Kiosk Check In for exit row seat

[mrman]

If I am reading your post correctly you're upset that the EXIT ROW was not released prior to check in. It's always been my understanding that the agent is to visually inspect the occupants of the exit row to ensure they speak English and are not disabled. They must be able to operate the exit since those seats are not for leg room, it's there to egress an aircraft in an emergency. The company would take that out in a heartbeat if the FAA would let them. I hope for one they continue to withhold those seats until they have spoken to and assessed the occupant. Honestly, a Pilot or deadheading crew member or other airline employee should be assigned the seat first as they are intimately familiar with the operation. Maybe a priority list for that row? If no airline people are on the flight I say assign them to our FF. Flame away!

Wonder how AA, and WN get away with it. I book an AA exit row every week. AA allows this Elite (Yes I'm good looking too! - life is outstanding) to book an exit row months in advance

WN flight attendant stands at exit row greeting customer with a friendly smile and help old ladies load luggage in the bin.
This also shows the customer service failings. I believe WN discourage employees even not in uniform from taking the premium seats from customers. Never seen a uniform employee in exit row

 

[avion]

Huh?

The booking the seat in advance program is in place largely because it saves the airline money in the form of fewer employees. Imagine if you will that everyone has to personally appear in front of an agent to get a boarding pass. How many additional employees or kiosks would it take to do that on day of departure even if folks are not checking luggage?

The airlines may hold out a few seats on the seat map for last minute bookings, but not that many. Asking them to not have FF'ers end up in middle seats for last minute travel is, IMO, unreasonable.

 

[avion]

hp fa we are talking about seat assignments for the frequent flyer who cares about the boarding pass..... you know what everyone should do is... and of course you will never see it do what WN does.. the slogan should read... WHERE THERE IS AN ARSE THERE IS A SEAT.. EXCEPT FOR THE EXIT ROW... THEN WE NEED TO SEE YOUR ARSE.

 

[ClueByFour]

Most airlines (and I'm assuming US although my volume has fallen way off since they actually got gate readers) have the gate reader beep and require verification when it picks up an exit row BP. How hard is it?

 

[jimntx]

I would say the following on this topic....

A.) The company BETTER be sticking up for F/As who move people for almost ANY reason, I mean, at the end of the day, I've always been taught, "when I'm in the cabin, the cabin belongs to the flight crew, NOT the pax." So, the company should defend you, the flight professional, no matter what, but ABSOLUTELY when there is an issue you regard as a safety threat.

B.) With technology being the way it is, (with the possible exception of US IT) there is no reason that once a pax gets moved from an exit row, they are "marked" and can not print the BP or check in at the counter.

C.) If a pax switches boarding passes....that's easy....check their BP, and if they are in the wrong seat, move 'em....if they are in the right seat, refer to "A.)"

My point is, I don't think we have to ruin it for everyone because of the minority....I mean, there's enough of that crap going on now. The KEY here is that the company needs to empower you, the in-flight professional and STAND BEHIND YOU if a pax becomes silly with threats.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda. You are preaching to the choir when you say that the company should support the f/as in the enforcement of the FARs. But then, after 5000 years of fighting among those Semitic 1st cousins, there should be peace in the Middle East. The company (or at least mine) always takes the position that if the customer took the time to file a complaint, the f/a did something wrong. Even if they were enforcing the law, "they should have handled it differently."

 

[DesertFA66]

This problem is not a problem at all and I think this topic has gone overboard on talking about it. I'm an FA for over 15 years and and I have only removed someone a handful of times only because of children or they may have asked.

-It's not a problem on my flights so far
-It is my repsonsiblity to make sure someone is qualified once they are on the plane!!!!!!
-I think the frequent flyers should get to take these seats if the want them, but only if they don't have children with them, which might happen sometimes.
-I really can't remember the last time I had to move someone, I think the kid was 14 or something, but the flight was full and it was all the gate agent had to give them and they agent told us about it before we boarded. I have never heard of the company making a stink about an FA moving someone, unless that someone was a total b*&^( about it, I've seen that too!!

 

[jimntx]

I don't think that's true, or Southwest would have been violating FAA regulations every single day for the last 30 years.

You are looking at it the wrong way. The reason SWA has a f/a posted at the exit row during boarding is to make sure that someone who is not eligible--underage, seriously handicapped, etc--does not sit in the exit rows because no one has prescreened the people sitting in those rows. They could choose to wait until everyone is seated then move people as necessary. Their belief is that it takes less time to prevent the ineligible from sitting in the row than to reseat later. And, they still have to do the little spiel--Are you aware you are in an exit row? Are you willing to operate the exit in an emergency?--after everyone is seated.

 

[Travelpro72]

If it is in fact a FAR to visually see the person before issuing an exit row seat then it should be looked into I guess. As for our FF's getting the seats, why not? God knows we can't offer them much more than that if we can't get them into first. Many of those folks in the exit row have flown plenty of miles and given enough business to be entitled to it. So if the top FF's are able to do this at a kiosk the company probably figures they know better. Besides, the f/a will most likely catch this during boarding. I can only count on maybe one hand where I have had to remove someone other than children or very elderly. I DID get into an altercation with a FF who mentioned over and over he was gold. He had a brace on his hand and to be a smart@ss grabbed his rollerboard out of the overhead and lifted it up and down. I said, "Thats great you'll have NO problem lifting that into the overhead above a different seat. After I moved him to the bulkhead I said, "Thank you ever so much and I'll be sure to get you a cocktail if you'd like once we're in the air". JERK. He still went on and on and finally I got the manual out and let him see it along with a white sheet about interfering with our duties. I said, "See these wings on my jacket? That means I'm enforcing the rules and you can go along with the show or you can hop off". Take your pick. Other than that I have NEVER had a problem. I DO like the idea of the beep when you scan an exit row seat.

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> This also shows the customer service failings. I believe WN discourage employees even not in uniform from taking the premium seats from customers. Never seen a uniform employee in exit row

Having deadheading or commuting crewmembers sit in the exit rows ensures that trained individuals will be there in case of an emergency.

Of course, an Elite would make a better Able Bodied Person than a Kettle, barring any physical issues.

 

[JS]

Having deadheading or commuting crewmembers sit in the exit rows ensures that trained individuals will be there in case of an emergency.

Of course, an Elite would make a better Able Bodied Person than a Kettle, barring any physical issues.

There are already trained individuals on the plane in case of an emergency. They're called flight attendants (working the flight to be exact).

There is no such thing as "exit row training". There is exit row qualification, and that's it. Giving exit rows to employees instead of customers is favoritism and is a poor business move.

 

[Travelpro72]

Is it still in the east pilots contract that they get exit row seating? It was in the east contract for flight attendants that you didn't get last row but THAT certainly went out the window.

 

[JS]

FWIW, on Delta I can get an exit row boarding pass with on-line check-in or at the kiosk. The gate reader beeps when boarding.

Either way, a screen pops up and asks me to confirm that I meet the eligibility criteria. Why Tempe makes a distinction between two computers, one that US bought and one that the customer bought, is beyond me.

 

[Phoenix]

....Why are flight attendants on the plane when people are boarding?

To sing songs and tell jokes on the PA?

 

[SKY HIGH]

This problem is not a problem at all and I think this topic has gone overboard on talking about it. I'm an FA for over 15 years and and I have only removed someone a handful of times only because of children or they may have asked.

sky high states: Lucky you. Fly on the weekends and you'll get the once a year flyer in those seats. I'm surprised you havent moved a Non English Speaking passenger, someone with a disability, someone Not old enough, or someone who drank too much alcohol in the terminal. They do exist. And, I've moved them all.
I dont have a problem moving the individual who shouldnt be sitting there, but I'm put into the position to probably give the passenger an alternative seat with is usually at this point the DREADED "middle" seat.

only stating opinions

 

[SKY HIGH]

Giving exit rows to employees instead of customers is favoritism and is a poor business move.

sky high states: Many years ago, before Freq. flyers were upgraded, NON REV's sat among the FIRST CLASS passengers. <GASP>


only stating opinions