Call bell failure on 767 ZRH - LHR
Jul 9, 2018, 3:05 am
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold (woohoo)
Posts: 189
Call bell failure on 767 ZRH - LHR
Hi all. Needed a cheeky day trip yesterday to renew my Gold and I was "lucky" to score a 767 for the return leg ZRH - LHR. It was 90 minutes late and (after Poug-ing to CE for the return) the service was pretty awful too but that's for another post.... Even the crew-member seemed embarrassed to only be able to offer the chicken salad...
What was interesting was an announcement just as boarding completed that the call bell and reading light system was broken, so we would need to attract the crew's attention in other ways if we needed them. I'm hardly a timid introvert when it comes to in-flight safety and suchlike, but this struck me as quite a serious system for the captain to be happy flying without? Obviously nothing happened, and obviously I'm happy to be back rather than having to overnight in Zurich from the plane going tech, but I'd imagine a call bell system is pretty important and its a marginal decision to fly without it?
What was interesting was an announcement just as boarding completed that the call bell and reading light system was broken, so we would need to attract the crew's attention in other ways if we needed them. I'm hardly a timid introvert when it comes to in-flight safety and suchlike, but this struck me as quite a serious system for the captain to be happy flying without? Obviously nothing happened, and obviously I'm happy to be back rather than having to overnight in Zurich from the plane going tech, but I'd imagine a call bell system is pretty important and its a marginal decision to fly without it?
Jul 9, 2018, 3:09 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Hi all. Needed a cheeky day trip yesterday to renew my Gold and I was "lucky" to score a 767 for the return leg ZRH - LHR. It was 90 minutes late and (after Poug-ing to CE for the return) the service was pretty awful too but that's for another post.... Even the crew-member seemed embarrassed to only be able to offer the chicken salad...
What was interesting was an announcement just as boarding completed that the call bell and reading light system was broken, so we would need to attract the crew's attention in other ways if we needed them. I'm hardly a timid introvert when it comes to in-flight safety and suchlike, but this struck me as quite a serious system for the captain to be happy flying without? Obviously nothing happened, and obviously I'm happy to be back rather than having to overnight in Zurich from the plane going tech, but I'd imagine a call bell system is pretty important and its a marginal decision to fly without it?
What was interesting was an announcement just as boarding completed that the call bell and reading light system was broken, so we would need to attract the crew's attention in other ways if we needed them. I'm hardly a timid introvert when it comes to in-flight safety and suchlike, but this struck me as quite a serious system for the captain to be happy flying without? Obviously nothing happened, and obviously I'm happy to be back rather than having to overnight in Zurich from the plane going tech, but I'd imagine a call bell system is pretty important and its a marginal decision to fly without it?
Jul 9, 2018, 5:22 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
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In my recent experience on 767s, the number of times the call bell sounds has no correlation to how often passengers need the cabin crew for something.
After a full 10 minutes of disco lights and constant ding-ing, I think most of us were delighted when the system was "reset" i.e. disabled, along with the reading lights
After a full 10 minutes of disco lights and constant ding-ing, I think most of us were delighted when the system was "reset" i.e. disabled, along with the reading lights
Jul 9, 2018, 5:35 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Jul 9, 2018, 6:37 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,368
Hi all. Needed a cheeky day trip yesterday to renew my Gold and I was "lucky" to score a 767 for the return leg ZRH - LHR. It was 90 minutes late and (after Poug-ing to CE for the return) the service was pretty awful too but that's for another post.... Even the crew-member seemed embarrassed to only be able to offer the chicken salad...
What was interesting was an announcement just as boarding completed that the call bell and reading light system was broken, so we would need to attract the crew's attention in other ways if we needed them. I'm hardly a timid introvert when it comes to in-flight safety and suchlike, but this struck me as quite a serious system for the captain to be happy flying without? Obviously nothing happened, and obviously I'm happy to be back rather than having to overnight in Zurich from the plane going tech, but I'd imagine a call bell system is pretty important and its a marginal decision to fly without it?
What was interesting was an announcement just as boarding completed that the call bell and reading light system was broken, so we would need to attract the crew's attention in other ways if we needed them. I'm hardly a timid introvert when it comes to in-flight safety and suchlike, but this struck me as quite a serious system for the captain to be happy flying without? Obviously nothing happened, and obviously I'm happy to be back rather than having to overnight in Zurich from the plane going tech, but I'd imagine a call bell system is pretty important and its a marginal decision to fly without it?
After a slot delay on the abound I too got worried about being stranded and the ZRH team switched me to the LCY flight but it turns out this aircraft had a technical issue and repair in between the Nice and Zürich rotations.
Jul 9, 2018, 6:44 am
#6
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The item is not in the MEL. That leaves a "policy" choice for BA. Either cancel the flight (or perhaps delay it to locate a replacement aircraft and perhaps crew) or have passengers who can't survive without either flagging down a crew member or walking to the galley, having their life ruined. In an emergency, shouting "Help !" ought to work as well.
There are a lot of minor convenience items on aircraft which, when non-functioning, do not affect safety.
There are a lot of minor convenience items on aircraft which, when non-functioning, do not affect safety.
Jul 9, 2018, 7:47 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: UK
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Posts: 532
The item is not in the MEL. That leaves a "policy" choice for BA. Either cancel the flight (or perhaps delay it to locate a replacement aircraft and perhaps crew) or have passengers who can't survive without either flagging down a crew member or walking to the galley, having their life ruined. In an emergency, shouting "Help !" ought to work as well.
There are a lot of minor convenience items on aircraft which, when non-functioning, do not affect safety.
There are a lot of minor convenience items on aircraft which, when non-functioning, do not affect safety.
Jul 9, 2018, 12:01 pm
#10
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Iv'e got one of the round bells that hotels used have on the reception desk I don't mind hiring out if BA are interested 
John
John
Jul 9, 2018, 3:01 pm
#15
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