Well--believe it or not, there is a group called Public Restroom Initiative and they have their own website at

http://metroped.org/pr/airline.htm

From what I see there, the issue about passengers congregating around rest rooms was cover by a TSA memo from in early 2004 noted below.

I would say AA is stretching it a bit to say that a FAA rule requires passengers to use the rest rooms in their ticketed cabin.

I would interpet the TSA memo (below) to say that the airlines should endeavor to minimize the passengers congregating near a restroom--or anyplace else on the planes--but I don't see where it says to throw common sense out the window--which it sounds like this AA policy is doing...

-----------------------------


TSA discourages restroom lines on planes
Thursday, January 8, 2004 Posted: 12:29 PM EST (1729 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Airlines have been asked to tell passengers they shouldn't congregate near aircraft lavatories because of security concerns, the Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday.

The agency in mid-December sent an advisory to airlines asking them to inform passengers that they should not gather in groups on airplanes, especially near the restroom, said spokesman Darrin Kayser.

"It formalizes the idea that we don't want people congregating in the airplane," Kayser said.

The Australian airline Qantas said in a statement that its pilots are making pre-flight announcements about gathering near restrooms and cabin crew are monitoring passengers during the flight. "We do not expect this to be a significant issue at all, and it only applies to flights to the United States," the airline said.




AIRPORT TERMINAL ANNOUNCEMENT - Lavatory access will not be available on Flight from St Louis to New York. 28 May 2004 6:00 - 7:00PM, most likely Flight AA 682 or AA 5856

"...I know it was American Airlines and I do believe it was to New York. What stands out in my mind is that the flight was at least as long or longer than our flight back to Washington. I would have hated to been on that flight. I don't know what those people did when they really had to go. They at least warned the people who were in boarding area about the problem; however, those who arrived late may have never heard the announcement. Another annoying issue for me is that some airlines won't allow passengers in coach to use the front lavatories. I have been on many flights were people are lined up in the back of the plane to use the lavatory and no one is using the front lavatories. They say this is for security purposes as they don't want people lined up near the cockpit doors. I believe that if they allowed use of all restrooms then lines wouldn't form like they do in the first place.."

Source: forward email date ID: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 9:36 AM

From what I see there, the issue about passengers congregating around rest rooms was cover by a TSA memo from in early 2004 noted below.

I would say AA is stretching it a bit to say that a FAA rule requires passengers to use the rest rooms in their ticketed cabin.



I would say that you are reading woefully out of date material. The TSA directive says ALL pax must stay in THEIR cabin. Period.

Sometimes the rules can be broken. It is when everyone wants to bend the rules to suit them that the problems arise.

Just heard it on an America West flight today. They weren't quite as insistent as the OP, but the did make a point of stressing the "stay in your cabin".

Cheers.

Do you have a link to the announcement? I searched google and could not find anything relating to it.

I love this rule, since I had recently (late-July) emailed them saying I found it annoying how customers from the front of coach were constantly using the F lavs on smaller aircraft (S80, 737). Literally, I was counting 10-15 instances of this. On a 2-3 hour flight, this really adds up. Here's the reply I got at the time:

From: Americanairlines Wecaare001
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 1:57 PM
To: doogles
Subject: R2004/07-28480-00513-001


Dear doogles:

I'm sorry you have been inconvenienced when customers from our main cabin find it necessary to use the lavatory in the premium cabin aboard your flights. However, our policy is not to deny anyone the use of a lavatory in any cabin, regardless of their seat assignment. At the same time, our flight attendants should monitor the situation to minimize the disruptions to those seated in the premium cabins. I have shared your comments about this particular issue with our Vice President of Flight Service. We want all our customers to enjoy a pleasant ride when traveling with us.

This is an "outgoing only" email address. If you 'reply' to this message by simply selecting the reply button, we will not receive your additional comments. Please assist us in providing you with a timely response to any feedback you have for us by always sending us your email messages via AA.com at http://www.aa.com/customerrelations.

Sincerely,

[snipped]
Customer Relations
American Airlines

Because I wanted to address my woefully outdated information--I have been searching around for this "stay in your own cabin" directive that is supposed to have been issued by the FAA/TSA.

I searched the web sites for both TSA and the FAA and there is nothing mentioned there about such a rule.

I also did google searches for all the combinations of the words lavatory, restroom, tsa, cabin, congregate

I have come away with three conclusions after my internet search:

One is that doing searches on google with odd word combinations is an eye opening experience as to how the rest of the world lives...

Second is that the only information easily available regarding a restriction on which restroom to use is in flight is:


Update: Michelle Malkin responds that the Jan. 8, 2004 "no congregate" order applied only to international flights, and that the July 1 order was a response to domestic airlines' longstanding request to clarify the policy.

<<TSA has issued a new directive which demands pilots make a pre-flight announcement banning passengers from congregating in aisles and outside the plane's toilets. The directive also orders flight attendants to check the toilets every two hours for suspicious packages.>>


Lastly--I agree with a comment that I saw on one forum regarding this whole restroom issue-----


"I suggest mandatory sedation of all passengers for the duration of the flight. It would solve so many damn problems for everyone involved."

If it is from a TSA "Security Directive," I doubt you'll find it doing a google search, but I could be wrong. A memo or some other missive, maybe so.

Folks, I believe this is a REAL SECURITY CONCERN. I understand there may have been some "test runs" by groups of people on flights ealier this year. Several men would get up and congregate around the lav's, etc. There apparently was the suspicion that they may have been "dry runs" just to test gaps in security, or potential holes. Don't minimize the potential for another terrorist attack. I believe it is just a matter of time. IMHO!

From www.dictionary.com:

con�gre�gate
tr. & intr.v. con�gre�gat�ed, con�gre�gat�ing, con�gre�gates

To bring or come together in a group, crowd, or assembly. See Synonyms at gather.

I think it could be argued that standing in line to use the facilities does not constitute "congregating" at all.

In any case, how about this: I'm in J on a 762. The cabin only has a single lav. I get up to use it, and it's occupied... No problem, I can wait. It's occupied for a long time... I really gotta go... Finally a FA comes out! Wouldn't it be more appropriate for the FA to use one of the coach lavs, considering there are so many more of them, than the one biz lav, especially since we're not allowed to go to either the coach or F lav?

Anyway, I just thought I'd add some fuel to the fire.

---------------------------------------------------

I saw several such articles while I was searching in google--it was scary..!!

The most notable of these has been effectively debunked.

Perhaps you can explain how congregating around the lav is a security threat, compared to, say, coordinating in groups of 2-3 or all arriving at the same place at the same time.

-------------------------------------------

Have a heart on the "back of the bus" people in coach.

Looking at some diagrams of a couple different planes---the ratio of lavatory to passengers in coach is 1 lav for every 50 passengers to 1 lav for every 70 passengers. First class was more like 1 lav for every 16 passengers.

Adding a couple extra FA's to the coach ratio might be the straw that causes an unfortunate accident......

Just you wait: one day, a superhero :-: forced to travel coach because the kiosk broke down 31 minutes before departure - resulting in the loss of his EXP-upgrade Y seat - will be unable to dash into a vacant F lavatory to put on his superhero tights , and then the forces of evil will triumph.

Won't we all be sorry then?

I don't mean to sound like a notty idiot, but you aren't going to find it anywhere because you don't have security clearance to read the rest of the briefing. It is classified for now. When it becomes outdated you will probably have access to it all over the internet. Or, if some idiot who isn't supposed to post it does on a message board somewhere posts it you will probably find it then.

Suffice it to say that prior to 9/1/04 it was a directive for all inbound us flights. Airlines had the option of making it systemwide or not. AA had it systemwide which was why it wasn't always really heavily enforced. Now it is from the top that all airlines in all classes of service must make sure NOBODY crosses cabins so we are currently like communist border police.

Because while congregating you can be conspiring and psyching yourself up for an onsluaght. There are other things you can be doing too.