Dick

On a recent flight from BWI to PVD I sat in an exit row.

The flight attendant wenth through the normal spiel about being responsible in case of emergency....but then added.

" In an emergency, no flight attendant will assist you. You wil be expected to assist others getting off the plane any you will be the last one off the plane. Are you Ok with that?"

Of course, everyone agreed....but then I looked at the other people in the exit rows and we all kind of laughed and said "yeah, right"

I got the exit row on my return flight and nothing was said about being the last one off the plane.

Anyone else experience this?

Johanna1

When we flew to Phoenix from BWI on Southwest in January of this year, the flight attendant talked about the exit row person having to the help the other passengers exit the plane. Same with the return trip (but that flight attendant was a real joker). The emphasis was on physical fitness, as they did not want anyone sitting in the exit row that was physically incapable of helping others. Nothing was said about being the last to leave the plane, however. In that event, shouldn't they offer the exit row people some kind of incentive to sit there? Hmm, maybe the increased leg room is supposed to be compensation enough...

Ryan

While I haven't heard it verbalized that broadly, the card that Continental puts in the emergency row states that you'll be expected to help others.

I've also seen a few flight attendants that made it a point to talk to the people in those rows about their responsibility. A couple of times I've seen them ask people to move out of those seats if they seemed unable to lift the door.

Connie

Last week, the FA made a point of coming to each exit row and making sure we all knew we were sitting in the exit row. I've never seen that before.

Cali

We fly a lot and we always have the flight attendant come and talk to us (and everyone in the exit rows) about the responsibility of sitting in that row and asking if we are okay with that. This is on many different airlines so I don't think it is anything new.

Dick

I wann't surprised to be reminded that I was sitting at an exit row. That seem to be standard.

What surprised me was asking if I agreed to be the last one off the plane?

tudorprincess

While flying American a few months back I heard the FA asked everyone if they knew they were in an exit row and one man said yes and wanted to know why she was asking.She said new FAA regulations required passengers to be made aware they were in an exit row and if you didn't respond verbally you would be immediately moved to another seat. She said that the FAA sends their people on flights to check that security procedures are being followed or the FA could be suspended and the airline fined.

Loki

I thought the captain is suppossed to go down with the ship? Or is that only in seafaring novels?

rkkwan

Am I the only one here (or on the plane) that thinks that's just a joke from the FA? I'm afraid that people who hasn't flown WN before may not realize the humor one often find on that airline.

Dick

I have flown SWA, dozens of times and am used to the humor. ( My fave was an announcement that said if you are connecting with a SWA flight, please check the monitors on arrival. If you are connecting on another airline, "we don't care)

This was said very seriously with direct eye contact.

The FA, also had some discussion with a guy a few rows forward of mine about keeping electronics turned off. Not unusal...but the plane was taking off while he was standing in the aisle talking to the passenger. Clearly, a FA standing in the aisle during take off is an FAA violation.

greybeard

I was flying with LIAT in the carribean a couple of years ago and got the exit row. I listened to the safety briefing, and then settled down for a nap (I can always sleep). I was just drifting off when the attendant shook me and said I wasn't allowed to sleep! I made the mistake of smiling at her. In the next twenty minutes she shook me awake three times and eventually threatened to have me realocated to a different seat if I didn't take "my responsibilities" more seriously.

The whole scene was surreal; like that scene with Jack Nicolson in "Anger Management".

Ain't travel wonderful, Greybeard

rkkwan

Dick - If I were you, I would contact Southwest and report all these irregularities about this FA. They should have a record who's working on what flight. This sounds serious enough to me that this FA may not be fit for working on an airline, WN or otherwise.

jor

Ya right. I'm going to sacrifice my life by being the last to leave the airplane in an emergency.

Dear FAA,
Please report to the exit row where I almost always sit so I can sell you some ocean front property in Kansas.
Love,
Exit row flier

P.S. I'm a big guy and I know how to open those doors in an emergency, and I will be the first one out!