Originally Posted by AS Flyer
This rule was imposed upon us by our FAA cabin inspector. She is assigned to Alaska Airlines by the FAA the interpret the CFR's as they apply to Alaska Airlines. You can choose to blame who you want, but our FAA cabin inspector is the one that interprets the CFR's, not the Alaska Airlines folks. As far as this rule applying to all airlines - that's not so. For instance, Southwest F/A's are able to stand outside of the aircraft while boarding or deplaning is going on. We, at Alaska, must be fully inside the airplane during the entire boarding and deplaning process. Another rule, as interpreted by our FAA cabin inspector. Alaska did not make that rule up.
Airlines have always claimed they are the one's who are in the best position to regulate themselves since they are in the business of flying and it would not be in their best interest to fly an unsafe airline. That being said, the system has been set up for each airline to work with their FAA rep to write and enfore their own set of regulations. Each airline proposes its own rules and regualtions to the their FAA rep and the FAA rep usually signs off on it.
Some one who is on the Alaska payroll proposed a rule that Bose headsets need to be removed for take off's and landings. You can tell your passengers that it is a FAA rule (true) but the rule was proposed by someone on the Alaska payroll.