Passengers in charge of overwing exits.
Travelled in an airliner recently and sat in front of an emergency row.
The girl gave the three giggling women sitting in the row a briefing about how to operate the exit.
They'd had a few prior to boarding and had a few more along the way. Big weekend off to another city for lotsa fun. If the **** have hit the fan I doubt these nice young things would have been the most proficient at getting it open and out of the way so the rest of us had a chance to escape judging by the racket that came from their row.
OH yes! the FA's could re-seat more competent people there IF they had time to think about it...
I talk to my old compares’ and there is a scarily immoral lack of adequate training these days for flight crew on both sides of the cockpit door. Box ticking has overwhelmed competency because the bean counters who run the airlines are busy saving dollars and producing tickable forms.
If I hit the call button and told some of these keen but minimally trained FA's I'm a retired pilot with years of experience in this particular aircraft type and I can efficiently open a window and make sure people do the right thing exiting the aircraft do you think I'd be swapped with Joe public?.
I travelled on Garuda 737s to and around Indonesia and a FA sat at the over-wing exits for take-off and landing. I felt a whole lot more secure in their aircraft than I do in Aussy ones AND every expert shakes their head at that carrier because of its reputation.
Sorry Australia! Our modern aircrew are poorly trained because the real experience (the old and bold on both sides of the cockpit door) have been replaced with children with degrees who know everything they studied at uni....um what was THEIR pass mark for their courses... 50%... That equates to only knowing half their stuff and a lot of that stuff is total flag waving bulldust to appease the pollies and public.
It's about time deadheading, off duty ex and crew sat in those seats because too many who know, reckon something's gunna happen sooner or later.
And for the young and brash... older crew have emergency training branded into their subconcious that popps out when called upon.