joshwex90

Based on an existing thread, I wanted to create this only because the mods prefer this part of the conversation not be continued in the existing thread: Exit row and boarding-pass scanner

(as posted in that thread)

That's an issue that the airline created, IMO. In an ideal world, the exit row would simply be people who can assist and the bulkhead would be parents flying with infants. But the airlines commodotized those seats by making every other seat cr*p, and these as desirable "Choice Seats" (US) or "Preferred Seats" (LY) or Extra Legroom Seats, (and keyword) exclusively available to our elite frequent flyers.
Granted, E+ should be a nice way of solving that issue, but E+ isn't on every airline

Jorgen

I don't see the problem. The airlines still go overboard to make sure that anyone sitting in the exit row is "willing and able to perform the duties" et cetera et cetera.

I've always wondered who would be able but un-willing to assist in opening the doors, faced with a burning aircraft. Possibly ultra-orthodox Jews on a Saturday?

vicarious_MR'er

I'm not sure I'd say they go "overboard" to ensure that. In my experience, they come to the row, just ask aloud "are you all OK with the duties required of you to sit in this row?", and as long as you give them some minimal amount of eye contact without even necessarily clearly answering int he affirmative, they move on. Often times I don't even think they wait for the eye contact. I've even seen FA's do the "if you don't speak English, I will just ask you in English even more loudly and wildly gesture toward the emergency info card until you say yes" trick to people who clearly had NO CLUE what in the world the FAs were saying.

I know my FIL who barely speaks a lick of English has been seated in the exit row many times, and it's my understanding that speaking English is a requirement--at least for flights to and from the USA on a US-based airline-- because that's the language in which the instructions will be provided. I'm quite sure he just sort of looks their way, nods or whatever at what appears to be the appropriate moment, and that's that.

LTBoston

+1. I've seen folks in exit rows who clearly should not be there, including one guy with a cane who could barely stand and freely admitted he had chosen that seat so he could stretch out his "bum leg."

Not someone I'd want to rely on during an emergency.

I'd love to see the FAs get a little more subjective over who should be in those seats.

jchiguy1

Orthodox Jews would not likely be flying at all on Friday evening/Saturday morning as most will not even use an elevator during Shabbat. FYI we don't think of it as a day of rules and restrictions but as a day of rest, reflection and spiritual enrichment.

joshwex90

An ultra-Orthodox Jew wouldn't be flying on the Sabbath. If for some reason, they were forced to, and there was a burning plane, they would indeed open the door, as it's on fire and "pikuach nefesh" which means saving someone's life applies, and that supersedes (almost) all other commandments, including the Sabbath.

Paul56

Ideally, I would like to see the seats in exit rows removed from
all aircraft... and the space remaining clear.

But, we all know that will not happen unless the NTSB makes
that a mandatory safety regulation.

The next best scenario is that anyone who sits there understands:

- their primary responsibility is to be physically able to open the door,
exit out onto the wing and assist others exiting behind them

- that the extra seating room is a bonus of accepting this responsibility.

Although I am physically fit for 55 I never book exit row seating because
I feel someone younger can likely manhandle that door better than me.

snuggliestbear

Yeah I really think they should enforce the rules more. I was once seated in a window seat exit row next to a really short woman whose feet didn't even touch the ground when she sat down. I'm not sure why she felt she needed the extra legroom, but after the FA asked us if we were willing to perform the duties required, she turns to me and says, "if anything happens you'll be the one opening the door!" in a humorous tone. If you aren't able to lift around 80 lbs, you shouldn't be sitting in the exit row, end of story.

Has anyone else noticed the different regulations between US and EU airlines regarding carryon under the seat in front of you in an exit row? I was suprised the first couple times when I was asked to put my carryon up, but I think it makes sense. I bet it would cause even more headaches with overhead space here in the states though.

Often1

There's no reason that exit rows can't be both for those capable of performing the required duties and who also qualify under whatever the carrier sets up for status / paid seating. So long as the safety issues are met, doesn't matter how the carrier doles out the seats.

Zouf

That has not been my experience so far. Most of the time the FAs are asking for a verbal 'yes' from all pax in the exit rows, and US airlines are more stringent on this than others (Canada, Europe). Most of the time the FAs spell out the whole question, not the abridged version above. What I did notice is on some non-US airlines (AC, LH) the FA actually verbally states the door opening instructions during the exit row brief; I don't know whether this is airline or country policy.

etali

Several years ago I was seated in an exit row, next to someone (a complete stranger) who was absolutely petrified of flying. He was the one who had the actual door seat, and during take-off and landing he closed his eyes, grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight, and mumbled reassurances to himself. He was shaking terribly, and sweating too.

If there had been an emergency, I don't know if he would have snapped out of his terror and acted, or if he would have just froze in his seat and clogged up that exit so nobody could get out.

The flight was fairly empty, so I was surprised that he wasn't moved somewhere else. He was clearly nervous even before take-off, but the FAs didn't seem too concerned...

slawecki

there should be a test door on the ramp for all the exit row sitters to pass. the fa asks "are you capable of opening the exit door?" i once said "i don't know never opened one before" that did not go over well. she was going to throw me out of my exit row seat. i doubt if more than a few percent of the people who say they can have opened an exit row door. certainly only a miniscule population have opened one while under duress. so, when you say "yes", who do you know you can open the thing.

alanh

It's a calculation of a very low probability event (but with possibly severe consequences) vs. the cost of mitigation. Setting a rule saying the seats go to able-bodied adults that speak English is cheap. Increased row spacing and/or removing the window seat (if it doesn't line up) costs some more.

Anything else -- screening exit row passengers, removing more seats, stationing a F/A at them -- starts getting into serious money.

This does mean some people slip through, like the guy with the cane mentioned above. There's also a bunch of other things that could go wrong. Somebody doped up on Ambien and booze isn't going to be in much condition to help either.

But it's helped that there are usually two or three people by the door. The objective is to minimize the times that nobody in the row can help so it's less likely they line up with the rare occasion where they need to open the door.

The cost of totally eliminating the risk is so high vs. the risk it's better off spending the money on other safety improvements.

Jorgen

If you do that, you've just gone and added five percent or so to the cost of every airline ticket, and in return you've saved, on average... how many lives per decade? I estimate less than one.

First, figure out how many plane crashes happen per decade. Now, in what proportion of plane crashes do you have a situation where there are survivors, *but* the plane is in a sufficiently precarious condition that the people who make it out quickly survive but the people who are too slow don't. Take that small portion of crashes and figure out how many extra people could get out in time if you had a less obstructed emergency exit.

Yaatri

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Bulk had alreadu become popular with fequent flyers lonh before they became a commodity. Even as far back as the early to mid nineties, European carriers usually assined bulkhead seats to parents with infant. However, U.S. carriers prferred frequeny flyers.
On longhaul flights on which parents pay an infant fare, they should get priority foe bulkhead seats.