Originally Posted by
blastboy
I use to work at a hotel where Alaska pilots were in and out of there all the time. I heard the same thing you did and asked a few pilots and FAs about it and they said if you want to work for Alaska, you have to be smoke free. Personally I think it's an outstanding policy and hope that other airlines will follow similar suit.
Why? What difference does it make to you if your co-workers smoke? I think Alaska is overstepping it's bounds as to what it can rightfully limit it's employees to.
I understand if they want to create and enforce rules as to where/when crews may smoke, but to say that you can't use it at all, even in your own time, that's absurd.
I'd even go so far as to say that it's ok to limit the crews to smoking only before and after their duty time. But I don't think anyone needs to tell anyone else what they can do in their own time, that is unless they decide that nicotine in your system poses a serious safety of flight issue, and I think that should be up to the FAA to decide.