Seat belt sign is out of control at UA
Aug 25, 2015, 5:11 am
#91
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,318
After 90 minutes I was about to have renal failure so went to the bathroom - yes you are right no one stopped me.... Still don't get what I perceive as an amazingly aggressive / conservative seatbelt sign on position.... For those of you considering its just a single flight / captain thing I've found this behavior amazingly consistent on UA - and amazingly absent in other carriers....
Aug 25, 2015, 5:34 am
#93
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 202
Safety
This is a safety issue. If the sign is always on we learn to ignore it. Then, even when it is important it is ignored.
UA has had injuries in turbulence. I wonder if seat belt sign disrespect was a contributing factor.
BTW I do note seat belt sign use in the surveys.
UA has had injuries in turbulence. I wonder if seat belt sign disrespect was a contributing factor.
BTW I do note seat belt sign use in the surveys.
Aug 25, 2015, 5:49 am
#94
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: UA GS ,QF Plat
Posts: 686
Ok - I've been waiting a few months to post this to be fair but I can't take any more - I'm currently on UA 882 to ORD and after Well over an hour in flight in relatively calm conditions the damn seatbelt sign is still on and I've had enough. Flight attendants are up and serving drinks and food with no issues! Over the past two weeks I've been on 8 global airlines and NONE of them use the seatbelt sign like this - it's ridiculous! The captain said the seatbelt sign will remain on because there MIGHT be turbulence in the next 100 miles - 30 minutes ago. This
Is so common with UA it's a joke - in any other airline as soon as we clear 10k feet the sign is off - unless it's really bad - to me it seems UA uses the seatbelt sign as a crowd control measure - and I just don't get it - is it fear of liability? Easier for flight crews? I've been on over 50 UA flights in the past few months and the pattern is crystal clear - am I the only one that thinks UA is overly conservative in their approach?
Is so common with UA it's a joke - in any other airline as soon as we clear 10k feet the sign is off - unless it's really bad - to me it seems UA uses the seatbelt sign as a crowd control measure - and I just don't get it - is it fear of liability? Easier for flight crews? I've been on over 50 UA flights in the past few months and the pattern is crystal clear - am I the only one that thinks UA is overly conservative in their approach?
Aug 25, 2015, 5:55 am
#95
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,318
Lol no kidding - Lufthansa keeps it off unless plane is upside down lol - i just don't get UA procedures lately - it's insane!
Aug 25, 2015, 6:05 am
#96
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Radisson Premium
Posts: 6,638
Really ridiculous. I flew Qantas from MEL to SYD the other day and they took it off right after we reached cruising altitude. Even other US domestic carriers do not use the seatbelt sign as much as UA. I think they do it so that they can begin FA service uninterrupted.
I'm sorry but sometimes sitting on the tarmac especially after boarding so early as UA finds the need to do, people are going to need to use the lav.
Also notice that FAs lock the lav until the seatbelt sign is turned off on initial climb more and more often
I'm sorry but sometimes sitting on the tarmac especially after boarding so early as UA finds the need to do, people are going to need to use the lav.
Also notice that FAs lock the lav until the seatbelt sign is turned off on initial climb more and more often
Aug 25, 2015, 6:07 am
#97
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: United, Marriott
Posts: 4
This seems to be about every flight in the US, regardless of carrier. I've noticed they all keep the seat-belt sign on indefinitely, just as a ever-present reminder to "stay vigilant".
If you gotta go, you gotta go.
If you gotta go, you gotta go.
Aug 25, 2015, 6:10 am
#98
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Not much different on DL and AA. US carriers have figured out that it's far better to leave the sign on and not deal with lawsuits alleging that the failure to have the sign on meant that a pax wasn't warned when he jammed a finger during a bit of minor turbulence.
Non-US carriers don't worry about this stuff because these sorts of lawsuits don't fly (bad pun).
Of course you can head to the lav. But, you're doing so against advice and after warning. If it's your finger, it's going to be hard to collect the millions every American is entitled to.
Non-US carriers don't worry about this stuff because these sorts of lawsuits don't fly (bad pun).
Of course you can head to the lav. But, you're doing so against advice and after warning. If it's your finger, it's going to be hard to collect the millions every American is entitled to.
Aug 25, 2015, 6:13 am
#99
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,318
Not much different on DL and AA. US carriers have figured out that it's far better to leave the sign on and not deal with lawsuits alleging that the failure to have the sign on meant that a pax wasn't warned when he jammed a finger during a bit of minor turbulence.
Non-US carriers don't worry about this stuff because these sorts of lawsuits don't fly (bad pun).
Of course you can head to the lav. But, you're doing so against advice and after warning. If it's your finger, it's going to be hard to collect the millions every American is entitled to.
Non-US carriers don't worry about this stuff because these sorts of lawsuits don't fly (bad pun).
Of course you can head to the lav. But, you're doing so against advice and after warning. If it's your finger, it's going to be hard to collect the millions every American is entitled to.
Aug 25, 2015, 6:23 am
#101
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ Diamond/*G, IHG Diamond Amb, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,240
In the last month I've been on Asiana, ANA, Air China, Lufthansa, SAS, Emirates, Etihad, BA, Finn air, Croatian airlines, Cathay pacific, Singapore airlines, and Korean airlines - all of them turn off the seatbelt sign as soon as possible and keep it off - at the slightest sign of any turbulence UA flips it on - I just don't get it.....
Aug 25, 2015, 6:29 am
#102
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
Aug 25, 2015, 6:30 am
#103
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,318
Of course within five seconds of landing half the plane was in the aisle getting their bags from overhead but this isn't a mainland China traveler discussion....
Aug 25, 2015, 7:24 am
#104
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Minneapolis, MN (MSP)
Programs: DL DM, UA 1K MM, Subway Club Member
Posts: 1,988
Not IME on DL --- Most captains usually turn it off once the flight levels off. I cannot recall a flight since I moved most of my flying to DL this last year where the sign was on all/most of the flight (without noticeable turbulence). However, on a recent IAH to ORD flight the sign was on the entire ride with not a bump.
There also, notably, was not a single word from the flight deck besides the FAs prepare for departure (no ground welcome, no airborne welcome, and no goodbye). Sometimes I wonder if the seat belt sign is a way for crews to express their feelings toward management (although you'd think the pilots would be fine now).
There also, notably, was not a single word from the flight deck besides the FAs prepare for departure (no ground welcome, no airborne welcome, and no goodbye). Sometimes I wonder if the seat belt sign is a way for crews to express their feelings toward management (although you'd think the pilots would be fine now).
Aug 25, 2015, 7:28 am
#105
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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Last time I was on NZ, they turned the sign off almost as soon as the wheels left the ground. It couldn't have been more than 500'.