Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > British Airways | Executive Club
Reload this Page >

Your lifejacket is underneath your seat (or is it?)

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Your lifejacket is underneath your seat (or is it?)

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 3, 2019, 10:00 pm
  #61  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,268
And we have a successful water evacuation of a floating plane in subtropical waters. Looks like the life rafts even got used. (The US military uses civilian charter planes on a regular basis rather than keeping passenger service in-house in many cases)

https://heavy.com/news/2019/05/jacks...s-river-water/
nancypants likes this.
beachmouse is online now  
Old May 3, 2019, 10:33 pm
  #62  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
I don't know the stats, but life vests can also cause loss of life in an emergency evacuation if passengers inflate them too early and this prevents people from getting to/through the emergency exits.

I always go a little bit crazy when the safety announcement/video says that premium cabin lifevests can be found EITHER under your seat OR under the center armrest OR adjacent to your seat OR *somewhere on the aircraft* I suppose. Why can't they just specifically state where to find the lifevest on the particular aricraft type? It's especially annoying when the video seems tailored to the aircraft type on other features or (increasingly rare but worse) when there's a live safety demo by the FAs.
MSPeconomist is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 2:42 am
  #63  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: London
Programs: BAEC-GGL, GFL, *A Gold, Hilton Diamond , IHG Diamond/Ambassador
Posts: 244
Originally Posted by beachmouse
And we have a successful water evacuation of a floating plane in subtropical waters. Looks like the life rafts even got used. (The US military uses civilian charter planes on a regular basis rather than keeping passenger service in-house in many cases)

https://heavy.com/news/2019/05/jacks...s-river-water/
More info here https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20190503-0
flyerkit is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 5:52 am
  #64  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 536
so those guys used lifejackets. But heck, a few random know-it-alls on PPRuNe, sorry Flyertalk, know best.
nancypants likes this.
simonrp84 is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 9:13 am
  #65  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
I don't know the stats, but life vests can also cause loss of life in an emergency evacuation if passengers inflate them too early and this prevents people from getting to/through the emergency exits.

I always go a little bit crazy when the safety announcement/video says that premium cabin lifevests can be found EITHER under your seat OR under the center armrest OR adjacent to your seat OR *somewhere on the aircraft* I suppose. Why can't they just specifically state where to find the lifevest on the particular aricraft type? It's especially annoying when the video seems tailored to the aircraft type on other features or (increasingly rare but worse) when there's a live safety demo by the FAs.
You make a good point. I too have wondered ! Perhaps they should have a RED marker on each location where it is "hidden".
Wonder why the powers that be at FAA etc don't worry about it ?
HMPS is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 10:02 am
  #66  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 1,591
I find the safety demonstrations odd. I still don't know why it can all be done by video except for pointing out the emergency exits (always two in front and two behind me, never flown where that hasn't been the case) and then they show me where the floor is in case I didn't know where floor-level lighting might be.

I sometimes check the life jacket but always assume they have enough spares to cope with the occasional theft. If mine isn't there when I need it, I'll take it from the person who sat through the entire safety video playing with their phone and then is stopping to collect their bags from the overhead lockers before evacuating.
Takiteasy and fluffymitten like this.
adrianlondon is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 11:46 am
  #67  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,190
Originally Posted by adrianlondon
I find the safety demonstrations odd. I still don't know why it can all be done by video except for pointing out the emergency exits (always two in front and two behind me, never flown where that hasn't been the case) and then they show me where the floor is in case I didn't know where floor-level lighting might be...
Any forward upper deck cabin has no emergency exit in front (unless you count via the stairs on the A380 and the cockpit windows on the B747.)

rb211.
adrianlondon likes this.
RB211 is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 3:30 pm
  #68  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Cheltenham
Programs: KLM Plat for Life , BA Gold, HH Silver, (Other half Diamond), IHG Gold
Posts: 2,398
I used to like the Jet Airways announcements domestic, in business class your life jacket is under your seat , in economy please use your seat pad instead .
simonsmith is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 5:44 pm
  #69  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: Mucci de l'Arbitrage
Posts: 927
Originally Posted by simonsmith
I used to like the Jet Airways announcements domestic, in business class your life jacket is under your seat , in economy please use your seat pad instead .
That money saving trick was not enough then...
nancypants likes this.
Takiteasy is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 7:40 pm
  #70  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
Originally Posted by Takiteasy

That money saving trick was not enough then...
Jet (9W) was not about saving money but squandering it and unprofessional management.
HMPS is offline  
Old May 5, 2019, 12:09 am
  #71  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: London
Programs: BAEC, AA, Emirates, Hilton, Hyatt, Taj Hotels
Posts: 2,345
Originally Posted by RB211
Any forward upper deck cabin has no emergency exit in front (unless you count via the stairs on the A380 and the cockpit windows on the B747.)

rb211.
There is no exit door in front of the forward main deck (Zone A) cabin in the 747. It's the only type that I can think of where this the case.
Whereas I don't habitually check for life vests on boarding I do pay attention during the safety briefing. I used to think that the life vests were there more as a comfort for the non-swimmers as in practice they were never likely to be used given that the likelihood of a jet aircraft making a survivable landing on open water was debatable.
Moving on, when I was growing up one of our friends survived a major incident (East African Airways VC-10 crash at Addis - similar to the SIA incident at Taipei). By far the biggest impression that made on me was to remain sensibly dressed for take-off. Rather like the poster before, I keep my shoes on and remain dressed with all the essential paperwork/credit cards/keys close at hand or in a pocket until we are safely off the ground. Having everything ready to go means that you don't even have to think about a bag or looking for stuff should you need to evacuate. Exiting a plane in your flight socks or bare feet and running across broken glass/metal debris/spilt chemicals/burning fuel isn't for me and doing the post-crash debrief in your flightsuit strikes me as wrong too.
nancypants likes this.
Betteronacamel is offline  
Old May 5, 2019, 3:17 am
  #72  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,190
Originally Posted by Betteronacamel
There is no exit door in front of the forward main deck (Zone A) cabin in the 747. It's the only type that I can think of where this the case.
Thanks - So that's three cases where there's no emergency exits in front, then.

Originally Posted by Betteronacamel
Whereas I don't habitually check for life vests on boarding I do pay attention during the safety briefing. I used to think that the life vests were there more as a comfort for the non-swimmers as in practice they were never likely to be used given that the likelihood of a jet aircraft making a survivable landing on open water was debatable.
Moving on, when I was growing up one of our friends survived a major incident (East African Airways VC-10 crash at Addis - similar to the SIA incident at Taipei). By far the biggest impression that made on me was to remain sensibly dressed for take-off. Rather like the poster before, I keep my shoes on and remain dressed with all the essential paperwork/credit cards/keys close at hand or in a pocket until we are safely off the ground. Having everything ready to go means that you don't even have to think about a bag or looking for stuff should you need to evacuate. Exiting a plane in your flight socks or bare feet and running across broken glass/metal debris/spilt chemicals/burning fuel isn't for me and doing the post-crash debrief in your flightsuit strikes me as wrong too.
Yes, it amazes me how many don't follow this simple approach that could save them from a lot of issues! Oh well...

rb211.
RB211 is offline  
Old May 5, 2019, 5:44 am
  #73  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 847
Cabin crew yesterday incorrectly read the NEO ‘fasten the clip’ safety briefing when we were on a CEO on which you have to ‘tie securely in a double bow at the side’. She did later realise, apologise and re-read the correct version of that section of the briefing. Bit confusing really, not that many people seemed to be paying attention!
nancypants likes this.
volar is offline  
Old May 5, 2019, 6:11 am
  #74  
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
Originally Posted by nancypants
I check every time, even when i’m flying from (say) Alice Springs to katherine where there’s absolutely squat all water involved at any point

I also count rows to the exit, even when flying qantas, and practice undoing my seatbelt

I know it sounds utterly stupid but I do it for a few reasons

1) reprogramming the muscle memory (for example, you’d be amazed how many frequent flyers revert to “undoing the car seatbelt” motions in an evacuation, and this is even more complicated now plane seatbelts vary so much)

2) so if stuff is missing, it can be noted and replaced before it actually is required

3) so the crew have one person paying some attention to them having to stand there and demonstrate things
Oh grief, that reminded me of the missing SoB card on QF. Well it wasn't missing, the one in my seat pocket was for a wrong aircraft type. When I reported it to a cabin crew member it was handled really badly. She barely acknowledged it, and did not give me a replacement despite mild hints from me.

After quite some time, I politely and gently pointed out that it was legally required. Eventually I got one off her colleague.

Anyway, that resulted in my writing to QF, because it could have resulted in their getting into trouble with CASA had I been a CASA inspector. A day or two later I got a call from QF to apologise and to tell me what actions were taken to make sure it won't happen again.
MSPeconomist, HMPS, T8191 and 2 others like this.
LTN Phobia is offline  
Old May 5, 2019, 6:39 am
  #75  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
I must admit I have only recently started checking for the lifejacket, as a result of the discussions here on FT. BUT ... I can’t easily bend over to check the lifejacket is actually there, so I rely on finding the red tab. Somehow grovelling around on the floor for a more detailed inspection during boarding seems a bit inappropriate.

Does the presence of the red tab reflect the presence of the associated item?
T8191 is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.