Extremely cold 737-900 cabin | Known issue?
 

A week ago I flew on a 737-900 (or 800) from SEA to MSP sitting in 12C and within 20 minutes of takeoff was so cold I was shivering. Within 20 more minutes my teeth were chattering. Cold air was blowing right down on me.

About 40 minutes in I asked a FA for a blanket. Reply: "We don't have blankets. This area is always cold while front a rear of plane are very hot" Promised to ask the captain to turn up heat.

I went to the back of the plane and it was warmer, but not hot, and stopped shivering after 10-15 minutes. I returned to my seat and within 10 minutes was shivering.

Pleaded with the flight attendant for a blanket and he "found one"'in First class and brought it to me.

Other passengers in row 12 and row 13 started complaining about the cold and a few more blankerpts were found. FA promised to ask the heat to be turned up

I spent the remaining 1 1/2 hour of the flight covered with the blanket but never warmed up. Around 20 minutes before we landed the stream of cold air turned warm for just a few minutes then returned to cold.

As we landed the FA told us that he had asked the captain "7-8 times" to turn up the temp.

Questions: Is this cold area a known issue with this plane? What is the best way to report it so there is a solution sought?

This truly was the most difficult, uncomfortable flight I've ever taken.

I've always had exactly the opposite experience on the 737-9: uncomfortably warm and stuffy in the C+ area and much cooler towards the back of the plane.

But I guess it's fair to say that the A/C system on this plane isn't as advanced as the avionics.

I was on a 739 waiting to leave DAB last month and it seemed like the AC was woefully inadequate while we were sitting on the ramp.

The gaspers are next to useless, even in flight.

I flew recently in Y in a 739 but the seat was so uncomfortable that I might not have noticed the temperature anyway. I was near the middle of the plane.

I usually make sure to bring a jacket or sweater. It's bitterly cold in the window seat next to an emergency exit, so I make sure to avoid. Although I have no evidence to support my claim, I've always felt that the FAs liked to keep it colder because they're more active than the passengers.

Bitterly cold?
Get us a tad bit of hyperbole. :D

There are numerous reasons why parts of the plane are colder than others, most of which aren't related to any issue with the aircraft, per se.

My wife naturally runs cold, so she always bring a jacket or something to cover herself with when traveling (or going to a movie, dinner, etc). Not much else you can do.

If I were the OP, I'd be bitter. ;)

I had my coldest flight in my delta history last week.... it was only from LAX to SF but the entire plane was an igloo.... temps have never been consistent for me flight to flight.... even on the same metal.

The 737-800/900 has three temperature zones. The flight deck, the front half of the passenger cabin, and the aft half of the passenger cabin.

The biggest problem with the system is that the temperature controls are all in the cockpit which relies on the F/As forwarding requests to the pilots for adjustments.

I don't dispute the description of the OP, but the problem is likely that while you're freezing there's another person somewhere in the plane thinking it's too warm. Uneven temperatures across planes are a fact of life. Even in the middle of summer - be prepared for a potentially cold plane by having a jacket or sweater with you.

That's generally a good idea also because of the possibility of diversions. If you fly from 80 degree Milan to 90 degree New York you may think you won't need a jacket, but if there's a medical emergency or other problem you may end up diverting to Shannon, Ireland (or somewhere in the Canadian Maritimes) and might be stuck there for a bit in 60 degree rainy weather.

I've on a couple of occasions experienced extreme cold on a plane and it is no fun. I always now travel with a jacket or travel blanket if I am going to be in coach. The new F blankets are really nice if you are seated in F.

I agree with you and I usually do wear layers, but this time I didn't have a separate sweater. But in my decades of flying around the U.S. and now multiple trips a year TPAC, I've never experienced this type of cold. It was like they had the thermostat set at 50° with high fan setting. And it never let up. BRRRRRRR!

I'll take that any day to the saunas I usually encounter on planes!!

I've had the exact same issue on a 767 (I was seated on the window). Toes were going numb, it was SO cold. I eventually had to change seats, luckily there was a seat open in the middle section.

I would take bitterly cold any day over the usual, but I also complain its too hot out when it's 75 and sunny. Most flights I'm on range from barely tolerable to uncomfortably warm, no matter where I'm sitting.

Yes, DL's 739s are quite uncomfortable even in F

I can confirm: Did an MSP-LHR on a 767, and, as well as the deafening roar in Emergency Exit Row, it was freezing (I do enjoy the cold, however)

Others of a more delicate nature would have froze!

Funny this comes up as I just had one of the coldest flight experiences I've ever had a few days ago as well flying FLL-ATL. I rarely get cold on flights, even in exit rows (which this was, though an aisle) but I was absolutely shivering for the entirety of the flight and fog was coming out of the vents, even at altitude. I was never so happy to be blasted by Atlanta's oppressive heat as I was stepping off that plane.

Of course, I would prefer cabins be too warm than too cold, which I imagine is a minority opinion but that flight was unbearable.

You mean within 20 minutes you were sitting in 1C ? :D

Last week I was on two 739s. The first one, (a redeye seated in 2B) I was so cold, I nearly asked for a second blanket. The second one, (a daytime flight in 3B) the cabin was actually a smidge warm.

Pilots (myself included) want passengers comfortable. Since the 737 temp controls are up front, I think it's reasonable to keep asking FAs to forward requests to the flight deck. We can't make changes without knowing which direction to turn the knobs!

On the flight I complained about in the OP, we asked multiple times. And the flight attendant told us he'd asked "7-8 times". In spite of that it never warmed up. Any suggestions for future such events would be appreciated.

The fact that the control for the plane is a knob shows just how antiquated these machines are. Is it that hard for airplanes these days to design a digital system, perhaps that keeps all zones around 72 degrees? You would think airlines would want a more stable system than relying on complaining guest to dictate when to turn up down heat.

This will sound harsher than I actually mean it but if you regularly (or even occasionally) find yourself cold on a plane, I would encourage carrying a sweater or other lightweight cover when you travel. If you are cold, and they raise the temperature of the cabin to make you comfortable I can assure you there will be many, many others on that plane who will then be so warm it makes them uncomfortable. Since the folks that are warm can't remove clothing, those that are cold in the same relative temperature will have to add a layer to keep themselves warm. It is absolutely not possible to maintain a temperature that everyone is comfortable with and expecting that is kind of unrealistic.

I think the problem is bigger than that! I ALWAYS take out a sweatshirt to bring to my seat, and Always wear pants when I am not in D1. On thursday I was on a 737 last row of first, with a blanket, and a sweatshirt. and still freezing. Do we need to start packing winter jackets?

I wish it was as simple as a "set-it-and-forget-it" type system. However, the air conditioning is coming from high pressure bleed air off the engines so pilots must have ultimate control over the system in the event any abnormal situation arises. That's only logical.

What Boeing should do is give FAs control over cabin temps from their panels. Airbus, I think, and Bombardier with the C Series, give FAs about 4 degrees of temp control from what is set from the flight deck.

The 737 will be a Fleet staple for decades to come so my only suggestion is to layer as has been suggested. Beyond that, Boeing needs to stick it Southwest and politely tell them they are going to bring the 737 up today's technological cockpit standard. Only then will we see a significant improvement in cabin temp control.

It is entirely possible that the same temp that you consider a sauna is the same temp that the OP considers "bitterly cold" given my experience. I've always felt that in a confined space situation the temp should be determined by whoever feels the hottest. You can always add layers if you're cold. You can't always take them off if you're hot.

I don't take it as harsh at all. And I do layer up when I travel, mostly on TPAC flights multiple times a year, with turtle neck under sweater, etc.. But in my many years of travel I've never experienced anything close to this cold. And the people in my row and rows just in front and behind us were also complaining. And the fact that the flight attendant told us this was 1) a common problem on this plane and 2) they had asked the captain 7-8 times to turn up the heat makes me wonder, if true, why they don't at a minimum have blankets for people in those rows and find a solution.

The more I fly Middle Eastern/European carriers that keep the temperature warmer, the more I see the need to dress in layers. I typically wear a T-shirt or dri-fit shirt, Jacket or sweater and a stuffable down jacket in my carry on. Despite this I'm still often hot in just the T-shirt. I find the middle of the A321 to be quite hot all the time so try to sit way in the back or front if possible.

The OP reminds me of the guy who shows up to the office in a t-shirt and jeans on casual Friday, then hauls out the space heater -- despite the fact that it's hot & sticky outside, and the office is conditioned to 75 degrees -- just because he's cold.

In my lifetime, I've been fortunate enough to have traveled on a couple thousand flights or so; unless there's a maintenance issue, they just don't get "bitterly" cold for prolonged periods of time - that's absolute nonsense. If you're somebody who has the tendency to feel like you're cold, then dress for the occasion and bring a blanket.

For years, I flew on early morning FNT-DTW DC-9 departure, and during the winter, that thing was insanely cold, despite the fact that NW had an employee whose sole job was to ensure the aircraft reached a comfortable temperature before passengers boarded. But once the engines started, the cold dissipated. Moral: board last, not first.

The thermostats are set for the comfort of the workers. FAs feel warm enough because they are moving around wearing fairly warm uniforms. Same as the wait staff at restaurants. Same as offices where men wear suits. Same as any event with an energetic speaker in a suit moving around while the audience freezes. I board wearing a sweater or fleece and in my carryon on, I have another sweater and whatever jacket or coat for the weather where I am going. Part of the answer is for FAs' uniforms to be lighter weight and cooler.