Originally Posted by
Wally Bird
FAR 121.585 does not seem to actually require the cabin crew to personally brief each occupant of the exit row, but in practice they all seem to do so.
While the FAR doesn't specifically require verbal briefing/confirmation, it does require that:
(b) No certificate holder may seat a person in a seat affected by this section if the certificate holder determines that it is likely that the person would be unable to perform one or more of the applicable functions listed in paragraph (d) of this section
In addition, each carrier must
(1) Establish procedures that address...crewmember verification of appropriate seating in exit seats, passenger briefings, seat assignments, and denial of transportation as set forth in this section
and
(2) Submit their procedures for preliminary review and approval to the principal operations inspectors assigned to them at the certificate-holding district office.
If a carrier's individual procedure states that a crew member will verbally ask all exit-row pax if they are compliant with the regs and willing to assist in the event of an emergency, and then obtain a verbal answer from each pax, that procedure basically becomes an FAA reg for that airline.