Originally Posted by Evan!
Hypothetical situation number 1:
For whatever reason a flight has finished boarding but not pulled back from the gate. The flight is full. At this time it is discovered that the entire plane is occupied by persons who fall into one or more of the following categories:
- blind
- deaf
- mute
- under 15 years old
- immobile or unable to operate the exit door due to some handicap
- non-English speaker
- unwilling to perform the duties required by exit row occupants
Would the flight be able to take off? If so, why? If not, how might the situation be remedied so the flight could leave?
First off, none of these PAX should have been assigned an exit row in the first place, so the likelihood that this would happen is nil. They would be reaccommadated on a later flight. If one of them DID end up in an exit row ON a FULL FLIGHT, the FA would have to call a gate agent/CS agent to handle the situation. But in the end, the PAX will be taken off the flight if they do not meet the requirements to sit in the exit row. At that time, the flight is "closed" so not other PAX (i.e. stand-by's) would be put on the plane since the stand-by list would have already been rolled over to the next flight and by this time the stand-bys would have left the gate area. Plus they are already probably late, and adding more PAX would just cost time. The flight would go out with a few open seats.
Hypothetical situation number 2:
Same situation as above except that it is only the COACH cabin that is filled with people who are not allowed (or refuse) to sit in exit rows. The biz and/or first class cabins do have individuals that can, by FAA rule, sit in an exit row.
Same questions as for hypothetical number 1, plus....
Would they switch biz/first class passengers with coach passengers?
Would a biz/first class passenger have the option to say "no I am staying in first"?
LOL...No. A F/C PAX would never ever be asked to switch with a Y PAX unless they were flying NRSA. No airline would ever ask a non-NRSA PAX to switch from F/C to Y. Common sense.
Hypothetical situation number 3:
Same situation as number 1 OR 2 but the plane is not full.
Would leaving the exit rows empty be an acceptable remedy to the FAA?
As I have said already 2 or 3 times in this thread, the exit rows DO NOT need to have PAX in them for the plane to fly. Period. It is no question of a "remedy"...it is just how it is done!
Hypothetical situation number 4:
Without regard to whether the plane is full or not; nor whether passengers are allowed by the FAA to sit in an exit row or not; but there is no passenger that is willing to agree to the exit row requirements. All have stated emphatically that they do not want to perform the exit row requirements. (in other words, the FAs can't turn a blind eye to someone they suspect does not want to perform the duties).
Can passengers be forced (drafted unwillingly) to agree to exit row requirements?
LOL...No. They cannot be forced to agree to comply! Think about that one for a second buddy! Do you want some guy who doesn't want to help in an emergency sitting in the EMERGENCY exit row? Common sense my friend.