The dangerous moment passengers should never get out of their seat on a flight – and thousands do it every day
IF the seatbelt light is on, passengers are generally well behaved and will stay in their seats.
Which is why I wish we could keep it on much more than we do during flights, because people just won’t learn.
As a cabin crew member, I see passengers getting up and about at the silliest times, including at moments when it’s much more dangerous than others.
That’s why I wanted to write about when you should and shouldn’t be getting up and out of your seat in my weekly blog for Sun Travel.
People often assume that, just because the seatbelt light is switched off, they’re alright to stand up and walk around. But that isn’t always the case.
The light being off just means that, if they need to go to the toilet, they’re probably okay to do so, but it’s more of a safety advisory than anything else.
It means that we aren’t experiencing enough turbulence and, should a passenger be up on their feet, they’re probably going to be okay.
But passengers should always assess the cabin before they get up, in case there are hazards or other problems that they could encounter.
The main thing that few seem to consider is the food and drinks trolley.
If that’s being pushed up and down the cabin, you should really be staying in your seat.
At the very least, you could get your toe run over or get bashed by the trolley, which happens all the time.
I’m sick of people looking at me angrily after I’ve accidentally hit their foot with the trolley because, really, it’s their fault they got hit.
I know that sounds pithy, but what do they expect? They can see us coming up and down the aisle, we can’t always see them – hence why they sometimes get a knock in the shins.
However, some things are a lot less trivial than a tap on the toes.
For instance, if there’s any severe turbulence, passengers could get seriously whacked or injured if the flight attendant loses their grip on the trolley, which I have seen happen.
I’ve said it before so many times, the most dangerous thing during turbulence is loose objects and the trolley is arguably one of the most threatening items on board.
Hand luggage rules for UK airlines
We’ve rounded up how much hand luggage you can take on UK airlines when booking their most basic fare.
Ryanair
One personal bag measuring no more than 40cm x 20cm x 25cm
EasyJet
One personal bag measuring no larger than 45cm x 36cm x 20cm
Jet2
One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm weighing up to 10kg
TUI
One personal item that its underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm weighing up to 10kg
British Airways
One personal bag no larger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm 25cm weighing up to 23kg
Virgin Atlantic
One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 36cm x 23cm weighing up to 10kg
If you’re up and about in the aisle and that comes hurtling at you, you’ll definitely know about it.
So it’s best to stay in your seat until after the service, when the trolleys are safely stowed away and there are fewer obstacles or items that can fly around the cabin.
Additionally, people LOVE getting up just as we’re preparing to take off, which is really silly.
But pretty much every single flight I work on, I’ll have to tell someone to sit down as they insist they need the toilet just as we’re starting to taxi to the runway.
It’s unbelievable how much some people turn into children as soon as they get on board the plane.
Just like your parents used to say when you were little, please make sure you go to the toilet before it’s time to leave.
Otherwise, you’ll just have to hold it until we’re in the air.
Meanwhile, these are the plane passengers I hate serving when I’m flying.
And these are the secret codes we use to describe passengers to each other.
