wally34949

I flew from Honolulu to Houston on a 7-hour night flight and the fasten seat belt sign was NEVER removed. It annoys me when it is safe for the flight attendants to pour hot coffee but I have to violate federal law to use the toilet. Has anyone else had this experience with Continental? At 4:30 in the morning, the flight attendant woke everyone up on the PA to say, "The captain has not turned off the seat belt sign, please return to your seat."

Zavier

I've never flown Continental but I flew from New Zealand to LA, New York and London return with United in Jan 2001. The seatbelt was turned off but we were told it was safer to remain belted. We routed round three storms and the signs were switched on and off periodically. I got up to go to the toilet when the signs were on and a giant beheamoth woman flight attendant - errily resembling Boadecea grabbed my arm with great force and told me to sit down. I kindly explained that she either let me go to the bathroom or I'd pee on her lap, where-upon she quickly said sit down 3 times, told me the airline now had divested itself of any liability for me and let me go. Just as I came out of the bathrom, the captain made an announcement that the seatbelt signs were not on for decoration and passengers were breaking federal law by dis-obeying them. When we landed, the same woman approached me and gave me a bottle of white wine. Weird!

JamesA

In Australia you have to keep your seat belt fastened whilst seated. I have noted certain airlines which I have flown with on a regular basis switch on the seatbelt sign right before serving the meal. There needs to be a balance, sure, you can get unexpected turbulance but at the same time if you 'need to use the bathroom' you need to use it. Several times in recent years I have made journeys long distance by rail and wow what a difference, overall such an easy and totally stress free form of travel. It can be more expensive than flying but all journeys were really enjoyable experiences and bought the comfort and 'fun' of travel back. I find air travel simply more and more stressful all the time. If you have a long journey flying is the only option. I wish though that airlines would be more considorate to passenger's needs.

clevelandbrown

I observe the fasten seat belt sign, as I know the pilot is in a far better position than I to know if we are near or in turbulence.

I suppose it is possible that the pilot just forgot to turn off the sign, and no crew member noticed and reminded him, but I think that is unlikely. Since the OP said a flight attendant had made an announcement that the sign had not been turned off, I would think that there must have been cause to keep it on.

I think perhaps we don't appreciate how violently the plane can move in turbulence, and how isolated we are from medical care while in flight. I would not be real happy about some loose cannon bouncing around the cabin.

nytraveler

On a kot of longer flights - especially if there have been some predicitons of turbulence, the pilots leave the seatbelt light on the whole time as a safety precaution. this doesn;t mean you can;t get up to use the restroom. It is aimed at preventing the mass strolling/gathering that tends to happen on longer flights - since in the event of turublence it would take way too long to get all of those folks back to their seats.

As long as you are just using the restroom the FAs won;t have any problem with it.

Zavier

I agree with you about the airline taking the precaution, but i wonder if the seatbelt signs will discourage passengers from getting the required exercise to help prevent Deep vein thrombosis?

AAFrequentFlyer

Most if not all US based airlines are using the seat belt as the new "security" feature. It does get ridiculous. I know AA does it a lot since 9/11. It keeps people from congragating in the aisles/gallies, but let's be realistic, it's not going to stop anybody from trying something funny, if that's their intention.

I'm sitting at NRT right now, just came off a 9 hour JAL flight from Honolulu. The sign was ONLY on when turbulance was obvious. I would guess that for about 7.5 hours of the flight the sign was off. Not only that, but people were allowed to stand around in open spaces, stretch, etc...

Doing another 7 hours to BKK in about an hour!

See Ya!

JamesA

On Thai Airways if the seat belt sign is on but there is not turbulance ( just the chance of it ) a Flight attendant will accompany a passenger, I have seen this several times, seems a fair and sensible balance.

Zavier

Gosh - I might get performance anxiety if a flight attendant accompanied me to the bathroom!

dutyfree

Hey" People"-God makes it turbulent in the lavatories too! (Yes ,the flight attendants do really care if you are up when the seatbelt light is on as there is a reason for it.)There is an actual TSA/security ruling now that requires flights coming into the USA to not allow people to stand in line for the bathroom or any other area (limited amount-1/2?) ie.congregate. Your Continental flight was probably going around quite a few storms as most pilots would never forget to turn the light off for that long of a flight!

Zavier

Well seatbelts across the toilets would solve that problem! Do you think the crew should be made to belt up at the same times the passengers are too?

wills

This is kind of a pet peeve of mine too. If the fasten seat belt is never off when are you supposed to stretch your legs and use the facilities? I was told once that some of the pilots are lawsuit shy and that's why they keep it on. My buddy (a crewmember) told me that she takes it up with them now in their pre flight meeting. She says that if they don't turn it off they take all of her authority away. How do you tell someone to sit down for their safety if it has been on all flight and it's been smooth? They are concerned about too many people together though. Just gauging her reactions it seems like crewmembers are really leery of too many people up at one time during intl flights. She was flying on 9/11 and it was pretty hairy. I just wish that airplanes were designed better. I really don't like airbus airplanes. They feel small and there's never anywhere that you're not in the way.

Zavier

Air New Zealand turns the seatbelt sign off after take off but makes an announcement reccommending passengers keep the belts fastened for their own safety. The signs come on in flight only if approaching areas of expected turbulence. This seems to work well - Maybe Continental should try it.
I can understand why the crew wouldnt like passengers congregating, but i think they have to be a bit sensible about it - obviously a group of shifty-looking men would be a worry - but if you have some mothers with children, a few grannies and a male or 2, it's most likely not going to be a threat in the making.

wally34949

I would rather have a broken leg due to turbulence than an amputated leg. Foreign airlines encourage everyone to get up at stretch every three hours.

clevelandbrown

I am a frequent flyer on Continental and their policy is as Xavier describes for Air New Zealand. Assuming no turbulence, the light goes off after take off and an announcement is made that they recommend you keep your belt on when you are in your seat. Occasionally, the light comes back on with an announcement. That is why I think there must have been turbulence about when the OP reported the light never went out.

Having to get up during potential turbulence to exercise is a bit of a red herring; there are exercises one can do while seated that are effective.

wally34949

Well I would avoid taking Continental on a long flight unless you have a diaper on. When I fly Qantas and BA they often take off the Fasten Seat Belt sign the first five minutes of flight. Lets face it, the air marshall and the pilot feel saver if we're all strapped in. One pilot told me, if you use the bathroom in the back instead of the front, I don't mind people standing in line so much.

rkkwan

Telling people to avoid an airline because of one flight experience is ridiculous. Lots have been said in this thread, so I won't repeat all the reasons, etc... But let me just say that my parents fly the longest flight operated by a US airline EWR-HKG 3 roundtrips a year, and my dad needs to go to bathroom often (due to age and medication). Never a problem.

If you have a problem with the flight deck of a particular flight, then you can write to CO and the FAA to complain. But telling people not to fly an airline based on that experience is laughable.

If you want to stir up more responses on this topic, both for and against, try post in on the CO forum on flyertalk.com. BTW, they're organizing a get together with CO's new CEO Larry Kellner in April. You can sign up at flyertalk.com, and can even get discount airfare to Houston to attend. Maybe you can raise that question to him at the get together.

wally34949

I guess you forgot about the SFO to Sydney flight by United's 747. I have also met people who did the Houston to London flight and they also said the fasten seat belt sign was NEVER turned off.

rkkwan

LAX-SYD is 7488mi
SFO-SYD is 7417mi
EWR-HKG is 8060mi

UA's timetable for SFO-SYD is 14:30 outbound, 13:25 inbound. LAX-SYD is similar - 14:30/13:30

CO's timetable for EWR-HKG is 16:00 outbound, 15:20 inbound.

BTW, I don't disagree that CO pilots (or other pilots for US airlines) tend to keep the fasten seatbelt signs on for long period of time, for one reason or another. I'm just saying that neither my parents nor myself have have trouble using the bathrooms, or being harassed for doing so, on long flights.

Zavier

14, 15, 16 hours in the air - so long it's almost scary. Does anyone know if the new Airbus A380 will be able to fly non-stop London - Sydney? What would that be? 19 - 21 hours?