Flight Attendant Jump Seat

[Iceman49]

Curious to know whether there are any regulatory requirements concerning someone other than a qualified flight attendant using the cabin jump seats, I always thought (probably erroneously) that you had to be qualified to operate the cabin door with pax on board. Thanks

[Old Fella]

Iceman49, As far a I am aware only a qualified crew member (Cabincrew or Techcrew) may occupy a jump seat with an associated door. When no other seat available and travelling on leave/days off I have been given a cabin crew seat on the the type on which I was qualified.

[taildrag]

I believe it is legal to let pilots ride flight attendant jumpseats (at least in the US) as long as the requisite number of flight attendants is on board. This notion might need further checking, though.

[L337]

Not all Jump Seats are associated with a door. For instance there are two J/S upstairs in the 744 that "could" be used by a 12 year old child.

[Old Fella]

L337, Just which jump seats are you referring to? The original question was in relation to Cabin Crew seats and my response was in relation to those seats which are associated with a door. In this post 9/11 day and age it is improbable that a Flight Deck jump seat would be made available to anyone other than crew.

[Nightrider]

Check your OPS manual. In the companies I worked for it was always "may be occupied only by crewmembers duly trained and current."

Iceman, the training for the door operation is not the requirement, anyone can do this, in emergency even the passengers are expected to follow the simple rules drawn in more or less bizzare comic style.

[TopBunk]

Old Fella
L337, Just which jump seats are you referring to?

If I may answer on his behalf, my company's 747-400 have 4 cabin crew seats on the upper deck, 2 by the exit lanes and 2 at the top of the stairs. The cabin crew occupy the 2 exit seats for t/o and landing, thus leaving the 2 (non exit) positions available for anyone able to help themselves.

[BOAC]

Different airlines have different rules. On the 737 there wre sometimes 5 crew seats in the rear galley with only 2 being required for door duty. It was acceptable for the Captain, in liaison wth the SCCM, to release those seats to suitably able and briefed pax.

[Virtual Reality]

Here in Cathay Pacific Airways, any suitably qualified staff (cabin crew/tech crew/safety instructor...etc), as long as he/she is holding a valid safety cert issued by company safety dept, may occupy any vacant cabin crew seat for take off and landing, subject to Inflight Service Manager/Chief Purser's permission.

[Old Fella]

Thanks Top Bunk.

[Henry VIII]

By us cabin jump seat NOT used by on duty flight attendant (and so NO connected to door emergency operation) may be occupied at Cpt discretion.

[airtags]

mephisto - yep it's one of those weird protocols that totally defies logic esp given the newly married spouse probably does not hold the necesary security clearance ........(in this case I'd proabably want to say no to the jump ride anyway) - sidebar: guess we need to really watch out if Osama & Co announce it's Ok to date Cabin Crew!)

As for CC seats - even 'assist seats' that do not have primary door responsibility, our group would not release for pax or even qualified crew on non duty travel.

I just subscribe to the worst case theory - if it doesn't make it over the fence then why have the risk of an extra untrained body in the way of a primary door

[BelArgUSA]

Passenger seats - as approved by the airline operator, are the only seats that can be occupied by non-crewmembers. Passengers are not to occupy a F/A jump seat, i.e. to increase the "passenger capacity" of the cabin.
xxx
Obviously, nothing wrong about a passenger occupying such seat for a few minutes, i.e. while waiting for a toilet nearby to be free... But an "extra passenger" cannot be accommodated on such seat for the flight.
xxx
I have flown airplanes (some 707 or 727s) which had one regular passenger seat in the overwing exit row marked "crew only"... these seats were deducted from the number of usable passenger capacity.
xxx
My airline permitted flight crewmembers, cabin crews and technical staff to occupy our jump seats, but in no case were "extra passengers" to be using such seats for takeoff or landing. A retired pilot now, I no longer have the privilege to occupy such seats should the flight be full, even though I know perfectly well how to open a door of an airplane...
xxx
:=
Happy contrails

[Bellerophon]

BelArgUSA

...Passenger seats - as approved by the airline operator, are the only seats that can be occupied by non-crewmembers. Passengers are not to occupy a F/A jump seat...

That may well be a restriction in your company, imposed either by your company or your regulatory authority, but there is no such general restriction under JAR/EU OPS.

In my company, operating under JAR/EU OPS, the carriage of a passenger, on a cabin crew jump seat, is explicitly permitted, at the sole discretion of the Captain.

Such use is very rare, but it is done.


...i.e. to increase the "passenger capacity" of the cabin....

Certainly one may not do this if it would result in an increase in the number of passengers beyond the maximum certified passenger number for that aircraft type.

However, increasing beyond the passenger capacity of a particular aircraft configuration - where (as on our aircraft) that aircraft is configured for fewer than the maximum certified number of passengers - is not a problem, provided that each passenger can be seated in a seat approved for take-off and landing.

Best Regards

Bellerophon

[BelArgUSA]

Bellerophon -
xxx
We all are subject to the most limiting restictions of -
JAR/EU OPS (or US FAR 121)
JAR 25 Passenger Seating Certification by type aircraft, and
GOM Company Operating policies.
xxx
I stated the most restrictive, which I observed when I was flying.
The passengers are not briefed how to operate 4 or 5 point seat belts.
Nor the oxygen mask locations and use at such seat positions.
xxx
Now, if some airlines want to operate with passengers on jump seats.
Goats in the aisle, chicken in the overhead bins, and bags with a net on the fuselage...
xxx
Best regards -
:ok:
Happy contrails

[Bellerophon]

BelArgUSA

...I stated the most restrictive, which I observed when I was flying...

Your post stated it as universal aviation rule however, which it isn't!

It was either your company's rule or your regulator's rule. In either case, it does not apply to many other operators under different regulators.



...Now, if some airlines want to operate with passengers on jump seats.
Goats in the aisle, chicken in the overhead bins, and bags with a net on the fuselage...

A practice perhaps more common in your part of the world than mine? ;)


Best Regards and Happy Retirement

Bellerophon

[BelArgUSA]

Ok, I stated (you say) a universal rule... I failed to locate it.
Only can say that we operate under regulations inspired by US FAR 121.
xxx
When your flights are full, can I get a jump seat...?
Much appreciated, Sir...
I will ask you to keep my chicken in your flight bag.
Sorry about the feathers in your flight deck.
xxx
Cheers
:D
Happy contrails

[Big Bad D]

Depending on the aircraft model and the number of passenger seats in the airline's cabin layout, there will be a regulatory minimum number of cabin crew required (based on the 1 per part of 50 passengers rule and the number of crew that were used in the aircraft manufacturers evacuation tests) and defining the required cabin crew positions (including assistance at emergency exits and for viewing throughout cabin).

An aircraft may indeed be fitted with additional cabin crew seats, which can then be occupied by additional cabin crew as necessary or by other authorised persons according to the airline's operational procedures.