Questions about regulations regarding taking off and landing.

[kevind]

Flew Sunshine Coast to Melbourne JQ 797 recently. Before take off two passengers switched seats and remained in those seats during the flight and while landing. I thought it was a regulation that passengers had to be in their ticketed seats during take off and landing? Secondly, before the fasten seat belt sign went on coming into Melbourne 2 passengers grabbed their overhead luggage and placed their luggage between their legs - obviously the bags were too big to go under the seat in front. Isn't it a regulation that baggage has to be in the overhead compartment or under the seat in from of you?

 

[Franky]

That's what I've heard just about every time I've been on an aircraft...

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Flew Sunshine Coast to Melbourne JQ 797 recently. Before take off two passengers switched seats and remained in those seats during the flight and while landing. I thought it was a regulation that passengers had to be in their ticketed seats during take off and landing? Secondly, before the fasten seat belt sign went on coming into Melbourne 2 passengers grabbed their overhead luggage and placed their luggage between their legs - obviously the bags were too big to go under the seat in front. Isn't it a regulation that baggage has to be in the overhead compartment or under the seat in from of you?

The answer to both questions is "Yes but J*".

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Flew Sunshine Coast to Melbourne JQ 797 recently. Before take off two passengers switched seats and remained in those seats during the flight and while landing. I thought it was a regulation that passengers had to be in their ticketed seats during take off and landing? Secondly, before the fasten seat belt sign went on coming into Melbourne 2 passengers grabbed their overhead luggage and placed their luggage between their legs - obviously the bags were too big to go under the seat in front. Isn't it a regulation that baggage has to be in the overhead compartment or under the seat in from of you?

I don't think there is a regulation regarding seating. Airline policy may be that you are in your allocated seat for take-off and landing, but that may be for a variety of reasons... for example weight and balance, or ensuring someone is seated by an exit door (for example and over-wing on a narrow body), or that the person by an exit meets the requirements, or that a person isn't taking a 'premium' (paid) seat. Many of those things will be double checked by the crew before take-off anyway.

Obviously there are also many occasions when pax do swap - families to be seated together, or snagging empty seats. Usually for the latter yo might ask the crew if you want to do this before take-off.

As for the baggage, that would be a regulation to make sure the cabin was secured for take-off and landing, part of which would be ensuring unimpeded access to the aisles and exit.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I don't think there is a regulation regarding seating. Airline policy may be that you are in your allocated seat for take-off and landing, but that may be for a variety of reasons... for example weight and balance, or ensuring someone is seated by an exit door (for example and over-wing on a narrow body), or that the person by an exit meets the requirements, or that a person isn't taking a 'premium' (paid) seat. Many of those things will be double checked by the crew before take-off anyway.

I think there is such a regulation so they can identify bodies in the event of a crash.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think there is such a regulation so they can identify bodies in the event of a crash.

I think that might be a myth

 

[Archipelago]

I think there is such a regulation so they can identify bodies in the event of a crash.

No. Passenger manifest to correlate POB to number of found victims (lol this got a bit morbid suddenly) but for reasons of physics seat placement not reliable

 

[banana boy]

I think there is such a regulation so they can identify bodies in the event of a crash.

That's what I usually say to busy bodies/sticklers for rules if they question me about my seat choice - most times it seems to make them uncomfortable enough to pull their heads in.

 

[Archipelago]

That's what I usually say to busy bodies/sticklers for rules if they question me about my seat choice - most times it seems to make them uncomfortable enough to pull their heads in.

In that case never show my post above and carry on.

 

[jb747]

The only reason that I ever cared about people staying in allocated seats, and not moving to empty ones, was related to weight and balance. Whilst the movement of a couple of people has no real effect on the large aircraft that I flew, it does affect the legality of the documents. We didn’t care at all if you changed laterally, but it’s much simpler to have a rule for the cabin crew that says all movements, not just in specified directions.

Having seen the aftermath of aircraft accidents, the seats weren’t always where they started, much less the passengers. Total number is relevant, but I don’t know that the names make much difference.