2006, 10:54 pm
  #14  
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they are handy and perhaps needed to assist feeble wheel chair pax....
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Old May 12, 2006, 7:53 am
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Or even robust wheelchair pax.
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