Potty Parity Comming to AA

[chucky]

A first-class seat for a coach price ... sort ofBy TREBOR BANSTETTER
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
Potty parity is coming to American Airlines.

Starting Thursday, coach passengers can use the lavatory in first class on American flights, a move that should provide relief for those who have had too much coffee.

Since 2003, the first-class lavatory has been a forbidden zone for coach travelers on American -- the only airline with such a rule on all flights.

"It was difficult to explain to customers sitting in the forward section of coach why they couldn't walk a few feet away and use the lavatory," said airline spokesman Tim Wagner.

Not to mention the long lines: A Boeing 757 has two lavatories in first class, which has 22 seats, and two in coach, which has up to 160 passengers.

"It was a ridiculous policy," said Joe Brancatelli, publisher of the Internet business travel site JoeSentMe.com.

The change applies to domestic flights and to international flights leaving the U.S. Under Transportation Security Administration rules, passengers on incoming international flights still have to use lavatories in their respective cabins.

 

[AAStew]

I know I may be in the minority of F/A's but I am glad that assinine rule is gone. I never really enforced it anyway. I usually work up front and as long as they were not blocking the aisles, I saw no problem with it.
Most flight attendants stressed it was an FAA/TSA policy either out of ignorance or just tired of explaining.
The other rule we have which flight attendants attribute to FAA/TSA is the "No personal alcoholic beverages in coach". This is also an AA policy, which granted helps us with fewer drunk passengers (possibly). The truth is, we allow it in premium because we don't charge in those cabins for drinks, but it cuts into our revenue in coach.

 

[nbmcg01]

You would have loved our 757s. Very f/a friendly. One lav in F/C. One at the L2 door,across from a "support galley" and 2 at the 3 doors. Kept coach out of f/c so meal flow was not constantly interupted, less people near the flight deck, and the back lavs were not next to the rear galley. Great set up for both pax and f/a. Too bad for those pesky engines. We also had 8 jumpseats. Great for commuting..lol
If I'm not mistaken, no personal liq is an FAR. Bad to allow it anywhere. If someone cannot wait for a few hours to "pour their own" then they have more problems than you (or I) can deal with at 34000 feet.


I know I may be in the minority of F/A's but I am glad that assinine rule is gone. I never really enforced it anyway. I usually work up front and as long as they were not blocking the aisles, I saw no problem with it.
Most flight attendants stressed it was an FAA/TSA policy either out of ignorance or just tired of explaining.
The other rule we have which flight attendants attribute to FAA/TSA is the "No personal alcoholic beverages in coach". This is also an AA policy, which granted helps us with fewer drunk passengers (possibly). The truth is, we allow it in premium because we don't charge in those cabins for drinks, but it cuts into our revenue in coach.

 

[AAStew]

I don't understand the above reply. The first one is not my quote. Is that something you wrote?

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

What about AA's 3 class 777's ??

If I was in F, on a long "overnight ride", and asleep on a "lie flat",($$$) the last thing I'd want, is a Y or C pax ..banging the F-lav door shut !!

(I'm assuming that the other F pax, the pilots, and 1 F/A, who regularly work in "this" area, would be quiet, due to the fact that they are aware of the time)

I doubt if any "ragamuffins" are REMOTELY allowed to enter a Singapore 747 F class section !!!!!!!

NH/BB's

 

[FA Mikey]

First off there is one toilet in FC on the 757, the one at 2L is always been for MC. 757 seat map

Only the 737 and S80 have lav's at opposite ends of the AC. I don't have a problem letting someone use the FC toilet when there is a cart in the aisle. I was tired of having a constant stream of people in the FC cabin, walking through standing in line and blocking the view of the TV screen. Most of all, FC customers having to wait for a toilet or having to stand in line.

On long haul flights where I get people just wanting to walk through and look around. Plus I see too many sticky fingers coming to forward cabins, leaving with peoples personal newspapers magazines, even comforters and pillows. Add to that the passengers like to many flight attendants cannot seem to walk quietly through a cabin.

 

[AAStew]

What about AA's 3 class 777's ??

If I was in F, on a long "overnight ride", and asleep on a "lie flat",($$$) the last thing I'd want, is a Y or C pax ..banging the F-lav door shut !!

(I'm assuming that the other F pax, the pilots, and 1 F/A, who regularly work in "this" area, would be quiet, due to the fact that they are aware of the time)

I doubt if any "ragamuffins" are REMOTELY allowed to enter a Singapore 747 F class section !!!!!!!

NH/BB's

Bear, for the most part it applies to narrow bodies. On the 767 and 777, there are sufficient lavs for main cabin passengers. Like Mike said, if there are carts in the aisle, which at times can be the entire flight, it doesn't make sense to tell a passenger to "hold it in". If the passengers start to congregate in the aisle, I politely ask them to wait at the divider partition.

 

[IORFA]

I commute on UA mainline every so often. Just last month, they had the exact same policy. Typical crappy editing and fact checking by a newspaper.

 

[FA Mikey]

Laughable is also the guy Joe and his web site they used for the story.

 

[jimntx]

Most flight attendants stressed it was an FAA/TSA policy either out of ignorance or just tired of explaining.

Unfortunately, this was a result of f/as not reading their manual revisions and listening to pilots instead. It was the pilots who would usually announce that it was a TSA rule during their welcome aboard pa. F/As started following that lead. The manual very clearly stated that the TSA rule applies only to international flights inbound into the U.S., and that American chose to extend the rule to all flights domestic and international.

I would always say that it was "part of American's security policy to restrict movement between the cabins during flight" during my after takeoff pa. Passengers usually didn't have a problem with this explanation. And, as others have stated, if the carts were in the aisle or there was a line at the coach lavs or it was someone very young or elderly or handicapped, I never made an issue of them using the F/C lavs.

 

[Nor'Easta]

I am a purser and fly transcons all the time. Even know AA is now allowing pax from MC & BC to use the FC lav, I still will not allow it.

 

[TWskyliner]

[quote name='Nor'Easta' post='461780' date='Mar 1 2007, 11:34 AM']I am a purser and fly transcons all the time. Even know AA is now allowing pax from MC & BC to use the FC lav, I still will not allow it.[/quote]

That "purser" power must be like a drug..LOL. Heil

 

[AAStew]

[quote name='Nor'Easta' post='461780' date='Mar 1 2007, 12:34 PM']I am a purser and fly transcons all the time. Even know AA is now allowing pax from MC & BC to use the FC lav, I still will not allow it.[/quote]You are joking right? It is not your airplane! If it is necessary, you better damn well allow it!

 

[FWAAA]

Nor'Easta must be one of those new Federal Armed Purser/Flight Attendants (FAPFAs) I keep hearing about. B)

 

[MiAAmi]

[quote name='Nor'Easta' post='461780' date='Mar 1 2007, 05:34 PM']I am a purser and fly transcons all the time. Even know AA is now allowing pax from MC & BC to use the FC lav, I still will not allow it.[/quote]

Yet another control freak that gives the rest of us a bad name. This person should be working at a prison not in customer service positions.