AAaLot

Actually I saw this happen to someone else.

There was already one gentlemen sitting on one side of the exit row (1 seated, 2 empties).

The flight was relatively empty and another gentlemen attempted to sit by himself in on the other side exit row (3 empties trying to convert to 1 seated, 2 empties).

They told the gentleman he would have to move. He moved back to his seat one row ahead.

As the airplane started to move, the gentleman moved back to the exit row (I know he should not have done this, but ...). This time the flight attendant came very rudely and told him he would have to move or the airplane would go back to the gate and he would be removed.

What's the big deal? Why not let him sit there?

Any rule I don't know about? why?

nz_crew

If you're talking about an Air NZ 747 flight, some of the exit row seats have 'last sold' status for us to use during turbulence. Due to the 747 galley setup there are often more crew in there than there are jumpseats readily available, and this arrangement was put in place by Air NZ following a particularly nasty turbulence injury.

Air NZ is also very big on passengers not standing or moving during pushback and taxi. If someone did this following specific instructions not to, wouldnt you be a little exasperated?

AAaLot

No, it was a 737 CHC-ROT flight.

Again the gentleman had seated himself in the exit row (one behind his assigend seat) way before the flight moved.

I was wondering if exit rows 'during flight' were reserved for Air NZ best customers or something like that?

Multi-Sector

Surely most of you know the reason - you seem you fly enough !!!

When the last passenger has boarded, and all pax are seated, a safety briefing for those seated in the exit rows is given, with the pax made aware of, and agreeing to, the conditions of being seated there............the crew sure as hell ain't gonna give it again for someone moving from an another assigned seat !!!!

...........especially with the seat belt sign ON.

nz_crew

A shorthaul f/a would probably be better equipped to answer this, but I know that on certain 767 flights the pilots have let us know that the weight and balance is marginal so noone can be permitted to change their seats. Perhaps that's what happened in this situation.

Not many frequent travellers prefer 737 exit rows (too far back).

BTW, Multisector - the exit row briefing is not currently given on NZ flights, although it will soon be.

AAaLot

Possible, but I doubt it in this segment.

Out of habit...I too was looking for a better seat thus noticed only the gentelmen in question and another gentlemen seated at the exit row from very early on. They would have received the safety briefing at the same time.

I left this out. The gentleman was Chinese. Maybe he could not understand the safety briefing, but is this fair?

p.s. it was not a weight and balance issue...737 with 40% load.

everywhere

How do you know that ? I should think that a light load such as that would make it more likely.

stewardo

Not sure about the NZ CAA but many countries (including Australia) require that the exit row passenger can understand and converse in English, and that the F/A has established this before taxi.. this is of course additional to briefing the passenger, ascertaining (as in the US) that they are willing and physically able to help in the evacuation etc..

So yes, it is fair.

As you hear in the NZ safety briefing it is a legal requirement to "obey notices onboard and instructions from the crew" - often they do also remind pax to remain in allocated seats for take off & landing -- there is a seat number on the boarding pass for a reason, not like some mass free-for-all unallocated seating airline...

Leumas

I always thought it's common practice to stay on your assigned seat while the plane is on the ground. Once it's levelled, then you can freely move around. I've seen plenty of people wanting to move and ask the FA about it, and then told not until we've levelled.

The ability to converse in English is one of the requirements for an exit row seat too, I believe.

AAaLot

I have on 100's of instances tried to seat myself in a different seat than was assigned [if I think the flight is empty, think I can get away with it, etc.]. 5 empty seats in the exit row looked very tempting. I was wondering if AZ had some formal policy on this? This guy could have been me.

stewardo

Its been a long time since I flew with AZ so I'm not sure if they have a formal policy - perhaps ask over on the "Other European" board where there are probably more Alitalia frequent flyers.

As most of the people responding have already mentioned there *are* formal policies on NZ - passengers must accept instructions from the crew, and crew require that passengers remain in allocated seats during take-off and landing. Additionally there are policies regarding those seated in exit-rows - though in my experience nothing to do with "Air NZ best customers" apart from the first x number of rows of economy (shaded green on itn seat-map) are unavailable for pre-selection but just fine at check-in.

Why not just ask at check-in for a better seat? That way, "This guy" might then have been you - just not being scolded.

ifly12

On a COex ERJ flight last year, I switched from the "A" side to the empty "B/C" side in the same row (3) after the front door was closed while we were still on the gate. The flight attendant came by and asked if I changed seats, I said yes and point to my old seat. She then proceeded to lectured me about how I should never change seats and was frosty toward me for the rest of the flight.

QUEENHCB

Most of the time on a relatively empty flight they have to balance the weight and it needs to be a certain way for take off and landing. Then, you are free to move in the air. They will let you change your seat in the beginning if there is not a weight balancing issue, you just have to do it before they have added everything up.

Phaeton

One person shifting a few feet is not going to create a balance problem. They don't know the weight of the shifting passenger, the weight of the passengers around him/her, the weight of the carry-ons, etc.. All of that has to be estimated. The effect of one passenger over a few feet is negligible.

In a Cessna, yes; in a 737, no.

Many passengers from one side to another or back to front--ok, but then, the airlines already try to spread everyone out on relatively empty planes.

If I am ever on a plane in which the difference between a safe take-off and a risky take-off depends upon the placement of one passenger, please tell me--I want to get off.

... but then they would have to re-calculate everything...

paul_nl

Seems strange to me NOT to have anybody sitting in the exit row. After all, the person sitting there is the one who opens the door in event of an evacuation.