Eligibility for exit row?
 

My wife and I are travelling DTW-PDX on separate reservations, same flights. She is carrying a small dog in a fabric carrier and has paid the extra fee to do so. She is therefore not eligible for an exit row. NW tells me that US law states that no member of a family travelling on the same flight may sit in an exit row if ANY member of the family on the same flight is ineligible for an exit row.Separate reservations notwithstanding. Anyone know whether this is true?

Some of the "rules" I hear simply amaze me! How would they even KNOW you're in the same family? Why in the world would they care? Call back, do NOT mention your wife, and get reseated. Better yet, often-times as an Elite you can simply re-seat yourself there on NWA.com.

gll

It's either a FAR or NW policy (not a U.S. law), but other than that, what you heard is correct.

That's stretching the wording of the law a fair bit.

FAR 121.585(b)(7)(i) says they cannot put a person in an exit row seat if they have "a condition or responsibilities, such as caring for small children, that might prevent the person from performing one or more of the applicable functions" in the event of an emergency.

Basically, they don't want anyone in an exit row who might be trying to rescue their kids from another row instead of opening the exit.

What you're encountering is a belief that you will think first of your wife in an emergency, and that you therefore might not perform your duties in the exit row.

Here's why it's policy: if you're traveling with someone who isn't exit-row eligible, you're presumed to be caring for that person and unable to focus full attention on exit row responsibilities. Here's the disqualifier:

• have other responsibilities, such as caring for small children, that might prevent them from carrying out emergency functions in an exit row seat

Is it possible they wont let let sit there because of the dog?

In the spring I was on an AA flight from Msy to Dfw with a father son combo in the exit row with me. The kid was about twelve years old I would guess. A FA noticed the youngster told the father it would not work. The man solved the problem by moving his son elsewhere.
I would have moved with the kid. I am sure I would have conflicted loyalties in an incident I thought posed a danger.

They won't let her sit there because the dog is under-seat baggage and you can't have under-seat baggage in the exit row.

They won't let him sit there because they expect in the event of an emergency he'd be worrying about her (and maybe the dog) instead of paying full attention to his responsibilities.

In classic accidents, relatives die trying to rescue a loved one who has already escaped. The last thing needed is a devoted husband more interested in rescuing his wife than opening the exit.

So my question is: why don't you want to sit next to your wife (& fluffy) in a non-exit row? ;)

We are both platinum, and have observed that the automated upgrade process often skips us if we stay on the same record locator. If only one gets upgraded then that individual travels with the dog in first, the other in an exit row

Have tried NWA.com but the available exit row seats do not allow me to move into them. Apparently this rule has been incorporated into the seating map

NW will block some exit row seats on particular aircraft and flights under their RoachChoice rules...meaning they are for a fee and available 24 hours before departure. (Fees are waived if you are any level of elite).

Sounds like that's what's happening to you. The good news is that RoachChoice seats are blocked for everyone until 24 hours so if you attempt to check-in online and both of you haven't been upgraded, the RoachChoice seats *should* still be available and you can grab them for free.

-RM

Is this something new? I've experienced this on flights within Europe (as recently as last week - AF BCN/CDG) but I've never had any problem in the USA sitting in exit rows and having under-seat baggage.

Hmmm... good point, in retrospect I was basing that on experiences in Europe. So they're probably just concerned she'll be too occupied trying to save her beloved dustmop... ;)