Originally Posted by
ESpen36
Wirelessly posted (Apple iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_1_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9B206 Safari/7534.48.3)
Remember that FAA regulations require you to follow crewmember instructions, regardless of what you might perceive the rules to be from past experience. So, if an FA told you to keep your tray table stowed, you must comply. Otherwise, just take Amtrak next time.
they allow tray table use at all times.
Bingo!
FAA defines "critical phase of flight" as ops below 10,000 feet, so if a F/A (at any airline) requests that you comply with this, that, or the other, one's best bet is to comply with a minimum amount of fuss versus engaging in a debate about the relative merits of the reg/policy they're trying to (and are expected to) enforce. Non-compliance can be interpreted as "interference with a flight crew member" (another reg) and lest someone desire to run afoul of it (and all the fun fed stuff it can entail), compliance, again, is one's best option.