Originally Posted by
Fiordland
I just did a flight on Alaska (quite pleasant). The inflight announcement was "Economy passengers are welcome to use the washroom at the front of the cabin. However you are required to wait by the curtain, until the washroom sign indicates it is free. For security reasons you can not wait right at the front by the cockpit door." The curtain between economy and First is also a mesh material so you can see through it easily.
Quite civilised if you ask me. Permits a much quickly inflight service.
I fly Alaska a lot and the FA announcement is generally to use the lavatory in your ticketed class. However, in a single aisle aircraft there really is no choice but to let Y passengers use J lavatory when the cart is in the aisle, especially these days when there are multiple carts (food & drink). It would be very impractical to have to back up the carts.
The one thing Alaska does well is have Y passengers wait at the curtain at row 6. This works well and also lets J passenger jump the queue ahead of a Y passenger.