eng3

I remember being on an express flight (might have been NW), where I was in the first row facing the FA chatting with her while we were going up. The person across from me got up to use the lav while the seatbelt sign was on. I'm not sure we were even past 10K. She reminded him the light was on, he said he had to use the rest room, then she said something like "OK, but it's on you if you get injured". That was a first for me.

ThisYearsModel

Experienced on LH many times.

phllax

In some other countries the F/A's may be tied to the seat belt sign. I've noticed Delta does this sometimes, especially on longer flights. If they expect rough air during the climb, the boss will keep them down until they turn off the sign at a smooth cruising altitude.

ou81two

You sat on a flight for 8 hours and instead of asking a flight attendant you sat through the whole flight and made a very long post on this website about it. Really?

cyborg

deleted

kettle1

Try flying on a 5 hour flt with the "ding" "ding" "ding" FA sound going off every 30 seconds. It was pure bliss.

They could not shut it off. This was not on UA, and it was about 5 years ago, on a red-eye. Fun!

freshairborne

I try to keep it off as much as I can. I notice that sCO pilots tend to keep the sign on when I'd have it off most of that time.

Radar doesn't tell the whole story. We can see little or nothing on radar yet still find clear air turbulence. We can often anticipate turbulence based on the tropopause altitude, the proximity to a jet stream, turbulence forecasts, and turbulence reports. One thing we will never be able to do is know exactly where, when, and how severe turbulence will be. If all indications are that I should be finding some ahead, the sign goes on. I don't care how smooth it is at the moment, I will turn it on when I suspect it's coming. I am continually surprised at how many passengers, most with little or no knowledge or experience, and most likely with zero ability to read an aviation weather briefing, know better than pilots when it's perfectly safe to take their seat belt off.

What passengers do in regards to the seat belt sign, I don't care about it much beyond preventing them from hurting others with their ignorance in disregarding the seat belt sign.

I also don't like to gamble with it. I err on the conservative side. What I care most about is the flight attendants' safety. They are authorized to be up when sometimes the seat belt sign is on. I don't think that is safe, but their higher-ups don't care. Their rules are based on different goals than mine are.

I flew from east coast to west coast today, and had the sign off 90% of the time. There were people walking around 100% of the time. It boggles my mind how people will take that chance and not put on their seat belt.

I had mine on the whole time.

FAB

Loren Pechtel

I don't think anyone is objecting to turning it on when you expect bumps. You have a lot more information than any passenger, passengers shouldn't be second-guessing you in that regard.


Where the problem comes is when it stays on for an unreasonable period of time when the air is smooth.

Mats

Unless it's a red eye, I think it's best if there is an announcement about a prolonged use of the seatbelt sign in smooth air.

I've occasionally heard flight crews make announcements like, "We have some reports of rough air ahead. Although it is smooth now, it can be unpredictable. For everyone's safety..."

This makes it clear that the flight crew haven't left the sign on by mistake.

I am always careful to observe the fasten seatbelt sign, but I sometimes wonder why I bother adhering to it.

hawkxp

Without a doubt the pmCO pilot culture is LIGHTS ON. The difference to me is night and day, infact I think about what metal I am flying when I book. If two reasonably similar options, I book pmUA.
PHX-DEN a few days ago they never turned the sign off. Smooth flight (yea even the decent over the hills was not bad at all. 20 minutes of FA service in the 1:20 flight

lost*in*cyberspace

I flew EWR-OSL last week (FLT UA38 and FLT UA39), and the seat belt light was kept on during the entire flight, both directions

MAZ199

My rule is: FA and cabin crew are up, it's ok for us pax to move!

JetAway

As others have noted, it's the "cry wolf" effect, which creates a potentially dangerous situation when the intent was safety.

skidooman

I saw this for Indian flights as well.

Obviously, after 2 hours, nobody paid any attention to the sign. Not even in FA.

One possible explanation: whenever the belt sign is turned on, the PMCO 772 will play an annoying - and loud - message (in English and sometimes in Hindi) about going back to your seat and fasten your seat belt. People want to sleep. Maybe they are doing us a favor then, even if in theory that is not exactly safe.

skidooman

Exactly.

The flights to India at well over 14 hours. Are the pilots really expecting the whole aircraft to refrain from using the lavs during that long?

Perhaps they can start distributing containers while they are at it? Practical at least for the gents. For ladies, well...