I note with interest that this subject has continued at great length on the Company website. Congratulations to bral for initiating this subject. The comments of the Chief Pilot about it being a BA compulsory practice have been shown to be another lie - all he could come up with was an advisory to cabin crew from back in '99. Better still, there are some of our mainline secondees getting in on the act and pointing out the practical and philosophical absurdities of trying to stand at the door and chat to the pax during disembarkation on an RJ/146, due to factors ranging from the cr#p design of the door, leaving sharp edges projecting into the galley area / forward vestibule, blocking the front right exit, trapping the cabin crew, not to mention cost cuts having removed FMS updates so as to cause even more work during turnrounds. This extra work takes time which is better spent setting up the aircraft than delaying the pax leaving the aircraft!!! Hopefully this two way communication, and objections to inane badly thought out and impractical SOPs will persuade the Company to alter their instructions. As for the CP Tech, maybe he should actually fly on some of the aircraft he is so fond of writing requirements for!!
My reason for posting is not that this is a big deal. Chatting to pax on disembarkation is a good idea in principle, but not if the Flight Deck Door makes it very difficult, if not downright dangerous! More, it shows the priorities of the likes of our management as the Company subsides into a sea of debt. Their response is to ask the pilots to say cheerio to the passengers. No doubt we'll shortly get a handout as to what to say, in the same way we have aide memoirs for every other PA briefing under the sun!
Let's hope some of the job cuts coming in January are inclusive of our management.
