On some airplanes, opening the exit door means moving a lever according to the instructions. On other airplanes, it means following the instructions to lift the door out (and sometimes throw it out through the opening).

Perhaps they should have demonstration exit doors for various types of aircraft in the boarding areas for people to try. Might as well have actual seats and overhead bins there as sizers for carryon baggage as well.

If the passenger must open the emergency exit door, the passenger should then exit the airplane in order to avoid being in the way of others attempting to exit the airplane. There really is not enough space in the exit row for anyone to be "doorman" there.

I'm with the OP here. If the requirements are not listed and the task has never been attempted there is no way to know if you are "able"

All you philosophy majors can pontificate all day.

Personally, I have confidence in my abilities to respond properly in an emergency, and be the first one off the aircraft.

To the OP, I appreciate your honesty and willingness to move out of the exit row if you are not 100% certain of your abilities.

I have thought it could be a good idea if airlines offered a day course for their most frequent flyers. It could cover exit doors and other general safety. As reward for completion they get priority access to exit seats.

No, the first. You can't open an overwing and stay inside without being in the way.

Your job is to open the door and exit as quickly as you can. I would say any able bodied adult, with the adrenaline of the situation behind them, is entirely capable of that, and should just stop worrying.

In the event they aren't, it won't take long for someone else to shove them out of the way and open it themselves.

Neil

There are plenty of people who even though they have never had to do it would definitely not be able. (and I have seen plenty sitting in exit row seats who I hope I am never dependent on)

DL does this: road warrior training at their FA training center at ATL. Unfortunately, it doesn't give priority access to exit rows and many FAs and GAs have never heard of the program.

There was a thread about this several years ago. IIRC, the consensus was AA feared that that if you tried to toss it out the hatch, there was a chance it might only get part way out - since it's so heavy, remember - and now you have the door blocking the hatch, with one of the handles maybe outside and unreachable. Or that it might become an obstacle sittong on the wing, tripping pax after they exited.

The AA instructions say to pull it inside and lay it across the armrests on the row of seats. But this seems especially precarious on the AB two seat side: either the door is balanced and wobbling on the single armrest between the seats; or else it's extending to the aisle armrest, where it could be easily hit by an evacuating passenger and knocked forward to block access to the exit door.

Questions like this are why I would like to have a chance to practice it.

Prior thread, including a pic of the instruction card.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...doors-out.html

+1

It's not just about being able to open the door. You may have to make the decision about whether you should open the door - and the lives of the people around you may depend on your ability to make that decision. And you should also know when not to open the door.

I think we get too caught up in the exit row seat having more space, and not with the responsibility of what sitting in that row can actually mean.

Too many plane fires where if you are more than a few rows from any exit, you are dead to risk losing an exit due to someone thinking the exit row is only about the space, and not the potential responsibility which comes with it :(

I once was upgraded to an E+ exit row on a UA ORD-EWR flight. The FA asked the usual questions of me and the person in the adjacent seat. I wonder for international flights, what is the language comprehension criteria? Do the passengers in the exit row have to understand instructions in 2 or more languages, or just English?

On most if not all the international flights I've been on, the FAs will speak the language spoken in the departing/arriving country and definitely enough English to communicate clearly enough. Plus I'd be pretty sure they get the script in all the relevant languages they need.

I was on an AA flight a few days ago. When the FA (before takeoff) came to the two sets of rows to explain what the conditions are for an exit aisle seat, when she asked "can everyone do what is required", she then instructed everyone to respond with "yes".:)
I am certain the woman next to me could not "work" the exit door...

Thank you, swag! For AA from now on I'll choose "window" if I get the exit row. I'll play it by ear, but I'm leaning toward "chucking it outside despite the instruction card".