There are ashtrays on pretty much all aircraft in case a cigarette needs to be stubbed out. The call button is neither a relic, nor an emergency signal.

Couple of problems with this solution. Pressing the FA call button is like getting the attention of the closest restaurant employee and asking them to summon your server, a reasonable request.

Getting out of your seat and interrupting the FA in the galley, on the other hand, is like leaving your table and traipsing into the kitchen at a restaurant in search of your server. That's rude. Just press the call button if you want a beverage - that's what it's there for - don't go invading their workspace.

The other issue are those passengers in window seats when the tray tables are out with meals or laptop computers. Getting up to walk to the galley is more work than necessary.

As others have said, if the FA call button was solely for emergencies or urgent requests, it wouldn't have a symbol of a person holding a beverage on a tray.

Let me tell you something interesting, in reality CX FAs (across all cabins) hate being summoned to call bells as much as their American peer (they probably roll their eyes even more, especially when with what they call a 'cup noodle epidemic' in Y).

Since then I try not to use it anymore especially for like snacks where you can just walk to the galley to place an order.

Of course, the difference is they will never let you know, nor show it to any passenger. That's professionalism to me...

No! With my hairbrush and I let no one die. Too Easy.

Frankly I am amazed at some of the responses. The call bell is their to summon a crew member. If they don't like that then they should not be doing the job. If someone told me that my request for a drink was no an emergency - I would say to her/him that to my throat it was and that if they actually bothered to check on their passengers I would not have needed to ring the thing in the first place.

All that said I have not needed to do so as mostly there has been someone stop by to see if anything was required. I have found the FAs to be obliging. I actually have not had anyone on AA be as rude as some of the examples here.

What is extraordinary is that people seem to have a problem dealing with situations and do not speak up at the time. They seem to have little problem articulating their indignation here in the anonymity of the internet.

More like, "Whats the emergency?"

I am wondering about this call button situation. How frequent is an incident of FAs instructing passengers not to use a call button for non-emergency situations?

As my handle says I am an aisle seat guy, and I like to stretch out on long flights. Pretty much I do is to walk up an aisle and ask FAs whatever I want, hence I cannot recall when the last time I actually used a call button was. It is my personal choice, it has nothing to do with what I think a call button is for.

I understand that on U.S. airlines often those call buttons can be ignored by FAs. But I have seen in the Main Cabin passengers on a window seat using a call button and asking for a drink or something and FAs are complying with the request. Likely passengers on a window do not want to disturb passengers on middle and aisle to get out, and have to do same when come back.

I am not saying that FAs instructing passengers to not use a call button for non-emergency situations do not happen. I am wondering if this is frequent thing of it is rare thing?

Even in domestic US F cabins, getting up from the window seat usually involves the person in the aisle seat getting up as well. So unless I'm combining a drink order with a trip to the lav, I use the call button. In the choice between 'inconveniencing' the FA or inconveniencing my fellow passenger, the choice is clear.

Truly, though, I've never had a real issue. I typically look toward the front galley when I press the button. When the FA looks up I try to catch their eye and when I have their attention I turn it off. Most of the time I get friendly service. The rest of the time the service is brusque but has never been hostile.

I have not seen ashtrays in armrests in years. Where are these ashtrays you are talking about?
Anyway, they have more secure bags now (for exploding phones)

There's always an ashtray in each lav.

call button = less cluttered aisles
 

even as an aisle PAX ... in recent years I have been less hesitant to use the call button for trivial asks such as more water when the aisle is busy. more often than not FA is happy to attend if not mildly appreciative (just my gut feel) that I am not clogging up the aisle.

And from what I've read it's intentionally there so the doofis that does in fact light up a camel breaking the law at least has a proper place to extinguish it rather than through it in the toilet.

...Or throw it in a trash bin and start a fire. :eek:

Precisely.

Exactly. In addition, the "first things first, let's buckle those belts" lady tells us:

Source:
So, we have:

1. An instruction to ask if we need anything, and
2. An icon indicating how to summon someone to ask

Based on the above, it seems reasonable to press the button if we need anything.

Cheers,
LBBZman

Many FAs are hostile to the idea of the call button because they often don't get used and as a result FAs grew accustomed to the idea of them not being used. As often in the workplace, certain 'unofficial' incidental benefits turn into ironclad rules for the staff who enjoy the benefit and any attempt to limit or remove the benefit will be fought until the bitter end. (Just take how hard it is to ween staff off frequent overtime pay).