NO items allowed in seat back pockets?
#11
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Joined: Aug 2010
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Thanks for the clarifications all, I guess I was mainly thrown off by facts that in the years I have been flying I never heared of this, met an FA that enforced it so strictly and the fact that she said it was a "NEW" regulation as I had never heared of it before.
I wasnt about to question her on it or anything and believe me I know whats it like to have the fear of the Feds watching you.
"And I always love the 10K ft bell announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have been cleared to land". No we haven't. Don't lie
"
Puts a smile on my face every time lol.
I wasnt about to question her on it or anything and believe me I know whats it like to have the fear of the Feds watching you.
"And I always love the 10K ft bell announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have been cleared to land". No we haven't. Don't lie
"Puts a smile on my face every time lol.
#13
The prohibition against heavier objects in the seat pocket during takeoff and landing that could cause a problem during an evacuation such as water bottles, laptops, and large books has always been there although enforcement is spotty. Some FAA Cabin Safety Inspectors will bust FAs on this for large objects and some won't. Some even go so far as to say the only thing allowed in the seat back pocket are the items the company places there (i.e. Magazines, Briefing Card, Sick Sack).
By the book, you are not allowed to keep objects such as laptops or purses in your lap for takeoff and landing. In practice most FAs will allow this.
Which window shades are required to be open depends on the certificate. All are required to have shades over the emergency exits open for takeoff and landing. Some carriers require all shades to be open because that is what is in the FA manual approved by the FAA.
In case you can't tell, a lot of this is subjective and depends on the carrier and CSI for that carrier. I've worked with some who are pretty easy to work with and let you take care of the passengers. Most of these CSIs are former FAs. I've worked with others that make you follow the manual letter for letter and will bust you for the smallest thing (like having anything else but company items in a seat back pocket). There is nothing like working hard to make your passengers safe and happy, and have a supervisor or CSI come along and bust you because a passenger has a paperback in a seat pocket. This will make you paranoid as hell when you get your job threatened over something like this.
So give the FAs a break and work with them. You don't know if they just came off a flight where some FAA CSI put the fear of god into them for allowing a simple thing like a book in a seatback pocket or allowing a little old lady to carry a purse in her lap. I'll grant you that some are anal tools, but most are not and are trying their best to do a difficult job at times.
By the book, you are not allowed to keep objects such as laptops or purses in your lap for takeoff and landing. In practice most FAs will allow this.
Which window shades are required to be open depends on the certificate. All are required to have shades over the emergency exits open for takeoff and landing. Some carriers require all shades to be open because that is what is in the FA manual approved by the FAA.
In case you can't tell, a lot of this is subjective and depends on the carrier and CSI for that carrier. I've worked with some who are pretty easy to work with and let you take care of the passengers. Most of these CSIs are former FAs. I've worked with others that make you follow the manual letter for letter and will bust you for the smallest thing (like having anything else but company items in a seat back pocket). There is nothing like working hard to make your passengers safe and happy, and have a supervisor or CSI come along and bust you because a passenger has a paperback in a seat pocket. This will make you paranoid as hell when you get your job threatened over something like this.
So give the FAs a break and work with them. You don't know if they just came off a flight where some FAA CSI put the fear of god into them for allowing a simple thing like a book in a seatback pocket or allowing a little old lady to carry a purse in her lap. I'll grant you that some are anal tools, but most are not and are trying their best to do a difficult job at times.
#14
Prime Minister/Moderator

Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
So I took a flight on ASA today out of MEM and ran into this "new FAA regulation" regarding items allowed in the seat back pockets. The flight attendant said it a was a new fed regulation that absolutely no items such as laptops/ipads were allowed to be placed in the forward seat back pockets during taxi, takeoff and landing. She went around to myself and a few other pax taking our ipads and placing them into the overhead bins. Once we reached cruise she went by and asked if we wanted our stuff back. Come sterile time she went by and took our things and put them back into the bin again.
Has anyone heard or experienced this before? I non-rev about 4 flights a weeks and have never experienced this. I did some research and found some info from about 5-6 years ago stating this was a new regulation from the FAA but this is the first I have ever seen it enforced. Was the flight attendant right in doing this?
Has anyone heard or experienced this before? I non-rev about 4 flights a weeks and have never experienced this. I did some research and found some info from about 5-6 years ago stating this was a new regulation from the FAA but this is the first I have ever seen it enforced. Was the flight attendant right in doing this?
#15
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 607
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From: Upright
I got moved from an exit row along with a check FA by a nazi male FA on our own aircraft once for not saying "YES!!!!!!!" when he asked us if we were going to help him in an emergency. We both acknowledged his question but not with the word he wanted. Best part about it was the check FA sitting with me was the one who did his IOE.
Little dude got called on the carpet BIG TIME for that one.
Little dude got called on the carpet BIG TIME for that one.
#16
Thank God the Federal govt. is looking out for us and protecting us so much....What we do without them....
Don't forget to put those dangerous lunch boxes away too...Ain't this craddle to grave nanny state great....Where's my Ron Paul ballot....
Don't forget to put those dangerous lunch boxes away too...Ain't this craddle to grave nanny state great....Where's my Ron Paul ballot....
#17
I got asked to remove my book from a seat back pocket one time. I think it would be more of an obstruction in my hands during an evac than in the pocket.
Also, the FA that makes people take their tickets out of the seat back pockets has a good idea. If people are strict enough, maybe the regs will change.
Also, the FA that makes people take their tickets out of the seat back pockets has a good idea. If people are strict enough, maybe the regs will change.
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 939
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Sometimes I think flight attendants make crap up. They always stress on the announcement that your phones cannot be put in "airplane mode". I have yet to find out where it says that you cannot put your phone in airplane mode. I can turn my phone off but it will still ring if it's not in airplane mode. And I always love the 10K ft bell announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have been cleared to land". No we haven't. Don't lie

#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 425
Likes: 0
From: B737 F/O
I like the enforcement of the 'no phones/laptops/etc' in the seat back rules regardless of their original purpose. Since the proliferation of smart phones, it seems like every day someone ends up leaving theirs in a seat back pocket. Then it ends up being a crisis at the gate podium on a 20-minute turn for us to scramble to find and return it. Harder to forget your phone if it is not placed there in the first place.
That being said, having cleaned my share of cabins I will not put anything of my own in the seat back pocket. Rather disturbing what substances I've encountered down there.
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That being said, having cleaned my share of cabins I will not put anything of my own in the seat back pocket. Rather disturbing what substances I've encountered down there.
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