There seems to be different times when flight attendants say to turn off electronics on flights. From what I understand, it should be done just before final approach. Many times, the FA's ask that it be done on initial descent. Can someone fill me on what the rule is so I can know if I should be complaining? Thanks.

No electronics under 10,000 ft.

So, if you're flying into DEN, SLC or other "high-altitude" airports, it's almost like only before final approach; but if you're landing at a sea-level airport, and/or your plane is put onto a hold under 10,000 ft, it'll seem like forever.

It's different for different airlines.

I would respectfully suggest that you assume that the cabin crew (a) know how to do their jobs; and (b) have no interest in irritating you just for the sheer hell of it. If you're told by the cabin crew to do something, complaining about it starts from the premise that at least one of those two is missing.

So the 10k feet thing is from sea level? When you fly over Denver you're actually a mile lower to the ground then you would be in say Miami?

Actually, Denver is just a mile closer to you...

Globalizer,

I expect the companies to make and follow their policy. No doubt the cabin crew knows what they're doing, but I have flown into the same airport on the same airline on equally uneventful clear days and have had to shut down at different times. This eats into my productivity and I do plan to hold people/companies accountable to their own policies. That being said, my complaining would be in the form of a letter to the airline each time this happens and not a direct complaint to the cabin crew. The 10k limit when you take off is always enforced clearly. Once you hit 10k feet, you can use any electronic device. The same is not being done for the descent part.

When you are told to

Yes, that's why I am in the camp that think these rules are arbitrary and not based on scientific facts.

If the FAA runs the airport in Lhasa, China or some other ones over 10,000 ft, then you don't have to turn off electronics at all.

As for following rules or not, I usually fly Continental, and on most if not all flights, the FAs do follow this closely. At 10,000ft during the descend (easy to track on the widebodies with personal screens and Airshow), the cockpit crew ring a tone, and then almost immediately, I'll hear the announcement from the FA about final descend, electronics, blah blah blah...

Alan,

Are you a lawyer? I guess I'll have to change the question to when should the FA's be telling people to turn electronics off.

Even if there were consistent application by one airline of its policies, your working time aloft would still be as much affected by other flight time differences - different equipment, different routings, en route holds, etc. And the total time available for working is also subject to all the variations of air travel - gate delays, taxi time, queuing etc., which all also eat into the time that you have to work.

So I find it difficult to believe that your productivity is so critically dependent on that extra 5 or 10 minutes of time on board the aircraft that this is an issue worth complaining about, but I suspect that we are digressing.

At any rate, it sounds like the question that you really want to ask is "What is the rule on airline X?" As I say, different airlines have different rules.

And this has what to do with the question?

depends on the airline security measures

Globalizer,

It is only you that is digressing. Being a rational human being and not a complete idiot I understand that there are many things involved in air travel. My post here isn't why doens't my plane always leave at the same time or why does the plane not go to the same gate all of the time. It is why do airlines have inconsistent times, even amongst themselves, as to when electronics should be turned off. I'm perfectly aware that my working time in flight will vary. Are you just posting this garbage in this thread to make yourself seem important or something?

I'm perfectly able to deal with all of the variations that air travel brings along. That being said there are rules and guidelines that go along with it. Almost every FF on this site knows them and expects them to be carried out. Why should this rule be any different just because some FA's arbitrarily like to get people to turn off their electronics earlier than need be for no good reason.

I'm not sure that complaining is necessary, even if it is done before it is 'supposed' to be done.

Electronics should be powered off for 'critical' phases of flight - that is, the time when most accidents and incidents tend to occur, and the time when you and your crew should be prepared for those accidents and incidents should they occur. It may vary from airline to airline, but where I work we've set the magic number at 10,000 feet.

But sometimes there are special circumstances that have us doing it a little earlier or even a little later. If the flight deck has been warned that the approach may be very turbulent (and dangerous for us to be up, for galleys to be unsecured), then we may prepare the cabin a little earlier than usual - even if it turns out that we're spared the bumpy ride. Or if the approach pattern has us dropping below 10,000 very early or holding for quite a while before landing, the pilots occasionally wait to give us the 'final approach' signal.

In any case, the wisest thing to do would be to just turn them off when you are asked to do so. You can always ask your FA's about their policies and methods without accusing them of anything nefarious - and doing so might help you understand why they are doing whatever it is they are doing.

I find it much easier simply to ignore stupid instructions (no electronics when you are hundreds of miles from landing is a stupid instruction). Admittedly that would be difficult to get away with if you are trying to use a laptop, which I don't use on a plane.