Originally Posted by
1kBill
I find this to be a USA pilot/airline practice (although you did include WN in your list.) For most USA airlines that I have flown, the seat belt sign is kept for at least 30 minutes after take-off and at least 30 minutes prior to landing and it is turned on at the slightest twitch during flight. That said, I was on a UA flight from SFO-ICN a few weeks ago on which the crew did an absolutely marvelous job of seat belt sign self-control; on a few times when it did get bumpy and off promptly when things smoothed out. )
Perhaps this is a response to the tendency of Americans to call for legal assistance at the slightest provocation.
Contrast this to non-USA carriers, where, IME, the seat belt signs are turned off within 10 minutes of take-off unless conditions are really bad. OZ and Malaysian carriers, in particular, seem to have the switch for the seat belt sign connected to the one for the wheels - wheels up, sign off; wheels down, sign on.
That is my experience too. In some cases seat belt sign has stayed on for well beyond 30 minutes when there is no indication by the pilot of approaching turbulence. When you have to use the restroom, it seems even longer. It's probably due to litigiousness of Americans, as well as the general philosophy of using any excuse of trying to keep passengers in their seats in order to deter terrorists.
The other thing I have noticed is the rule is enforced selectively when a passenger gets up to use the restroom during the time when the seat belt sign is still on after the take off, even beyond 30 minutes.