*TAKE YOUR SEATS* Two teas please

[SliabhLuachra]

A question following an intriguing occurrence on a flight from Stansted to Dublin very recently from the POV of a 'passenger'. I'll give a bit of a background;

We were delayed on the ground due to slot restrictions imposed by Eurocontrol early that morning, this had a knock on effect for the remainder of the day and made for a very rushed flight back to Dublin which was 10 minutes quicker than usual (I make this flight twice a month for family), so the rushing made up some time. Anyway, after being given a direct into Dublin after PENIL, the crew were not even halfway down the aisle with the trolley. By the coastline on the approach to 28 (which is about 4.5 miles out) the crew had 3 rows to go to the center of the cabin. The 'seats for landing' had already been made prior (though not much before) from the flight deck. At what must have been 2-3 miles out, the crew ran down the aisle to secure the trolleys in the aft galley, gave the thumbs up to the front of the cabin, the supervisor banged on the cockpit door, and with about 60 seconds to go, the cabin was secure.

Is this normal? I must say it was impressive, but on the other hand, seemed a bit sketchy. I wonder how long the crew would have left it to advise that the cabin wasn't secure? What is the prescribed distance most aircraft can go on the approach before having to go around if the cabin isn't ready?

Thanks, and am interested to hear some of the answers.

[+TSRA]

At a previous company of mine, I've heard the lavatory door closing (last step at that company prior to the FA taking their jump seat) as we were lowering the landing gear. I've also dead-headed on quite a number of flights where I've seen the cabin crew still standing well inside where I knew the FAF to be.

At my current employer, we have a 10 minute to approach or through 10,000' rule. Whichever comes first is when we call for the cabin to be secured. Not everyone remembers the 10-minute rule, however, and the FAs are sometimes left "hanging in the wind" when the call is made through 10,000' into a high elevation airport. I've been guilty of a late call myself, but I do my best to think of how the cabin crew will be affected by short-cuts.

[Denti]

Dunno about others, but we must be stabilized at 1000 feet above the aerodrome and part of the stabilization criteria is the "cabin ready" line on the screen. If the cabin isn't ready it is a mandatory go around.

Now, some cabin crews press that button without being really ready, and if i hear banging in the galley below 1000ft it is a point for the debriefing.