Seat belt sign is out of control at UA

Old Aug 25, 2015, 7:30 am
  #106  
 
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Thumbs down

Originally Posted by chavala
Originally Posted by NJFlyer42
... If the sign is always on we learn to ignore it ..
... Like "The little boy who cried wolf".
+2!

UA indeed abuses it but for profitable reasons:
  • less pax in aisles so FA's can shuttle materials between gallies
  • less bathroom use thus less cleaning
  • customers in seats are more likely to order for-buy-up items
  • less liability when turbulence happens thus less legal fees
  • less wear on cabin due to less foot traffic
  • less problems with customers unhappily squeezing past each other; can't wait for the 77X's 3-4-3 to narrow the aisles even more
  • reduce f/a need to tend to overall requests while they're in the gallies near the bathrooms
Now that's a change we'll love (sarcasm). UA's pathological emphasis on profit will hurt their safety eventually.
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 8:02 am
  #107  
 
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I think the cockpit crew just forgets to turn it off. When they hit turbulence or get a report, that triggers it to turn on. There isn't anything to trigger them to turn it off other than passing to the next sector and getting a new turbulence report saying its clear. Also, I'm sure the err on the side of caution, your chance of getting injured while belted in is much lower than not belted in.

However, pilots should know better than anyone about the danger of nuisance alarms. If you keep it on the entire flight. Passengers eventually need to get up to use the lav and now you have no way of gauging how safe it is because the pilot took away the only indicator. It's equivalent to keeping it off the entire flight
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 8:05 am
  #108  
 
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Originally Posted by bmwe92fan
After 90 minutes I was about to have renal failure so went to the bathroom - yes you are right no one stopped me.... Still don't get what I perceive as an amazingly aggressive / conservative seatbelt sign on position.... For those of you considering its just a single flight / captain thing I've found this behavior amazingly consistent on UA - and amazingly absent in other carriers....
I agree about the duration of the seat belt sign remaining on. But to be fair, you wouldn't have had renal failure, but what you would have had was a mess and a hygiene issue
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 8:24 am
  #109  
 
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I find excessive use of the seat belt sign to be the case with USA carriers in general, but if you think UA is bad, then don't fly AA. Their pilots are hyper aggressive in keeping the seat belt sign on. I was on a flight ICN-DFW 2 months ago and the sign was on for all but about 1-2 hours - with very little turbulence.

Most foreign carriers are much better about this, although I too find CA to follow the AA model, with the sign on most of the flight - and ignored by pax.
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 8:30 am
  #110  
 
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Jet blue have been doing the same recently. On my last flight I'm not sure they ever turned it off but after 30 minutes everyone was ignoring it anyway.
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 8:36 am
  #111  
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I agree and it does seem to be getting worse.

It evidence's crew's disregard for passenger comfort. Particularly with all the delays these days, by the time aircraft's at cruising altitude, we may have been strapped in our seats for 90 minutes or more.

So if there's no turbulence, turn it off! Don't make the pax - many of whom are uncomfortable breaking rules - sit and sweat it out in discomfort. I eventually just get up and go. That usually starts a stream of pax who have also been sitting in discomfort and all of whom now feel kind of silly for having waited so long.
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 8:40 am
  #112  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
I agree and it does seem to be getting worse.

It evidence's crew's disregard for passenger comfort. Particularly with all the delays these days, by the time aircraft's at cruising altitude, we may have been strapped in our seats for 90 minutes or more.

So if there's no turbulence, turn it off! Don't make the pax - many of whom are uncomfortable breaking rules - sit and sweat it out in discomfort. I eventually just get up and go. That usually starts a stream of pax who have also been sitting in discomfort and all of whom now feel kind of silly for having waited so long.
Pun intended???
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 8:43 am
  #113  
 
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Just landed on UA 840 SYD-LAX and the seat belt sign was ridiculously used. Took about 55 minutes for it to turn off after and came on at least 5 times (when I was awake) any time it hit mild turbulence.

Agree with the others. Heck, some foreign carriers (like SQ) turn it off even while still in the incline and not even at cruising altitude. I don't get UA's attitude on this one.
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 8:44 am
  #114  
 
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My experience is that the FAs are annoyed by it as well, as they know people are gonna get up regardless, and they need to say, "I have to tell you to please take your seat", just to be ignored. My practice is that if it's safe enough for the FAs to be up and about serving food and drinks, then it's safe enough for me to use the bathroom.
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 8:56 am
  #115  
 
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Originally Posted by 1353513636
Really? I fly Air China regularly and the seat belt sign is practically on the entire flight....it's worse than UA. The rest, definitely do better than UA.
Air China abuses the seatbelt sign the most of all the airlines I have flown. I flew 6 Air China flights recently - the seat belt sign stayed on the entire flight.
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 9:03 am
  #116  
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I have generally found UA, going back to CO, just kept it on almost always. They'll take it off once they reach cruising altitude for about 5 minutes before putting it back on. Almost like an indicator that you can now get up and about. But it's mostly on. I've seen similar on AA, but not DL.

On foreign airlines, it's basically off always accept when it has to be on (takeoff, landing, turbulence).

I've generally seen enforcement strict during takeoff, landing, turbulence, and special announcements as well as service, but lax at other points
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 9:10 am
  #117  
 
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Originally Posted by physioprof
My experience is that the FAs are annoyed by it as well, as they know people are gonna get up regardless, and they need to say, "I have to tell you to please take your seat", just to be ignored. My practice is that if it's safe enough for the FAs to be up and about serving food and drinks, then it's safe enough for me to use the bathroom.
Some seem annoyed and some seem to like it. I've overheard FA's talking in the F galley about how the captain has agreed to leave the light on until they finish service.

My opinion is I haven't noticed it on UA any more than other U.S. airlines (I mostly fly UA though). There's clearly a significant difference when you compare to European airlines.
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 9:19 am
  #118  
 
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I used to think the reason was benign ("they forgot") but I now think some crew use it for pax control (e.g., clear aisles for FA service, cockpit "security," and mostly "just because..."). It will , and does, create a "cry wolf" reaction among pax.
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 9:24 am
  #119  
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Scratching my head over this thread. Yesterday's DEN-PIT flight was typical in my view...seatbelt light went off at 10k and was turned back on once for maybe 10 minutes when we hit bumps near Chicago. If the light IS on in smooth air there's never been any issue getting up to use the facilities...just don't ask if it's OK.

Maybe some flight crews err on the side of caution and/or there may be liability issues. Have any US airlines been sued because there were turbulence-related injuries when the seatbelt sign was off?
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Old Aug 25, 2015, 9:24 am
  #120  
 
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Actually I've been on several recent UA fights and have been amazed how soon the sign has come off.
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