US Airways warm passenger cabins
 

I have been flying out of PHL to the west coast and it seems that all of the flights have extremely warm and uncomfortable cabins. I have been sitting close to the front of the cabin where it should be cooler than the back of the plane and it is still very warm. Why are they doing this. The longer the flight the warmer the plane gets due to the passengers body heat. The air out the vents is no longer cool. I know they don't give out blankets anymore but does this mean everyone has to suffer. Even the emergency exit row next to the door isn't cold. These are mostly daytime flights. Obviously the return flights are just as warm. The only place that is cool on the plane are the lavatories. Though I would like to spend the entire 5 hours in there I don't the other passengers who want use the toilets would be too happy.

Welcome to Flyertalk, JackStraw2010
I am moving your query to the US Forum for discussion.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

You can always ask the flight attendants to adjust the temperature. They're not trying to torture you. They're probably just accustomed to working in cabin air and no longer even notice it.

Welcome to Flyertalk JackStraw2010!

I second dcpatti's advice, I've found a suggestion to the FA can work wonders. Also, I usually dress in layers, wearing a button-down shirt with a t-shirt under it. If I'm that warm, it is easy to just take off the button-down shirt.

I'd rather be hot than cold. Last weekend I was flying another airline and it was freaking cold. When you are hot you can remove layers and have something cold to drink. When you are cold you are on your own. South American airlines are still providing blankets by request. But even having blanket didn't help that much.

I'm just the opposite. I would much rather be cold. By your logic, when you're cold, you can put on a sweater or have something hot to drink. Also, when it gets hot on the plane, people (like me) start to sweat and the air gets stale in a hurry. I'd much rather have a little chill in the air than have to smell 100+ sweating, stinky people huddled together in a flying tube.

I'm in the I'd-rather-be-cold-than-warm camp as well.

However, it is well documented that those of us in Rows 1-3(or 4) never stink. :D

Ditto. You can always add layers, there are limits to what you can remove.

I've seen passengers ask the FA to adjust the temp and they have been happy to do so.

Also, I would think JackStraw would fly out of Wichita and not PHL. :D

what happens when you're down to your last layer?

It's impressive how quickly an aircraft can change temperature inside. Despite all the "stagnant air, bad for your health" claims, the air actually circulates pretty quickly. If you notify the FA, the temp can change 5-10 degrees in a matter of minutes.

Note, though, that others around you will also need to chime in that it's too warm. A single comment probably won't have an influence - I suspect that on a flight that's fine for 90% of the pax, you can find both a few that are too warm and a few that are too cold. I can't blame an FA for not reacting to every individual comment.

It's true.

But put me in the rather-be-warm-than-cold camp. But this is one of those things like being a morning person or a night person: ne'er the twain shall meet. There's a limit to how many layers you can put on - especially if there are no blankets - and you're more or less forced to sit still, so you can't do the moving around thing to warm up. The one godsend in these situations is warm laptops. :)

wg

Some of you wouldn't like flying with me then. It stays at 65 the whole way...

It never get "that" hot inside of the airplane. Come on.
I didn't have jacket or even sweatshirt because I was flying between two South American hot countries. In each place temperature was around 90 degrees. The cabin was about 65 + I was seating in emergency exit row.
I had two blankets. One on my upper body and one on my legs. Had hot tea and I was still cold.
When you fly in warm cabin you can remove layers and be comfortable in the t-shirt. Also you can have cold drink. It will cool you faster than hot drink will warm you up. Also in most airplanes you have personal vent with cold air.
You don't have to smell people around you. When I'm flying with smelly person in my vicinity I put the vent straight on my nose and I'm good to go.

I just thought about another thing. I was trying to remember how many "hot" flights I had in the past. I can't remember any. But I can remember shivering from cold on many many flights.
Especially one flight comes to mind. Red eye LAX-IAD on UAL B767 in emergency exit row. I was so tired but couldn't sleep entire night. I've asked FAs for hot tea and coffee but that didn't help.

Did you grow up in a really hot climate (e.g. India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, etc.) because I can't imagine a CP doesn't encounter sweltering conditions on an airplane at least a half dozen times a year?

Perfec example on how airline really cares about passengers. Yeap, 65 the whole way. My way or the highway...

Nope, I grew up in Eastern Europe where you have only two seasons. Winter and spring :)

I didn't say it was my way or the highway. Have you been on an Ejet? It has two settings 65 and OMG its hot. Besides cooler cabins means less vomit.

My shortest flight ever was on USX Chautauqua aka Republic E-Jet. CLT-GSP.
12 minutes from wheels up to wheels down.

Yep even the E145's have that problem. Brazilians must only have 2 settings...

I stand corrected. Seriously though, I think you need to consider that your equilibrium is different from most people's. And in my opinion you can always layer. You can only do but so much when you are hot. And a cold drink doesn't help the sweat accumulating on my neck line.

Not to mention, heat kills productivity. I often like to work, or even just do some serious pleasure reading on planes.

I think a poll would show the majority of FTers would love a 65 degree cabin policy airline-wide.

absolutely.

Lets do the poll then :)

I can see the thread now: "What kind of compensation am I due for a 66 degree cabin?"

Where's the AZ Attorney General's contact info when you need it!?!? ;)

:D

^^^

Not me.

wg

I'll have to see if I can find it, but shortly after I joined Flyertalk, I remember a discussion here on the US forum about the aircraft climate on night flights. Someone said that the FA's would adjust the settings to, "tropical." That thread got into all of the peculiarities of red eye flights too.

Personally, I'd prefer to be a little cool when I fly. I don't mind sitting next to a cold exit door. I rarely have the need for a blanket. Most of the time, I workout somehow during the day, and cooler temps allow me to relax much easier.

Exactl HEAR HEAR! 100% agree. I get so fed up with airlines keeping the cabins so warm. I just sit there suffering horribly. I am not a large person nor am I sick or have any diseases. But I simply cannot tolerate the hot temperatures. I can only take off so many clothes ya know. While those of you that are cold can certainly add a sweater or drink a hot coffee or tea. Drinking something cold smply doesn't reduce my body temperature any.

On long-haul flights, many airlines assume that the temperature should be warm to make passengers sleep more. I read a study from a sleep clinic at the University of Oregon that found that the perfect ambient temperature for sleeping was 16 degrees celsius or about 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite what we think happens, our body temperatures actually rise during sleep therefore many people use an arm or a foot/leg that sticks out from the covers as a sort of temperature gauge/releaser. Room temperatures above 18 degrees celsius or about 65 degrees is when sleep is disturbed and the length of sleep and depth of sleep is not as good. So, I printed an extra copy of this study and put it in my briefcase. When I am on a long-haul and it is just too warm, I hand it to the purser. Every time without fail, they turn down the temp and it's a comfy sleep for all. I wish it was online, but I haven't been able to find it.

But you also have cool air vent above your head. And they are pretty good with keeping people cool.
People who prefer warmer cabins don't have that luxury of space heaters in their seats...

You'll never get a temperature that's equally pleasant for 200 strangers bundled into a metal tube together. My boyfriend and I can't even agree on the AC in a car. The best everyone can do is ask the FA's to make you more comfortable, understanding of course that there's times when they can't or won't honor your request, and know your own personal comfort level then dress and pack accordingly. I'm always cold and I usually bring my own blanket; the fella is always warm and usually travels in short sleeves even in dead of winter. But in any group of 200 (or even 2) you'll find some that are roasting, some that are freezing and some that are just right.

Put me in the "Rather be cool than hot" camp!

I would love to know the conditions under which that study was conducted. I am perfectly happy to sleep in a 65 degree room - or even cooler - if I have a bed, pillows, and a 10-tog down duvet. Under ideal sleeping conditions, sure, cool is fine (the bigger issue is forcing yourself to get out of warm bed into cool air in the morning). On a plane, however, none of these ideal conditions apply: I do have a small down pillow I travel with that makes a big difference to how well I sleep on the plane, and I bundle up in the thin fleece blanket, two shirts, a Polartec jacket with hood, Polartec socks, and if I have to, a hat and a sweater - and sometimes I'm *still* cold. Some people just get cold when they're not moving. It's not a character flaw.

Insisting that those of us who are frequently cold on planes are wrong is really pointless. As someone else said, you're not going to get 200-300 people to agree, so you have to pick a middle-of-the-road temperature that's going to be tolerable for the biggest number of people. The outliers - which are who I suspect are mostly talking here - will have to adapt somehow.

wg

See I disagree with this. The fact is that you can always add layers. You can only remove so many. The logical argument here trumps a democratic majority/middle ground approach.

How you gonna get 'democratic majority' on the plane? By voting or by asking people who are hot to press FA button, so they can count hot vs. cold people?

Makes sense on the ground but not so much in the air. Everyone's extra layers are in their luggage or at home. The casual traveler has a hard enough time getting their toothpaste into their Freedom baggies; the Art of Packing Extra Layers In Case You're Cold might be too much. Airplane blankets aren't coming back, which isn't a bad thing considering how germy those things have got to be.

I much prefer it cooler. BDL - CLT 11-24, cabin fluctuated in temp but lingurred on the warm side for a bit

I recall a thread from back in the day when US was charging for water... It seemed that more flights were warm, with anticipation that people would buy more.:)

I agree. Hot is better than cold!

+1

I travel with layers of course, but there are only so many I can put on pratically. I do realize I am always colder than the average person, not just on a plane. But I hate being too cold on a plane, very uncomfortable!