Appying the rules

[mirabelle]

Yesterday (or the day day before, depending on what day it is at the moment!) I flew from LAX to LHR with Virgin. A bit chaotic, one way and another, but pleasant enough over all.

BUT next to me was a luggage-bundle. She arrived with three carry-ons (large handbag, carrier bag of booty and limit-pushing carry-on bag, plus coat). The carry-on went into the overhead locker; the other bags more than filled the underseat space and the coat filled her lap.

On take-off, the cabin monitor for our chunk of plane asked her to put the coat under her seat - then passed on without a second look. Passenger (English far from fluent) took no action, and no-one came to follow up the instruction.

On landing, passenger tried to pass her blanket and pillow to the cabin monitor but was told to put them, and her coat, under the seat in front. No room there, so no action taken and no follow up.

Of course, the risks of a catastrophic crash at either point are small - but I assume the under-the-seat rule is there to keep escape routes clear, so surely it should be enforced more rigorously?

[redfred]

Take off and landing are the most critical times of flight and when most likely an accident can happen, she shd really only have one piece of handluggage but I dont know how much its really enforced.......Its upto the cabin crew to make her put things in the overhead or under the seat infront as these areas should be clear for take off and landing.

[TightSlot]

mirabelle so surely it should be enforced more rigorously? Quite right, yes it should - No excuses, that's what we're there to do...

[B Sousa]

Interesting.....Sometimes it depends on who is in charge. Some attendants do follow-up and will move those extras around not always to the passengers liking, but making them comply with safety.
At least I see that pretty much gone are the days when business folks carry their whole life vs. checking in one bag.
I can say that if someone next to me has tons of toys and it becomes necessary for me to get out, they had better prepare for footprints in their lap. I think Mirabelle thinks along those same lines..........

[CTBEyes]

Hi

Unfortunately we are also throwing into the equation the difference in the CAA regulations and the FAA. Virgin code shares so I believe with Delta under FAA regulations. They are more less restrictive to the amount of hand luggage that can be carried on to a flight that is why State side you notice the bags are accepted where in Brit they are not.

Totally up to the IFS too and the passengers status in the cabin ie First businees or economy

Hope that helps a little

CTBEyes

[Lapper]

The VS/DL codeshare ended some time ago (about 6-7 year IIRC). They now codeshare with CO, but probably follow similar lines with FAA guidelines etc.

Mirabelle, I know what you mean with CC not following up, it angers me that someone who is breaking the rules could endager my life or hinder me from getting out quickly in an emergency.

And why is it I get stopped from taking a larger bag as cabin baggage, but you see people with a huge rucksack and 2 other bags!:mad:

[Spearing Britney]

Hang on, as a UK registered aircraft the crew are obliged to comply with CAA regulations at all times unless local regulations are more restrictive!

[Keygrip]

Was sat in an emergency exit row recently (Southwest Airlines 737-800), next to the window.

2 pax boarded and sat alongside, one lowered the seatback tray table to use as a resting place for his rucksack, then spread in-flight magazine over it to complete crossword.

Then pushback and taxi, completely ignored safety brief, completely ignored cabin crew briefing to stow luggage. It took a prod of the "call attendant" button to draw the attention of cabin crew to the blocked exit row (if my window wouldn't open when I wanted it to, then I was moving left and not prepared to battle a tray table and rucksack for space).

[B Sousa]

Good One from Biscuit Chucker. Sometimes folks only understand when you get in their face.
I have found that carry-on is not equally enforced, more so in the states. If it looks bulky more often than not it will draw attention, but usually never hit the scales.
I got hammered by VS in LHR as they put my carry-on on the scales. I was flying CO/VS from LAS/JNB. All went well until I was to board in LHR and THEN I got the weigh-in. Not good when your already half through the flight, but nothing changed as I hand carried that which was over and of course you know where it went back too.
Lesson will be not to take so much next time.....or pay for an extra check-in.

[powerless]

I have on several occasions brought issues of baggage not where it is meant to be to the attention of the FA and always received a thank you from them. It is my safety I care about so why shouldn’t we passengers draw their attention to overlooked items.

The issue I worry about is in internal flights in the US the way the emergency exit rows seemed to be used for obese passengers. Had to demand to be offloaded before they would move a huge woman and then they tried to put a 12 year on boy in the seat in the over wing exit row.!

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

I fly VS regularly. Seems to me if people want to take extra carry on luggage the easiest way is to upgrade. On the long haul routes it's cheaper than excess baggage charges and VS are pretty generous.

[1DC]

A few years ago I flew from Crete to Rhodes on an Olympic 737, probably the dirtiest aeroplane i have ever been on.
At check in six elderly American ladies were checking in ahead of me, all well in their seventies but a very happy crowd. it took about twenty mins. of talking and laughing for them to get boarding cards, they then left to go airside taking all of their bags with them.
The ladies boarded first with the other "helpless" etc., when I got on board our ladies were sat six across occupying the exit row at the emergency doors, all of the bags were piled up in the space in front of them effectively blocking the doors.
This was totally ignored by the flight attendants and when pointed out by me, I was totally ignored as well.

story of my life!!

[reventor]

"if my window wouldn't open when I wanted it to, then I was moving left and not prepared to battle a tray table ..."

Not to be a smart-ass, but how exactly do you envision losing a battle with a tray-table? ;)

Rules are rules, but perhaps the world wouldn't come to an abrupt end had you taken off with it extended.. :8 (which of course in no way justifies the guy's behaviour)