Should Crew Be Seated When S/Belt Sign Is On?
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Should Crew Be Seated When S/Belt Sign Is On?
Ok Guys and Gals like to hear your thoughts on this? I fly for Qantas and we have a rule that if the seatbelt sign comes on then all passengers and crew must be seated with belts on! But I have flown on a few European carriers and well it seems that this is not the case here. So I post the question...... IF IT IS TOO DANGEROUS FOR A PASSENGER TO BE MOVING AROUND THE CABIN AND MUST PUT SEATBELTS ON, WHY IS A CABIN CREW MEMBERS LIFE ANY DIFFERENT? And let’s not use the old we must get the service done!!! SERVICE BEFORE SAFETY???? What are your thoughts? Cheers SAFE FLYING!!
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I think the Qantas proceedure is excellent and should be adopted by all carriers. I fly for BA and i never feel comfortable standing around in the galley while the seatbelt sign is on or standing out trying to do a bar round while the bar is jumping over my head!!! But unfortunately that seems to be the way of doing things in this part of the world!
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I agree we should all consider Quanntas' standards. I did a Med flight recently when crew had been released a little bumpy etc but for some reason we did not start service -an thank god had worst 'moderate' turbulence ever - if we would have been in galley setting up or on bar the ceiling would have been decorated with coffee and crew make-up! BRING BACK SAFETY!!!!!!!!!!
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Come on karnak, there is no 'u' and only one 'n' in Qantas.After the cricket there is no need to upset our Aussie friends by mis spelling their main airline.
Seat belt signs go on a off more than a ta*ts knickers ,so to keep bringing the trolleys back to secure in the galley and put stuff away would be a pain.However this would not be as painful as six months off work with a broken arm/leg without most of your pay all so the service does'nt get affected.
Seat belts on for passengers is good enough for me ,Crew should be seated with belts on.
Unless your airline is so caring!! ,ha ha ,they will not be paying your rent,mortgage and other bills.
WTDWL.
Seat belt signs go on a off more than a ta*ts knickers ,so to keep bringing the trolleys back to secure in the galley and put stuff away would be a pain.However this would not be as painful as six months off work with a broken arm/leg without most of your pay all so the service does'nt get affected.
Seat belts on for passengers is good enough for me ,Crew should be seated with belts on.
Unless your airline is so caring!! ,ha ha ,they will not be paying your rent,mortgage and other bills.
WTDWL.
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Marcstar.
Hi there, I too work for the redrat under the 'link banner' and this was recently brought up by Management due to QF's change in SOP's. Our procedure states that if the seatbelt sign illuminates in flight, you walk through, ensure everyone has their seatbelt on, laptops packed away, and you can remain standing, however if you personally feel at risk, sit down and secure yourself either in the galley or in a pax seat if you can't make it to the galley. This is often the norm on 30 minute sectors when your trying to get tea & coffee done, next thing you know your in a pax seat with the cory pots on the ground, which is quite bad probably. I have always been told that if we hurt ourselves in turbulence, we are covered by worker's comp, if the SLF hurt themselves, well the rat's just wide open for a nice legal battle. I do like QF's idea but, I dunno how many times (like most people) I have seen the trolley 'get air' or I have smashed my head on the roof (some of our jets are small as) or I have landed on a pax (nice icebreaker), anyway its like the case of the yellow high visibility vests, heck we decided against them too ("we know QF are implementing this procedure but we won't be), so we can wander around the wing, check the dogs out in the hold, or talk to the refueller, yet we don't need a vest (apparently). I must say its funny watching QF ground staff in some ports go nuts at you for not having your high viz vest on, they see the morissey and automatically think you fly the big birds and should be wearing your vest. Same kangaroo/same morissey yet such different SOP's. Later mate!
Hi there, I too work for the redrat under the 'link banner' and this was recently brought up by Management due to QF's change in SOP's. Our procedure states that if the seatbelt sign illuminates in flight, you walk through, ensure everyone has their seatbelt on, laptops packed away, and you can remain standing, however if you personally feel at risk, sit down and secure yourself either in the galley or in a pax seat if you can't make it to the galley. This is often the norm on 30 minute sectors when your trying to get tea & coffee done, next thing you know your in a pax seat with the cory pots on the ground, which is quite bad probably. I have always been told that if we hurt ourselves in turbulence, we are covered by worker's comp, if the SLF hurt themselves, well the rat's just wide open for a nice legal battle. I do like QF's idea but, I dunno how many times (like most people) I have seen the trolley 'get air' or I have smashed my head on the roof (some of our jets are small as) or I have landed on a pax (nice icebreaker), anyway its like the case of the yellow high visibility vests, heck we decided against them too ("we know QF are implementing this procedure but we won't be), so we can wander around the wing, check the dogs out in the hold, or talk to the refueller, yet we don't need a vest (apparently). I must say its funny watching QF ground staff in some ports go nuts at you for not having your high viz vest on, they see the morissey and automatically think you fly the big birds and should be wearing your vest. Same kangaroo/same morissey yet such different SOP's. Later mate!
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Well for my airline, the crew are released when the capt sees that its safe to do so. normally its around 15,000ft. If there is any sign of bumpy weather then they keep us in our seats for longer.
I think being released from our seats earlier than pax is so we can get a head start in the service, and to be honest if its just only a few bumps most crew have the experience to stay standing wereas a pax might not.
Ive had the call many time to return to our seats as weather deteriorates, and ive only been caught out 2 in 2 years. In both cases is was unexpected.
Any capt that releases the crew before its safe to do so, needs their head examined!
I think being released from our seats earlier than pax is so we can get a head start in the service, and to be honest if its just only a few bumps most crew have the experience to stay standing wereas a pax might not.
Ive had the call many time to return to our seats as weather deteriorates, and ive only been caught out 2 in 2 years. In both cases is was unexpected.
Any capt that releases the crew before its safe to do so, needs their head examined!
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Girtbar, I think the thread is about what to do DURING the flight as opposed to when its safe to commence duties after take off!!!
But does anyone agree that take off and landing are often the smoothest parts of a flight???
But does anyone agree that take off and landing are often the smoothest parts of a flight???
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Catchup - The law basically outlines that crew must be seated if told to do so by an predetermined authority and method. In the Uk, the CAA hold records of all procedures held by all operating aircraft, and these must be followed. For example if the airline has set out operating procedures or orders and the CAA have approved them, they must be adhered to by the airline. The only basic outline is you must be seated for take off and landing, ie, from runway roll to gear up, and final approach to off runway. The only exception would be in the event of an emergency. Crew generally use their own initiative for this.
One of the reasons airlines allow crew to stand when passengers are strapped in is firstly because crew are more likely to be stable on their feet through experience, and need to be able to monitor and reassure passengers, and yes, continue aspects of a service. Most airlines have adopted the rule that crew will be ordered to be seated by the Flight crew depending on the severity of the turbulence, from light chop to severe turbulence. Other varied considerations are removing trolleys from the cabin, removing hot liquids from the cabin and checking all passengers have their seatbelts fastened.
One of the reasons airlines allow crew to stand when passengers are strapped in is firstly because crew are more likely to be stable on their feet through experience, and need to be able to monitor and reassure passengers, and yes, continue aspects of a service. Most airlines have adopted the rule that crew will be ordered to be seated by the Flight crew depending on the severity of the turbulence, from light chop to severe turbulence. Other varied considerations are removing trolleys from the cabin, removing hot liquids from the cabin and checking all passengers have their seatbelts fastened.
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As a passenger it seems to me that some airlines use the seatbelt sign to keep the isle free from pax so the salesforce can work efficiently: drinks, duty free, food, lottery tickets (!), train tickets from Stansted etc.....
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As a passenger it seems to me that some airlines use the seatbelt sign to keep the isle free from pax so the salesforce can work efficiently: drinks, duty free, food, lottery tickets (!), train tickets from Stansted etc.....
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I saw the QANTAS standards in practice a couple of years ago on an LAX-SYD flight, and was amazed at the cabin crew's ability to keep pax in their seats. If I had been on Untied (and I get on my knees and thank all dieties I was not), they'd pay very little attention to passengers up and about the cabin, even if the fasten seatbelt sign was on.
Any U.S. carrier crew here? Its not very common (unless the turbulence is more than light) to see FAs ask passengers to remain seated, and then actually enforce it. Or is it just the flights I happen to be on?
Any U.S. carrier crew here? Its not very common (unless the turbulence is more than light) to see FAs ask passengers to remain seated, and then actually enforce it. Or is it just the flights I happen to be on?
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TO BUMPY
Flymani : Funny as a passenger you would think like this, if there is a airline like this it must be so budget and unsafe i would stick to trains.........
Great to all and good to hear that our safety is important, for us to decide if too rough to work..mmmmmm ever been in a few bumps thought its ok then bang your all on the floor with crew injured! Short sextors (i was a shorthaul crew member for awhile) is a pain but still off work for 6 months to a year or death well rather sit at anu sign that it MIGHT get to rough
Great to all and good to hear that our safety is important, for us to decide if too rough to work..mmmmmm ever been in a few bumps thought its ok then bang your all on the floor with crew injured! Short sextors (i was a shorthaul crew member for awhile) is a pain but still off work for 6 months to a year or death well rather sit at anu sign that it MIGHT get to rough
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In case of turbulence we have two different procedures: one is the FSB sign ON, which means "turbulence", but that the CC can still walk around the cabin; the second means "severe turbulence" and is an announcement from the F/D: "F/D speaking, turbulence, CC seated and SB fastened". At any moment you are free to reach your seat and fasten your SB if you think it's unsafe to walk around (and of course let the F/D know, so to start the "severe turbulence" procedure for all).
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I think the QF rule should be the norm. At VirginBlue, we can raom about when the sign is on. Often we get released from our seats and the aircraft is at such a steep ascent that you cannot even stand up properly. Some cabin crew are so keen to get the carts out, that they are willing to push carts up 40 degree inclines!!
Some flight crew are cautious about letting you up, while others seem to not really care.
Also I think when the crew are about, it send a message to the pax that its safe for them to be up.
I personally don't remember anything in training about how best to wlk, stand, serve in turbulance.
Of course at VB we advertise that nothing comes before service.
Some flight crew are cautious about letting you up, while others seem to not really care.
Also I think when the crew are about, it send a message to the pax that its safe for them to be up.
I personally don't remember anything in training about how best to wlk, stand, serve in turbulance.
Of course at VB we advertise that nothing comes before service.
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blue_stew, given the steep ascents & descents I've had on most of my flights with VB, the crew are bloody brave to get up at all!! 
Honestly on one of them it was how I imagine the descent into Baghdad to be!!! 
About the comment of crew being up encouraging pax to be up as well, do any airlines mention in the initial safety briefing that just because crew are up it doesn't mean that pax can get up??
I'm surprised to hear they don't give any training on how to walk a cabin in turbulence & ascent/descent. Surely there is some way to do this at least a few times before crew come online??
Either that, or get yourself a tray of drinks and try walk down the middle aisle of a train while it's going round corners!!! 
Honestly on one of them it was how I imagine the descent into Baghdad to be!!! About the comment of crew being up encouraging pax to be up as well, do any airlines mention in the initial safety briefing that just because crew are up it doesn't mean that pax can get up??
I'm surprised to hear they don't give any training on how to walk a cabin in turbulence & ascent/descent. Surely there is some way to do this at least a few times before crew come online??
Either that, or get yourself a tray of drinks and try walk down the middle aisle of a train while it's going round corners!!!
