Exit Row Requirements
 

Does anyone else think its ridiculous that you cant sit in the exit row if you need an assistive device (seat-belt extension/crutches/casts) But you are able to drink alcoholic beverages while sitting in the exit row? Just seems a little strange to me. Anyone else have opinions?

It's a valid point. A small quanity of wine with a meal probably won't do any harm, but those seated in the emergency row should not be allowed to get drunk, and at the moment there seem to be no restrictions that would prevent that.

I also think it's wrong that exit rows are now treated as premium seats, and left empty if no one is willing to pay for them. (This happens quite a lot now on short-haul flights with KLM)

Flight crew are not permitted to serve someone who is already intoxicated / approaching intoxication, so I think there are safeguards in place to stop drunk people being the in exit row. In addition, when the FA runs through the safety procedures, he/she can also determine if they are unfit (drunk) and need to be reseated.

No, I don't think it's ridiculous.

If they are flat out drunk and unable to preform their duties that's a totally different issue, but there's no reason they can't have a drink.

I never said a drink or 2 would be a problem and not all the time is someone's intoxication very apparent. The whole point is that we wont allow people who have slight physical impairments like a sprained wrist, but we allow people to potentially get intoxicated.

I agree with the selling the exit row as a premium seat. Should not be done. There are a lot of responsibilities that come along with sitting in the exit row should something happen and the need arises.

Even very small amounts of alcohol can impair a person's judgment and performance - which is why pilots aren't supposed to drink alcohol within eight hours of commencing duty.

And you can't always tell if someone is approaching intoxication...

As I said earlier a glass of wine with a meal is probably OK... as long as that's the only alcohol the person has had.

I sit in the exit row half-crocked pretty often. Trust me, I won't be in your way if anything happens. If I have to open that door I'll be the first one out.

I think treating them as "premium seats" only selectable by elite frequent fliers is kind of smart. I would much prefer a frequent flier sit in the seat than someone on their first airplane trip.

Ultimately judging if a door is safe to open, and opening it are not highly skilled tasks - frankly, if they were, they wouldn't leave it to a potentially stupid member of the public to do.

Having 4 or 5 airline size drinks (or more) wouldn't stop me from performing a straightforward task like this (check for fire / smoke / water outside exit, if safe, open exit, assist others once down the ramp away from the plane). Most people would be still legal in many jurisdictions to drive after 2 glasses, so why the higher standard for the, relative to control of a motor vehicle, simpler task?

When intoxicated, you can corrolate it to a drop in IQ points - should we ban people who are 'a bit thick' too? If anything, a little bit of alcohol removes some inhibitions / nerves, so there is the potential that someone who has had a few glasses is less liable to panic that someone entirely sober too.

To someone else's point, some routes would then see the exit rows empty - which would be worse, ie first person to get there hasn't had a chance to familiarize themselves with the door opening etc.

LOL

I would much prefer someone who has had two drinks than someone with a "slight physical impairment" trying to open the door that will save my life. Question, have you ever tried to remove and hold a 50+ pound exit door with your "slight physical impairment"?

Something tells me the OP was asking the question after getting moved out of the exit row....

Than you would be wrong Planemechanic. Flight Crew here.

Meh, I have been wrong before, this wouldn't have been the first time.

But now that we know you are flight crew I find the question very strange, or you are just trolling.

The surely you know that a) if the board drunk, they are not sitting there and b) you are not going to serve them to the point they are intoxicated, for more reasons than just the exit row? I don't see the issue, especially as you are the one serving the drinks.

I sort of agree with you... Elites should be given first refusal, and they should not have to pay.

KLM used to let Platinum and Gold Elites sit in exit row seats for free (while others had to pay) - and in those days the exit row seats usually had someone in them. Usually Gold Elites rather than Plats because you don't get to be Plat by travelling in Economy!

They then decided to make Gold Elites pay as well... and ever since then emergency exit rows have either been empty, or, on a completely full flight, filled with the last people to have checked in.

I think Air Canada works along those lines - either Elite / SE get to choose those seats free, other folks have to pay (but can pay at time of booking rather than wait for SEs to decline to take them etc).

The bulk of airline certification authorities require a passenger to be seated in the exit row to operate the door immediately if required, along with all the specification of who can sit there or not. The Irish Aviation Authority very recently got into a compliance ruling on Ryanair, who were charging extra for the seats and letting them go empty if people didn't pay, and were giving the door opening additional briefing to passengers in seating rows BEHIND the exit rows to try and get compliance with their AOC.

I didn't hear what the final result of this was.

Damn! Are even CO & Star Alliance members doing that now?

I would love to see a no alcohol policy for exit row seating; just to hear the howls from the elites sitting there.:p

There should be a height requirement. If you're 5'4 you don't need that extra leg room.

This does not seem to be the case in the Netherlands, unfortunately - either that, or no one has drawn the authorities' attention to all those empty exit rows, especially on short Cityhopper flights (like NWI-AMS). Had a chat about this with one of the cabin crew once who confirmed it's now very common to have entire exit rows with no one in them.

You're not the only one. Read somewhere that airlines in Europe may be facing suits against them for that practice on safety grounds.

As for denying alcohol to someone seated in an emergency row, works for me. The effect of alcohol at altitude is well known, and even a single drink can (and I do stress can) have adverse effect on an individual. Since cabin crew have no way of knowing how passenger A, B or C reacts to alcohol, a blanket ban seems like the safest option. If you are unable to complete a flight without tanking up, there's a simple choice: Don't book an emergency row seat. And I really don't care how many million miles you fly every year.

Recently I was seated in the exit row aisle of an RJ and the guy sitting next to me was very old, frail, and senile. It seemed obvious that he was incapable of flying without a companion (who was seated in the opposite exit row window), who had to help him down the aisle and point out/direct him into his seat. The FA didn't seem at all concerned and at first seemed to assume that the old guy was with me. Even when I emphatically corrected that and gave the FA a very pointed look when I stressed that the FA should be asking the "are you willing and able" questions to the old guy and not addressing me so that I could answer for him, the FA was oblivious to the situation. I was shocked and reported it very emphatically to the airline, although during the flight I reassured myself that in an emergency I could easily shove the old guy out of the way to get to the emergency window exit.

More on the IAA investigating Ryanair over this :

http://www.pprune.org/airlines-airpo...ml#post7091012

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...=feeds-newsxml

In Australia there must be two passengers per exit row where the exit does not have a crew member. This basically applies to the 737. Because there has to be people in this row Qantas doesn't charge for it either.

lol ... :D

No
 

What's next, no sleeping in the exit row? They say being tired can you impair your driving as much as being drunk. If you aren't too drunk to walk, you probably aren't too drunk to open a door.

OK, the Irish Aviation Authority have now SPOKEN !

http://www.iaa.ie/index.jsp?p=93&n=9...nn=327&lID=953

"DIRECTION

Pursuant to its powers under the Irish Aviation Authority Act 1993 and articles 3 and 4 of the European Communities (Harmonisation of Technical Requirements and Administrative Procedures in the field of Civil Aviation) Regulations 2008, S.I. No. 283 of 2008 and to the provisions of Article 8 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 of 16 December 1991 (as amended) the Irish Aviation Authority hereby directs that:

Non floor level aircraft emergency exits, when required to provide evacuation capability for the aircraft passenger numbers to be carried on a particular flight, shall be attended by an able bodied and briefed passenger at the immediately adjoining seat to the exit concerned. Immediately adjoining means a seat from which a passenger can proceed directly to the exit without entering the aisle or passing around an obstruction."

That's as close as you can get to a Bo11ocking without a slight mis-spelling ! And the end of Ryanair's little game.

^^^

Ryanair
 

On my last flight with Ryanair last weekend there were several empty exit rows, because the FA refused people without reservation to sit there. After completing boarding she was looking for healthy young men to reseat them in the window exit row seats.

I think booking the XL-Seats when flying Ryanair is the best deal in the air. For 10 Euros I get a lot of extra legroom. High chance of an empty row, as they block everyone without reservation. And I can skip the (often long) line at the boarding gate.

Terrible idea. I may not 'need' it- but that doesn't mean that I don't want it. Refer to all the seat swap horror stories- seats are never assigned on 'need', but instead are first-come, first-served. Just take relief that my petite frame will not block the passage out of the plane in the event of an emergency.

Ahh but can you reach the door handle????:(

old people, no old people in exit rows. require the ability to put a 30 lb carryon (all elites have one) into the overhead. i am close to not being able to accomplish that task, and my wife no longer can get her bag up there.

I know many "old people" who are extremely fit - fitter than many a youngster.
Many of us don't have carry on baggage either. It's practically impossible to gauge "fitness" just by sight (apart from the obvious).
If anyone agrees they are fit etc I don't know that there is much else to do really.

Apart from hope they really are :)

Yep drink in moderation. I usually don't drink alcohol so I think that's a value point. Now with that being said I'm not one of those people who drink huge amounts and am always aware of exit rows around me.

This argues for Mormons only in exit rows.

Given the high quality of all of the Mormons I know, I can live with this.

However, given the low probability that an exit through an over wing exit will occur, I can live with it the way it is.

Just out of curiosity, airlines often have an age requirement for seating in the exit rows. Would I generally be allowed to travel in the exit row with my wife and five year old, or would the age requirement preclude this?

Can't speak to all airlines, of course, but I think US carriers don't allow anyone under the age of 15 in the exit row, nor do they allow an adult/parent of a sub-15 to sit in the exit row while the 'child' is seated elsewhere. (I suppose if you are careful not to acknowledge each other and/or the FAs aren't paying attention, you could get away with it).

The logic: if you (adult) are seated in the exit row and your child(ren) are seated nearby and there's an emergency, your immediate focus will be on your kids, not on your exit row duties.

I'm not sure, but I think the same rules may apply to folks traveling with a pet or 'comfort' animal.

Thanks for the advice on the US airlines. I would assume that Air Canada follows suit -- any AC FTers who can confirm that two parents and an under-15 child would not be permitted to book exit row seats? Thanks again!

A few weeks ago I sat next to an elderly man in the exit row. There was no way he could have been able to assist. He could barely walk.