[IanFromHKG]

And I do understand that, canucklad.. However, it is also not unknown for them to simply forget to switch the blasted thing off. If I find it has been on too long during calm flight and I am getting to the point where I need to – ahem – get up, I always call for the cabin crew and ask them if I can use the facilities. On most occasions they have scurried away and the sign has been cancelled shortly afterwards. And if it isn’t, then I know getting up is at my own risk (and their risk if they were wrong to cancel it)

[canucklad]

Indeed Ian, and the cynical part of me would suggest that forgetting to switch the seat belt sign off is possibly deliberate.
On quite a few occasions I’ve been convinced that the crew are away having a skive, or at the very least not wanting disturbed whilst they prepare the meal trolleys.
Ironically, the only time I’ve been legitimately strapped in for hours on end, as where the concerned looking crew sitting opposite, was not above Asia, but flying across Europe en-route to Dubai.

[handbag]

[quote quote=786575]Indeed Ian, and the cynical part of me would suggest that forgetting to switch the seat belt sign off is possibly deliberate.
On quite a few occasions I’ve been convinced that the crew are away having a skive, or at the very least not wanting disturbed whilst they prepare the meal trolleys.
Ironically, the only time I’ve been legitimately strapped in for hours on end, as where the concerned looking crew sitting opposite, was not above Asia, but flying across Europe en-route to Dubai.

[/quote]

Sorry but on BA WW I know that this is not the case 🙂

Seat belts signs on for a prolonged period of time and often for a short period of time are a nuisance to Cabin Crew.

The Flight Crew put them on and switch them off.

If it is a couple of hours before landing (as it often seems to be), I phone to say how long, as it interrupts the WT meal service, as we are not allowed to serve hot drinks when it is on. So we either have to wait until it comes goes off, or do the service without and then possibly rush and go out again (if time ) before landing.

You are correct, the flight Crew are covering BA. The Cabin Crew reminding you are doing the same. I can’t force you back to your seat, but if I have told you and you have an accident, it would be easy to work out where the liability lies.

Cabin Crew now seem to spend their life being assessed. CAA, Onboard Evaluators and also general inflight Assessments. If I tell you to sit down, it is because it is part of my job and if I don’t, then I can be pulled up on it. Do I really want to tell people to sit down when the sign is on and it doesn’t seem turbulent – No, but I will to cover myself.

Sometimes if a pax says, “they have been on a long time, how much longer?”, I will ring and say “how long will they be”? and sometimes they say, was just about to do or in a few mins. Have never heard them say I forgot (although that may be the case).Sometimes, they don’t know and it is a long time.

[Ahmad]

@handbag,

Thank you for your candid post. It is always very helpful for passengers like me to understand the crew’s reasoning for cerain things they do. We often tend to forget that for crew the plane is a work environment with all the skullduggery that is inherent in most workplaces.

[Flightlevel]

Airlines have precise instructions for (usually) only one announcement after take off and they are regularly exceeded by introducing the names of the cabin crew in each class and duty free open/close,etc. Don’t thing anyone cares for crew names and duty free is best advertised by a walk through holding the brochure. Only the flight crew can know of turbulence and ofcourse take care for safety, announcements shouldn’t be necessary and a personal conversation explains the lack of hot drinks. An audit should be taken to limit announcements especially at sleeping times on longhaul & not let crew use every event an excuse for another chat, often in several languages?

[MartynSinclair]

so I was absolutely gobsmacked today on the flight back from Zurich. Was the purser, handbag/RF.. or one of the others…cabin crew forum contributors..

The welcome on board by the Purser, was made pre take off. This was the first time I had heard it prior to leaving the ground and when I asked the Purser if this was standard the answer was this was how they always did it..

I was able to drift off to the land of zzzzzzzz, until the new post take off announcement, “welcome to Marks and Spencers, hot food available…”

[Author]

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