I used to do this as a kid, some decades ago.

Now, I'm too tall to be lying on the floor of anything except 777s with 2/5/2 seating. I tried it about a year ago on FJ's 747s, and even though my legs stuck out into the aisles a few inches, the FAs didn't care.

I imagine the overhead bins would be a more FAA-Friendly option than the floor. There's that whole seatbelt-turbulance issue to deal with.

I've camped out on the floor by the bulkhead exit on a delayed DC-10 once, but we were on the ground for an hour or so, and I wanted the space to work, rather than sleep.

Perhaps sitting on the floor is a more acceptable option since it's easy enough to move back to your seat when the seatbelt light comes on.

In some coach flights, I've though about askig to move to the jump seat until its time for landing. It may be a less comfrotable chair, but the trade off would me I could move my elbows. Anyone do that?

Cromely.

Actually the jump seats aren't that bad if not more comfortable than coach. I sit on them all of the time (while at work). The cushion slides out on most of them which allows you to comfortablly slouch and stretch out. I guess the hard part would be getting permission from a FA.

I do too! On our flights to Australia, all that room in front of 15A, I had to use it, slept better on the floor than in the business seat because I was horizontal.

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The pre-flight saftety video on Thai Airways flights explicitly mention that you can't sleep on the floor of the aircraft... they even feature a pictograph of a prospective slumberer with a "no smoking"-like red dash through it.

Back with JL had coach upstairs in their 747, and Row 64 (I think) was the exit (so like 6 feet of space), I slept on the floor there, and they didn't say anything. This was a while ago though.

We were told on a NW flight that it was forbidden by the FAA for a child to sleep on the floor. I suppose that means adults, too.

Perhaps our mistake was in letting the FA see it (we were 2nd to last row of seats). We had the whole row.

What's the weight limitation on those bins (no doubt exceeded by carry-on all the time). I've never seen an overhead bin I'd want to be in (but I haven't seen one over 5 feet long and with enough top to bottom space either). I can't imagine it - too claustrophobic - you'd have to shut the cover, and can those things open from inside???

AFAIK that's incorrect - it depends on the airlines' policy. Most airlines allow you to place your infant in a basinet (and older kids) on the floor.

Looks like this will remain one of those "unsolved mysteries" -- nobody seems to know what the rules are. :)

I will say that I have not personally encountered many (any?) on-board floor sleepers -- other than my own children! So maybe it's just not that big an "issue" that needs resolution. I do think I'd find it odd if I saw a full grown adult sleeping on an aircraft floor.

Good one. Though they'll say it's for "security purposes" if nothing else. I can't think of any floor space to sleep on that wouldn't block an aisle or emergency exit unless it's between regular rows, and that seems like it'd be a pretty tight fit unless you're a kid.

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*Governor* Moonbeam :rolleyes:

Brown was governor of California in the 70's, after Reagan. It was waaaay before he became Mayor of Oakland.

My younger brothers and I were allowed to do this regularly on trans-oceanic flights until about 1986 when all the airlines started cracking down. We were old enough that it didn't really matter anymore, so we just stopped. I've not seen anyone get away with it in the last few years; the three who tried (all kids) were made to get back in a seat with a seatbelt.

It's really a safety issue. Setting aside the "non-buckled pax = projectiles" element (the primary concern), someone lying on the floor, particularly a kid, could easily be stepped on accidentally. They could flop an arm/foot into the aisle. Everyone here has dropped something and had it roll forward or back to a different row, I'm sure, and so a sleeper could be struck by a water bottle or a loose bag. During a steep takeoff once I had a laptop slide out of someone's bag in front of me (they put it under a vacant middle), accelerate under the seats and hit me, two rows back, pretty hard in the feet. Not a biggy if you're wearing shoes, but imagine a four-year old's head (though they wouldn't be there during takeoff, I guess).

Bottom line it's a better safe than sorry situation for the airlines. I'm sure that they have little trouble with people dozing on the floor, but the liability concerns are dictating the policy. Darn litigious society... :rolleyes:

In my experience - all US carriers allow infants in bassinets to be placed on the floor when the seatbelt sign is turned off. Though this is really only an option when flying c or f because fo space constraints. Infants without seats are not buckled in on any US carrier (FAA regulation) but have to be held by the parent when the seatbelt sign is on. I've seen toddlers sleep on the floor on ocassion as well (on a variety of carriers).

My kids sleep on the bulkhead floor on WN on longer flights, you can see what it is like on my blog at: http://fishfoto.typepad.com

The Las Vegas posting, scroll down the photos of my kids nice and comfy on the floor.


I have slept on the bulkhead floor of a VS flight and a an LH flight. Both times the flights were fairly empty.