I saw a United flight attendant work a flight after having lost her company ID. I was on standby so I was hovering near the podium and heard the whole convo.

FA had her passport, and the GA called crew scheduling (I believe) to confirm she had reported her ID missing, then let her board. She worked the flight like normal.

It was an international flight from an outstation so (a) would have been a huge pain / delay to deadhead another FA out and (b) the whole set of FAs had just worked the outbound together the day before (they told this to the GA). I gather the whole crew had been enlisted to try to find it in her hotel room before they left the hotel, but no luck.

(I don't know how she made it through security.)

There is an alternative process to positively identify a crew member without a physical ID present. Had a FA lose hers leaving LIS or BCN last summer, somewhere in that region.

It’s not a dealbreaker.

Indeed, one would expect that the loss of crew ID would be relatively "common", that is, not statistically unheard of.

As long as this has been reported to UA, and the appropriate UA office has approved the "loser's" participation as a crew member on the flight, there seems no danger from a safety & security perspective.

lincolnjkc ... I know OT, but I looked up the Timex Beepwear Pro...very cool!

FWIW this crew came in together the prior night (same aircraft), and did their layover at the same hotel. So that captain wasn't concerned at all. But I see your point!

I know actual UA pilots do not fly the ERJs but maybe someone from one of the regional airlines reads this too...

Is it me or there is choo choo train whistle sound coming from ERJ cockpit as we descent? What is that sound for? I have heard this sound for years but never remembered to ask...

Thanks.

I've spent a lot of time in the ERJ jumpseats. I don't specifically remember a train whistle sound but it's probably the altitude alert sound that you get when you are 1,000' from the selected altitude.

Curious also which flavor of ERJ (-145 or -170/-175) -- I don't recall hearing a 'train whistle' in the cabin but the autopilot disconnect ("chirp chirp chirp") is really clearly audible in the cabin of some of the RJs. Originally I was thinking it was the 175 but now I'm not sure if I'm thinking of the ERJ-175 or the CR7 (-700/-550s) -- the sound I'm thinking of is very similar to -- but the ERJ videos I've found are very different with an aural "Autopilot"

I've spent many hours in the jumpseats of the E-145, E-170, and E-175. I don't have a specific memory of a train-whistle alert but it is consistent with altitude alerts so it wouldn't have seemed remarkable to me. The older 737's altitude alerter sounds very much like a train whistle. The newer ones have a very similar sound but it sounds electronic.

All my time in the ERj cockpit I don’t recall any trains either!

Multiple Viewings of Safety Video on Same Flight
 

Not sure if this is the best place to ask, so Mods feel free to move, but was treated to two viewings of the safety video (and subsequent ads) last week on the same flight. In between, the aircraft had to return to the gate to address a maintenance issue. While at the gate they allowed passengers to come off the aircraft and wait in the terminal if they wanted. So would that be the trigger that requires another viewing, or was this unnecessary?

I suppose it's possible we took on new passengers also, which then I can understand, but I doubt it. We definitely lost a few in F, which I only noticed since to UAs credit they managed to upgrade those still on the waitlist prior to closing the door the 2nd time (which allowed for an empty middle in my row).

It is easier to repeat the safety briefing than it is to positively verify that no new passengers are onboard. It costs nothing to do another briefing, not doing it, when it was required, could result in a fine.

Furthermore, we know that people changed seats, since OP mentioned it — and anyone who changed seats should hear the briefing again because some of the details depend upon the seat — location of the life vests as well as the nearest exit.

We’re all aware that most people tend to tune out the safety briefings, but that would be no excuse for UA not ensuring that these passengers at least had the opportunity to listen and reconsider the message. :)

My understanding is if the doors are opened after a safety briefing, on closing, the safety briefing must be repeated.

The regulation doesn't seem to require it. It only says 'before each takeoff'.

14 CFR 121.571 Briefing passengers before takeoff.
....(a) Each certificate holder operating a passenger-carrying airplane shall insure that all passengers are orally briefed by the appropriate crewmember as follows:
........(1) Before each takeoff, on each of the following: