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Pregnant and booted from exit row on Eagle (operated by ExpressJet)

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Pregnant and booted from exit row on Eagle (operated by ExpressJet)

 
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Old Oct 22, 2013, 9:36 am
  #1  
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Pregnant and booted from exit row on Eagle (operated by ExpressJet)

(I didn't know whether to bump the other exit row and pregnant thread up, so feel free to merge)

I recently flew on an ExpressJet codeshare. I booked an exit row, even being pregnant, as I have on every American Eagle flight this pregnancy (with no issues). When the f/a did her checks, she informed me I wasn't allowed to sit in the exit row and would have to move. Not wanting to argue, I ended up in the last row, with my knees in my chest.

My question is, does the AA policy on exit row requirements not apply to ExpressJet flights? If not, how would I even know ExpressJet's requirements?
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Old Oct 22, 2013, 12:29 pm
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Generally most airlines are the same and follow the reulations though there are a few excpetion to the regs (http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Gu...5!OpenDocument). My guess is the ExpressJet (which is not a codeshare) F/A qualified you as 121.585(b)(7)(i) but without inquiring there it is hard to tell. I know Southwest used to disallow pre-boards (including jumpseaters or nonrevs) from occupying exits rows; reason unclear and don't know if they still enforce, but it was likely a policy existed that pre-boarding primarily existed for people who need more time/help in boarding and consequently getting grouped in with that class of peeps would also mean inability to deplane in an expeditious manner required on the Reg.
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Old Oct 22, 2013, 1:12 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by CaptRobPhD
Generally most airlines are the same and follow the reulations though there are a few excpetion to the regs (http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Gu...5!OpenDocument). My guess is the ExpressJet (which is not a codeshare) F/A qualified you as 121.585(b)(7)(i) but without inquiring there it is hard to tell. I know Southwest used to disallow pre-boards (including jumpseaters or nonrevs) from occupying exits rows; reason unclear and don't know if they still enforce, but it was likely a policy existed that pre-boarding primarily existed for people who need more time/help in boarding and consequently getting grouped in with that class of peeps would also mean inability to deplane in an expeditious manner required on the Reg.
Codeshare may have been a bad word, as I suppose it didn't operate under an ExpressJet flight number, but solely an American one. I just can't think of any other reason why American Eagle wouldn't have a problem with me sitting there but that flight attendant would. I do see AA's "Do you have a condition that might prevent you or injure you while performing evacuation functions?" verbage but it's definitely not being applied company-wide. I did not pre-board, either.

Actually they also made an announcement that headphones were NOT allowed during taxi, takeoff, and landing, even if the device was off, which is contrary to AA's policy, which is another reason I wondered about the exit row issue.
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Old Oct 22, 2013, 6:04 pm
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Preboard was an example to airlines applying additional criteria to exit-row requirements; I cannot speak to their headphone policy. Safety requirements are approved at the carrier level; service and nonsecurity related requirements may be dictated by the partner carrier. Partner carrier security requirements will not priority over FOM/OpsSpecs approved by the FAA for each certificate holder.
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Old Oct 22, 2013, 6:45 pm
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It is the carrier's policy which applies. AA doesn't "supercede".
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Old Oct 22, 2013, 10:06 pm
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FAR 121.585(b)(7)(i) is the minimum standard of acceptability; airline standards may be more rigorous, and different cabin crew personnel may have different ideas of who meet the criteria beyond the minimums.

In an airline's aircraft, the operating airline's rules and standards will apply - codeshare earns you the miles, but does not mean AA's rules supersede the operating carrier's in terms of cabin baggage, seating in an exit row, etc. Often1 said it more succinctly than I, but dem's da rules.
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Old Oct 23, 2013, 2:51 am
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Originally Posted by lovely15
(I didn't know whether to bump the other exit row and pregnant thread up, so feel free to merge)

I recently flew on an ExpressJet codeshare. I booked an exit row, even being pregnant, as I have on every American Eagle flight this pregnancy (with no issues). When the f/a did her checks, she informed me I wasn't allowed to sit in the exit row and would have to move. Not wanting to argue, I ended up in the last row, with my knees in my chest.

My question is, does the AA policy on exit row requirements not apply to ExpressJet flights? If not, how would I even know ExpressJet's requirements?
As nimble as my wife was well into her pregnancy I could see a point where she might not be as qualified to sit in the exit row as a non-pregnant customer. So, depending on how far along you were I can see an FA making the judgement call. The real shame in the matter is that you ended up not getting the commuter jet equivalent of an op up (is there one?) but getting booted to the last row. Sorry to hear this.
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Old Oct 23, 2013, 3:15 am
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Sorry, but I don't want you there. You have a job in an emergency, to open the door and help others. What if the emergency brings on contractions? What if your stomach gets in the way? I could see you sitting there the first two trimesters, but not the last one.
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Old Oct 23, 2013, 4:09 am
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People seated in the emergency window don't neccessarily have a job, or they would be paid. They have a responsibility to assist. The main door{s} are sufficient for the FAA.

Last edited by skylady; Oct 23, 2013 at 4:15 am
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Old Oct 23, 2013, 4:44 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by CaptRobPhD
Preboard was an example to airlines applying additional criteria to exit-row requirements; I cannot speak to their headphone policy. Safety requirements are approved at the carrier level; service and nonsecurity related requirements may be dictated by the partner carrier. Partner carrier security requirements will not priority over FOM/OpsSpecs approved by the FAA for each certificate holder.
I agree with restrictions if people pre-board due to a medical condition.
As far as pregnancy goes, it depends on how far along the person looks, and FA's can stop someone from sitting there if they don't think they are qualified.
I don't see the connection to codeshare here. That would seem to indicate the issue would have been different if it as not a codeshare but on the same metal. Rather than the codeshare part of the subject line, it might have been cleared to mention "pregnant", like "Booted from exit row due to pregnancy", because that seems to be more likely the factor, rather than it being a codeshare.
The FA isn't going to stop you from sitting in an exit row simply because you booked it as a codeshare.

Last edited by mvoight; Oct 23, 2013 at 5:08 am
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Old Oct 23, 2013, 4:50 am
  #11  
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How did she know you were pregnant?

What I'm getting at, is I am guessing that it was showing and showing quite well.

At that point, she may have felt that someone else was far better equipped to operate the Exit doors.

Just a guess though
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Old Oct 23, 2013, 5:49 am
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Booted from exit row on codeshare

In an emergency evacuation, the main doors are NOT sufficient for the FAA, although 1/2 of all exits ARE...
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Old Oct 23, 2013, 5:51 am
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Originally Posted by TrojanHorse
At that point, she may have felt that someone else was far better equipped to operate the Exit doors.
I'm sure on almost any given flight there's someone better equipped to operate the exit doors than whoever is seated there; hopefully that's not the standard. The question ought to be whether the people in the exit row are sufficiently capable of operating the door. As others have noted, it's possible at some point that an airline might reasonably conclude pregnant women no longer qualify, but it would probably be helpful to publish this policy in advance so it's not simply a random event upon boarding.
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Old Oct 23, 2013, 8:45 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by mvoight
I agree with restrictions if people pre-board due to a medical condition.
As far as pregnancy goes, it depends on how far along the person looks, and FA's can stop someone from sitting there if they don't think they are qualified.
I don't see the connection to codeshare here. That would seem to indicate the issue would have been different if it as not a codeshare but on the same metal. Rather than the codeshare part of the subject line, it might have been cleared to mention "pregnant", like "Booted from exit row due to pregnancy", because that seems to be more likely the factor, rather than it being a codeshare.
The FA isn't going to stop you from sitting in an exit row simply because you booked it as a codeshare.
The connection was that later that day, and the next, I sat in an exit row on an American Eagle flight with no problems. In fact, since being pregnant, I've logged 18 Eagle flights, 90% in the exit row. Since AA's exit row policy (which does not exclude pregnant women) therefore appears to apply to Eagle flights, I was wondering if it didn't apply to ExpressJet flights.
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Old Oct 23, 2013, 10:03 am
  #15  
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Originally Posted by lovely15
The connection was that later that day, and the next, I sat in an exit row on an American Eagle flight with no problems. In fact, since being pregnant, I've logged 18 Eagle flights, 90% in the exit row. Since AA's exit row policy (which does not exclude pregnant women) therefore appears to apply to Eagle flights, I was wondering if it didn't apply to ExpressJet flights.
Rather than AA's policy applying to American Eagle, it could be that American Eagle's policy allows pregnant persons to sit in the exit row while ExpressJet's policy does not.
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