Clearing the Air: Why FAs Do What They Do

by Bobby Laurie
on July 6th, 2010
14 Comments

I’ve seen it time and time again: passengers ask me if they can use the restroom while the seatbelt sign is on and I respond with “I’m sorry, but the seatbelt sign is on so you need to remain seated.” They become visibly upset and then add: “so I can’t use the restroom?” and I say “I’m sorry, the seatbelt sign is on.”

Conversations such as this upset me because the passenger is viewing my response as negative and frustrating even though I answered their concern to the best that I’m allowed to do. I can see why, I didn’t give the passenger permission to use the restroom and I didn’t flat out tell her no. I did that intentionally because according to the FAA I’m not allowed to say more than that.

You see, a lot of what your flight attendant says or does is mandated by the FAA and their airlines “inflight emergency manual.” Each flight attendant must carry their “IFM” with them at all times. It is used as a resource to look-up information pertaining to events that a flight attendant might not encounter on a daily basis, but also contains the details of their everyday duties, company policies and procedures, Federal Aviation Regulations, passenger handling and emergency procedures. In regards to the seatbelt sign, the federal regulation CFR 121.311 states that “each person on board an airplane operated under this part shall occupy an approved seat or berth with a separate safety belt properly secured about him or her during movement on the surface, takeoff, and landing. A safety belt provided for the occupant of a seat may not be used by more than one person who has reached his or her second birthday.” It goes on to read: “each passenger required by 121.311 to occupy a seat or berth shall fasten his or her safety belt about him or her and keep it fastened while the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is lighted.” Finally, one of the last paragraphs of 121.311 says: “each passenger shall comply with instructions given him or her by a crewmember regarding compliance with these paragraphs.”

Nowhere in the regulation are flight attendants given permission to allow a passenger out of their seat, for any reason, for as long as the seatbelt sign is on. Therefore, when you try to use the restroom when the seatbelt light is on (and it never fails that someone gets up) and the flight attendant asks you to please remain seated, don’t get annoyed. Their doing their job and are required to enforce this rule. Now, yes, if you’re going to have a “personal” emergency and need to use the restroom by all means do so. Though the flight attendant’s must remind you to stay seated, they can’t force you or restrain you to the seat. Simply explaining your situation should be enough.

There are other rules that seem to confuse passengers when the flight attendant’s ask for compliance, such as the need to ensure that all bags fit under the seat in front of you; and, if you’re in a bulkhead seat that all bags be placed in the overhead compartment. In an emergency situation the last thing you want is luggage blocking your access to exit the aircraft in a hurry. Sitting in the bulkhead seat comes with the benefit of increased leg room but the need to make sure nothing is in front of you. Since there is no seat in front of you to put your bags under everything goes up top.. And no, you may not hold on to your laptop bag or purse because in an emergency situation it’s the first thing propel through the cabin.

CFR 121.589 says that “no airline may allow all passenger entry doors of an airplane to be closed in preparation for taxi or pushback unless at least one required crewmember has verified that each article of baggage is stowed in accordance with this section.” That section says that “no airline may allow an airplane to take off or land unless each article of baggage is stowed in a suitable closet or baggage or cargo stowage compartment.” So, the flight attendant’s aren’t being mean asking you to put your stuff away, again, it’s their job.

I mention these two situations because I deal with them on a daily basis. And though the flight attendants do have to enforce these rules, how they do so makes a huge difference. A flight attendant should assume that passengers aren’t aware of what the regulation requires of them or why they’re being asked to do something by the flight attendant, so explaining it in a way that educates and still asks for compliance is the best approach. A flight attendant being rude and demanding about the situation only creates more tension and upset customers.

For future reference other situations such as flying with a lap-child, the kind of car seat allowed on board, the weight of your carryon bag, collecting all cups and cans prior to landing, not passing out drinks on the ground prior to taxi and turning off cell phones are all regulations that the flight attendant must enforce.

Finally, many passengers don’t realize that if a “FAA CSI,” Federal Aviation Administration Cabin Safety Inspector, is on board a particular flight and witnesses a flight attendant not enforcing the regulations they’re supposed to, the flight attendant can be personally fined for each occurrence.

I think that is motivation enough to do your job and do it well, wouldn’t you agree?

Bobby Laurie

Bobby Laurie, author of the book Planely Speaking and television travel correspondent, currently works as a Flight Attendant at a low-cost airline and as a freelance journalist. After graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Technology with a degree in Mass Media Communication, Bobby combined his passion for both journalism and travel by writing about the travel industry through his insider knowledge and personal experiences. You can read Bobby's blog about being a flight attendant and the airline industry by visiting UpUpAndAGay.com.

14 Comments

1 year ago
Your Baby
I look forward to writing with you.. I love what you are doing honey! Keep it up.. I love you sooooo much!

1 year ago
Danny Jack
Keep it up Bobby! But yes this is a very touchy subject among people.

1 year ago
Twitter.com/thebrianhewitt
Great article…yet so true. Good job explaining some of your job responsibilities.

1 year ago
Trevor
Wow, I didn’t know that airlines couldn’t pass drinks out prior to takeoff. I flew AirTran once and we were served drinks on the ground. Did they actually break any regulations?

1 year ago
Nora
Great article! I enjoy your writing. I admit there’ve been times when I’ve held out for the restroom until I just couldn’t wait another second, only for the “fasten seatbelt” sign to go on shortly after locking the door behind me. I have pretty rotten timing that way. The worst part is when I start to make my way back to my seat afterward and hear the (what sounds to me) pointed reminder over the PA that everyone should be seated.

1 year ago
KimACox
AMEN, brother!

1 year ago
Chris
Oddly, It’s part of Qantas service to give out drinks in Business class while still boarding. It happens on every flight.

I was on a Singapore flight that was relatively smooth and had the seatbelt sign on for over 3 hours without any comment from the crew – People (including me) just ended up ignoring it and heading to the bathroom. Eventually nature overrides the law.

1 year ago
MHA
Chris, it’s not just Qantas that hands out drinks before the flight; that’s been true of US Airways flights I’ve been on in first class, as well. (Though, the FA in first is supposed to collect those beverages before take-off.)

I honestly just think it’s silly that a female passenger must put her 2-pound purse in the overhead bin, but I’m welcome to keep holding my 8-pound book! I’d much rather get hit in the back of the head with her purse, given the choice…

1 year ago
Cesc
Here’s the thing: most people don’t fly very often, but they’ve been on enough flights to know the general shtick. I’d say that in the great majority of those flights, the plane didn’t experience severe turbulence when the seatbelt sign went on. So over the years, people gather that it’s just a precaution…or a strong suggestion.

I myself didn’t know about the FAA rules. So maybe next time, it might be more effective to throw in a, “Sorry, it’s FAA regulations” when telling people to return to their seats?

1 year ago
Bobby Laurie
It’s true, I should have clarified. We can serve drinks on the ground as long as we’re a the gate and the door is open. The FAA doesn’t allow for “surface movement” until any item “furnished by the airline” is removed from the passenger seat: i.e. drinks.

Most airlines do a pre-departure beverage service in first class, but they flight attendants are supposed to remove the cups prior to push back.

1 year ago
MaggieCv
Great article and website. Very funny to hear it from a pro’s side. As a civilian I can understand why you will sometimes get blank stares when a person wants to go to the lav and you say he can’t because a light is on. It may be that there is a cause-effect disconnect (what does a light have to do with me having to pee?) A clearer explanation could be (and correct me, please, I’m just guessing) “the seatbelt sign is lit meaning the pilot wants everyone to stay seated for safety reasons during this part of the flight. You can go when the pilot turns off the light.” Perhaps you are not allowed to deviate from your script. And perhaps the person is just too used to doing whatever he feels like to let the standard answer register. Good luck to you for working with the public!

1 year ago
meme
It was helpful to learn of your viewpoint.

You would have far fewer questions/issues if US (don’t know about Canadian) airlines stopped leaving the light on for large portions of the flight. Get on a foreign based airline and there’s no problem, you can get up and go whenever you need to.

US based airlines it is a nightmare for those of us with issues (especially when traveling). Not your fault, but just want to alert you. In the last couple of years it’s gotten crazy, with the light on for hours on end at times. Or even just 40 minutes, then light goes off and 10 people line up. On a recent flight, I was in line for the restroom and had a FA ask that I sit down rather than wait in line (back of the plane)!! Get out of line and start over???? Take a chance on the light goes on again for another 40 minutes?

It feels like passengers are ferreted out bathroom breaks and I’m sad that the pilot or airline needs to put light on all the time for litigation or whatnot. This mentality of scarcity is stressful and unfortunate.

Thanks for sharing that you can’t really help with that, because you are require to say in effect, go back to your seat.

1 year ago
William
I found the first part of what you were quoting in FAR 121.311, but after you wrote “it goes on to read”, I could not find that info. I did a word search on FAR 121.311 and it does not say anything about a “fasten seat belt sign”. I also checked all the historical revisions of 121.311, not there either. From where are you quoting the info about the sign?

1 year ago
Bobby Laurie
FAR 121.311 provides the basics of airline carrier to have lighted signs and the ability for passengers to have seatbelts and restraints for children. It also qualifies who is required to use them (subsection b)

The seatbelt sign regulation is referenced in 14 CFR 121.317 subsection (f), which immediately follows 121.311, and references back to subsection (b):

(f) Each passenger required by 121.311(b) to occupy a seat or berth shall fasten his or her safety belt about him or her and keep it fastened while the Fasten Seat Belt sign is lighted.

Read more: http://cfr.vlex.com/vid/121-317-smoking-prohibitions-seat-belt-19561478#ixzz1BzG0oNKW

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