FAs in exit rows a common practice?
 

I was flying CO for the first time in a long time. I am a Delta Platinum medallion.
I was on a flight from IAH-PBI. Got stuck in the last row (10 days before the flight), in a middle seat, despite my elite status. Boarded the 737, to find 4 flight attendants in uniform, sitting in the exit rows. Would have been nice if paying customers could have had those seats.
Is this a common practice on CO or was this an exception?

That an exception... I've never seen anything like that. Never 4 seats together. I've seen an occasional pilot in one of the seats (usually center), but that's it.

When you checked in, did you try to switch your seat to an exit row? Perhaps the occupants got upgrades or didn't show at the last minute, and the FA's took them?

Ive seen it a few times on different carriers. I agree with the above poster, probably either those who had 'em got UPed or were no-shows, and nobody checked again at the gate to see if they opened up.

Something I always do exactly because of this where they do open. Same goes for any seat taht will be closer to the front, it Never hurts to recheck at the gate all you can be told is Nothing better is available or you might be Surprised and get Lucky.

You will see this frequently because FAs are at or near the bottom of the standby list and frequently the last seats to open up are premium seats previously taken by elites (who are then upgraded).

However I don't know of any airline that allows positive space crew members to prereserve premium seats.

It's possible. I flew positive space on a couple of carriers (priority slightly higher than crew) and had open reign on coach seating.

But I think the first explanation is the most likely here. Was on an EWR-IAH jam packed and an elite flyer got angry that an FA insisted on her window seat when he was stuck in the middle.

Thanks for the replies. Happy it was not the norm. Not sure why they got the premo seats.
And yes, shame on me for not checking on a better seat at the gate. Usually, I am smarter than that. :D

Sorry to upset your Elite Status, but is is common practace for FA's and Pilots to be in the exit row when deadheading.

Per IAM contract with Continental:

Section 3 part 4: Crew scheduling well provide deadheading Flight attendants advanced seat assignments according to the following priorities:

a. Overwing EMERGENCY EXIT rows.


So it looks like Continental was following correct procedure on this flight. ^ ^ ^

I'm surprised that no one has posted that if the emergency exits actually had to be USED, there's no one better qualified to have sitting there than pilots or cabin crew.

If it makes you guys feel better, when I deadhead, I am usually in a middle seat. If I happen to get the exit row, it is usually the row that doesn't recline. :D

That's kinda what I was thinking. I have been on a few flights where I wasn't sure the rather large passengers sitting in the exit rows would have been able to make it through the window exits.

They were most likely a deadheading crew....being moved to another city to work a later flight.

Honestly I don't know the order of priority in assigning seats (crew vs. revenue pax), except to say that we are to get exit rows when deadheading when possible. If we are deadheading, then we are part of the working crew - and the crux of our job is to man the emergency exits and facilitate an evac. In that light, it makes sense to put us in the exit rows when deadheading.

I flew CO BWI-IAH back in September and there was a dead-heading flight attendant in First Class. I must admit that I was a little surprised to see that.

Whenever I DH I get a window or aisle seat in the vicinity of a family that is not seated together, so I always end up being asked to switch seats and end up in a middle seat.

Just say no. When I travel with my family, I usually end up in a middle seat to accomodate my children's wishes for a window seat (each). Let the family enjoy their togetherness in a middle seat - switch if you can get a window or aisle.

:eek: :D