DELee

"You sir, the gentleman son - please help your mom and put her luggage in the overhead."

David

StuckinITH

The highest odds are that other passengers will volunteer to help your mother. I always do help other passengers.

But going back to the subject of this thread, I usually sit in Exit Row seats and never experienced someone refusing to sit there. My wife had to translate one time for the person sitting next to her that he would have to move to another seat as he could not understand the FA's question. So, I'm surprised that somebody would experience refusals on 30% of the flights. Is that a special route where there's a language problem?

hawkxp

Couple of months ago I was on an air NZ domestic 320 in row 20 (united first exit row, do not remember air NZ numbering). A older lady, (maybe 45 kg) comes in and struggles to put her suitcase above 21. The FA offers to help and was told "don't you touch my stuff". After her struggle with the carryon, she sits in 21?E. The FA very nicely replaces her in the exit row with a young guy that looked like a rugby player. The FA was proactive and deserved a compliment. Which I DID NOT do.

B407

There are lots of people who have anxiety when flying and many fliers on not frequent fliers. It's not surprising if one of those got placed in an exit row they would be intimated by being asked whether they were willing and able to assist in an emergency.

Also exit row seats are colder so someone may prefer not to sit there for comfort reasons.

Not UA specific, but on some airlines exit row seats don't recline at all, so someone may also decline to sit there as well.

Dr Jabadski

(Writing as an Emergency Physician, Navy Flight Surgeon, Private Pilot and attendee of a MegaDO which included visiting a Flight Attendant Training Center and actually opening a window emergency exit. BTW, a window emergency exit weighs 30-40 pounds and contrary to the images on the placards and emergency information cards it’s hard to imagine anyone other than The Incredible Hulk opening one and then lifting and moving it with outstretched arms. During the MegaDO we were shown how to do it by leaning into it with one shoulder and then lifting it while holding it against that shoulder.

In addition to more legroom and seat in front not reclining into me, I choose an exit row window specifically because in an emergency I want to be the first one out. Although it’s debatable if a seat in the front or middle or back is safest during a crash, it’s not debatable that few people have ever been pulled out of a crashed aircraft, almost all survivors get out by themselves. And you want to get out of the plane ASAP before a fire spreads and/or melting plastic creates highly toxic fumes.)

I’ve had very different experiences. I always chose an exit row window seat, more aft row if 2 adjacent exit rows. I’ve never seen anyone say “no” despite several people who SHOULD have said no. Several times I got up near the end of boarding to alert a FA or Purser to an exit row passenger who clearly would not be able to assist. One was a morbidly obese approximately 30 year old male who needed significant time to wedge himself into the fixed armrests middle seat and then even more time to push himself out of the seat and who never once had his seatbelt fastened during a LAX-EWR flight. One was an approximately 80 year old male who was unable to put his medium sized carry-on in the overhead compartment himself. Two were an elderly couple seated in aisle seats across from each other who barely spoke English. They all said “yes”, even the couple. The couple saw everyone else saying “yes”, they said “yes”.

On some of those occasions the FA I spoke with walked by, not once was anyone moved to another seat.

eng3

Ha, a few months ago, the FA asks a lady in 21B if she's willing and able. The lady seems confused and says she is not comfortable handling the exit row responsibilities. The guy next to me and I (in 21EF) notice this interaction and he tells me that he's actually traveling with her and this is her first time on a plane in 10 years. They're all non-revs which is why they are all separated and in middle seats but at least in the exit row. Anyways, the FA tells her that if she's not willing/able, she'll have to move and offers her 19B. The lady asks if the seat is the same and the FA says that the seat in front does not recline. The lady says she doesnt want to move and prefers to stay. The FA reiterates that she needs a "verbal yes" that she's willing and able. The lady is still confused and after some back and forth she finally actually says the word "yes" and the FA seems satisfied and moves on.

I've also noticed many times the person next to me in the exit row will have their children in the row behind and the FA won't have any issue with it. It is very obvious because the FA will usually be helping them get organized as the parent is distracted trying to keep the children under control.

CIT85

Big GS printed on his boarding pass.

davehadfield

My wife always asks if she can have a practice at opening the door; so far, no FA's said yes!

felix_5000

I experienced this just recently on a EW flight BUD-DUS (A320). There was a young woman sitting alone in the exit row who seemed eager to get out of there. After boarding was completed, a FA asked other passengers if anybody was willing to change. Maybe she was just seperated from her family/partner. Needless to say, there were sufficient volunteers pretty quickly.

zombietooth

This!
I too, in 3+ million miles of flying, have never seen anyone turn down an exit row (and I always choose the exit rows when flying in Y). I've seen multiple pax ejected from the exit rows for various reasons.

Speaking of statistical anomalies:
I had a friend who won the lottery twice in 5 years for a total of about 32 million cash-out. Yet I've never bought a lottery ticket because I know the odds. I remember him giving me his logic for playing saying, "Well, somebody has to win and it could be me."--I call the lottery system, "the tax on the stupid".

goalie

Similar situation happened to my seatmate.

Me: Second exit row window seat A320
Seatmates: Older couple of what appeared to be of Indian descent in the aisle and middle seats
First exit row in front of me: Appears to be the son, wife and lap child

F/A does the exit row briefing with my row first where I acknowledge with a "yes" and there are blank stares from my seatmates.

F/A repeats her question to my seatmates where the apparent son turns around from the row in front and speak to the couple in what could have been Hindi and the next thing that it heard from the couples' mouths is the word "yes"

F/A was having none of that and point blank asked the couple if they understood "sufficient english" [F/A's words] to assist in an emergency where the apparent son said the same thing to the couple where they again responded with the word "yes"

That was it for the F/A who told the couple that they were going to be re-seated-and of course she was met with blank stares so she turned to the apparent son and instructed him to translate. He was not happy and was about to start an argument but the F/A nipped that in the bud and then said to him that if the woman sitting next to him with the lap child was his wife, she was also going to be re-seated as lap children are not permitted in the exit row.

MSPeconomist

geometry

not gonna make much of a difference if the 777-300ER is making a water landing in the Pacific.

DenverBrian

Anecdote: My BF absolutely loves window seats.

And absolutely will never, ever, book an exit row.

When I asked him why, he said "I don't want to be that responsible when the plane crashes."

Yes, I love my illogical, eccentric BF.

But I wouldn't put it past him if, when he's traveling solo and only exit row seats were available, he wouldn't select a seat, and if then assigned into an exit row by the GA, he'd say "NO" when asked if willing and able.

P.S. When I book for the two of us, I can't tell you the number of times I've had to pass up 7AB or 8AB on a 757. Sigh.

mr8

Used to fly lots of exit row, and never saw anyone refuse.

I've seen lots of pilots/crew fly in exit row and people request to be moved to empty exit rows seats.

Could be like a KTN where you get free exit row seating on any airline as long as your certification is up to date.