Can You Move to an Open Seat on a Plane? We Asked Flight Attendants.
On board a plane, personal space—even the tiniest bit of extra elbow room—is a luxury. So it's understandable that when most passengers see an empty row or vacant spot on the aisle, they want to claim it for themselves.
Even the most etiquette-minded fliers might be tempted to slyly trade a middle seat with armrest hogs on either side for an unoccupied section just a couple rows away. However, not only is this rude, according to flight attendants, it could also be a serious safety violation.
'Jumping to an open seat without permission is unacceptable,' says former flight attendant Lia Ocampo. 'There are aviation and airline regulations that the crew must adhere to. Always asking for permission is a courteous and professional approach.'
Yes, just like using the call button or placing your bag in the overhead bin, there are certain rules to follow when you want to jump to an open seat. Here's how to go about switching spots the right way.
First, don't try to jump spots during boarding.
A good way to annoy your cabin crew is to try to sneak into a different seat during boarding. Chances are that flight attendants will need to track you down and ask you to move back to your original spot—a sequence of events that could hold up the boarding process for the entire flight. 'During boarding, passengers are required to remain in their assigned seats,' Ocampo says. 'However, there are situations where switching or moving seats may be necessary.'
If you do have a legitimate issue with your seat assignment—you're not placed next to your child, say, or something at your seat is broken—politely flag down a flight attendant to assist you.
In all other cases, passengers need to stay in their assigned seats listed on their boarding pass until boarding is complete, according to Ocampo. 'Even if there are several available seats, do not assume you can move without first asking for permission,' she says. 'As a matter of courtesy, passengers should always request permission from flight attendants before moving to an open seat. Flight attendants can verify whether a seat is occupied, which helps them manage passenger movements.'
Keep in mind that safety could be at play.
Another reason to check with a flight attendant before nabbing an open place? Aircraft balance. This is a finely tuned calculation made by pilots before takeoff and takes into account many factors, including the amount of cargo in the hold and where passengers are seated. 'Moving seats is not always allowed due to weight and balance issues,' says Ocampo. 'Pilots know the open seats, which is crucial in maintaining the aircraft's weight and balance."
This is especially true for smaller aircraft, like those that operate regional flights. The issue is most dramatic for people moving from the back of the plane toward the front—or vice versa—which could compromise the plane's center of gravity. But several passengers moving from seats on one side of the aisle to the other could also affect the jet's lateral balance, according to information from California Aeronautical University. Flight attendants are highly trained safety professionals, so always check with them to verify when it's safe to switch seats.
When is it appropriate to ask for an open seat?
Cabin crew do understand there are legitimate reasons for seat switching, and there are a variety of situations in which flight attendants are likely to grant your request. 'These include mobility issues, claustrophobia, the need to rest or sleep when disturbed by a child nearby, or the desire to sit with a travel companion,' Ocampo says. 'Additionally, if there are issues with the TV monitor or seat, these may also warrant a request to move.'
One special case is moving to an exit row seat. These spots always offer the perk of more legroom, but of course, they come with extra safety responsibilities. That doesn't mean they're necessarily out of bounds when accompanied by a polite request. 'If an exit row seat is available, passengers may courteously ask flight attendants for permission to move,' Ocampo says. 'However, you must be willing and able to assist the flight crew in an emergency and be at least 15 years old to occupy exit row seats.'
Remember, courtesy goes a long way.
As with anything in life, you're more likely to have your request granted if you're tactful. Being courteous, patient—and understanding when the answer is 'no'—also shows respect for your cabin crew, who have stressful and demanding jobs.
'Demonstrating kindness and politeness is behavior that is always appreciated,' Ocampo says. 'When you exhibit such qualities, flight attendants may grant you permission to move seats, and you might even receive extra snacks, drinks, or other complimentary items during your flight. Remember, your courtesy makes the boarding process smoother and makes you a respected and valued passenger.'
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Travel + Leisure
17 minutes ago
- Travel + Leisure
FAA Warns About Washington, D.C.-area Flight Disruptions in June—What Travelers Should Know
Travelers might want to look closely at their airline itineraries along the East Coast in the coming weeks, as a major airport is planning to restrict flights later this month. On June 14, officials will restrict airspace at Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA) due to a special military parade taking place in the nation's capital. Ground traffic in Washington, D.C., is also expected to be impacted due to road closures and military flight paths. 'To accommodate aircraft flyovers along the parade route, followed by a fireworks display, the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to suspend airline operations at DCA, affecting scheduled flights,' a representative for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport shared on its website. Even if Washington, D.C., isn't a traveler's final destination, airline passengers should keep in mind that connections at Reagan Airport could also be disrupted due to the flight restrictions. A senior government official reportedly told NBC News that the ground stop is expected to impact 116 flights. Reagan Airport encourages passengers to reach out to their individual airlines and make accommodations to rebook if they are flying to the airport on the evening of June 14. For people traveling by car, the airport provides guidance to utilize public transportation if they need to get to the airport amid the road closures. "There could be some disruption to the airspace at times," D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. "We don't know when that is, but that could affect, for short periods of time, air travel." There were no published advisories for other nearby airports, such as Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). Dulles is located farther away from Downtown D.C. than Regan Airport, which is less than three miles from the National Mall. The parade is in recognition of the 250th Anniversary of the Army, which was founded on June 14, 1775. 'Attendees will experience 250 years of Army heritage through historical U.S. Army personnel reenactors, period-accurate equipment, vehicles, impressive flyovers, and military bands participating in this landmark event,' the event website shares. The programming is scheduled to run from 6:30 p.m. EDT through 9:30 p.m. EDT. The parade takes place in Washington, along Constitution Avenue between 15th Street and 23rd Street.
Washington Post
19 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Do you have what it takes to become a flight attendant?
ATLANTA — The worst-case scenarios kept coming: lavatory fires, turbulence that propelled oxygen masks from the ceiling, baby CPR. By the time we got to ditching — aviation terminology for an emergency water landing — my nerves were wrecked. But this was a normal day at the Delta Air Lines flight attendant training center, where current and future crew members prepare for disaster scenarios you hope to never encounter while flying. I've spent years reporting on the world of flight attendants: how they dealt with the rise of unruly passengers during and after the pandemic, how they've faced low pay and homelessness. But I'd never seen the extent of what it takes to become one, so I flew to Atlanta with video producer Monica Rodman to learn about their training firsthand. What we saw at Delta shattered all notions of the 'waitress in the sky' stereotype. Instead, we found something more akin to basic training: physical, technical and designed to save lives. Flight attendant training isn't about service; it's about safety, which has been amplified after recent high-profile aviation accidents. Inside a sprawling brick corporate campus near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, trainees — freshly accepted from a cutthroat application process — spend seven weeks learning everything from pre-takeoff safety demonstrations to self-defense tactics; they commit the mechanics of Boeing doors to memory and run drills on handling medical emergencies. Very little time is spent on in-flight service, the part of the job with which they're most associated — that is, if they get the job. Before they can join Delta's fleet, they first have to pass their final tests. From what we saw, that's a lot harder than you'd think. Our day started with an outfit change. A team of Delta representatives — communications people, program managers and flight attendant instructors — serving as tour guides escorted us into the maze of building hallways. We wound up in a room full of jackets. Delta trainees are given branded navy zip-ups that feel both sporty and professional, like a British soccer coach or a Silicon Valley exec on casual Friday. The jacket means a lot; Delta's flight attendant program is said to be the most difficult to get into among the domestic airlines, allegedly harder than getting into an Ivy League school. When I asked what Delta looks for in a candidate, Rachel McCarthy, the vice president of in-flight service for Atlanta operations, said it wants people who are resilient and adaptable, people who can take care of their mental and physical well-being while adapting to the unique lifestyle. 'You're going to work unusual hours; it's not 9 to 5,' she said. 'You might have early mornings, late nights, overnight flights when you're looking at some of our global routes.' The job description also states that applicants must be able to sit in an assigned jump seat with seat belt and shoulder harness fastened, and to open aircraft doors weighing 40 to 60 pounds. Applicants must be at least 21, have a high school diploma or high school equivalency, and be able to speak, read and write English fluently. Outfitted with a new (loaner) training jacket and a red 'earning my wings' lanyard, I followed our guides to a room that would fit in an episode of 'America's Next Top Model.' It had rows of high tables furnished with well-lit makeup mirrors and basic beauty supplies. Here, flight attendants learn about Delta's 'appearance requirements' — which are a far cry from the sexist early days of the industry when airlines marketed their young, thin crew members more like in-flight amenities than safety professionals. Today's dress code stresses grooming basics over beauty standards and is more inclusive of varying backgrounds. Makeup is not required but can be worn by any gender. So-called extreme eyelashes and visible tattoos are not allowed. A nose piercing is okay, but not ear gauges. Jewelry cannot interfere with safety. That means no dangling hoop earrings. Trelawney Bundrage, a flight attendant instructor who's been with Delta for 29 years, assessed our appearances to see whether we met the requirements. Like many instructors on our tour, she wore a perfect red lip. Mo's androgynous, bleach-blond mop would fly; hair may be dyed, so long as it's a natural hue. If your hair is longer than shoulder-length, it must be pulled back away from the eyes. And if your hair is up but still hangs longer than mid-back, it must be pinned. My loose hairdo, pinned back with a claw clip, would need to be tightened up. 'We would talk about these, we call them romantic tendrils,' Bundrage said, pointing out the loose strands of hair tucked behind my ears. Had I been in training, I would have learned to smooth my tendrils and frizz with hair products and to try a bun for more refined look. When a Delta plane retires, it's chopped into pieces to create 30- to 40-foot 'trainers' to serve as realistic classrooms. They can drop oxygen masks and make sound effects, shake, rise and fall to simulate turbulence. Mechanics also extract specific parts for isolated training; for example, there's a corridor of different aircraft door models for students to master opening, closing and securing. Mo and I took turns heaving them open; they're heavier and more complicated than they look. Inside an Airbus A350 trainer, instructor Janae Bride, who's been with Delta 12 years, explained the importance of knowing your 'galley geography.' Planes are full of hidden compartments for efficient storage, and flight attendants must memorize their many secrets so 'they're able to find out where items are located without opening the doors and having to slam them,' Bride said. It's not just beverage carts and service items hiding in the walls. There's a seemingly endless bounty of emergency supplies, like flashlights and first-aid kits and exotic contraptions like protective breathing equipment, which looks like an astronaut's helmet from a low-budget 1960s sci-fi movie. It's yellow and maybe Mylar, designed to give oxygen in an emergency. It's also awkward to put on and incredibly loud when activated. Your flight attendant was trained to deploy the pseudo-scuba gear in the event of a fire in the lavatory or extinguishing toxic gases. I put one on in the 'smoke and fire' training center, an all-metal replica of a plane in an auxiliary building where trainees can learn to put out flaming lavatory waste bins and portable chargers. My head was spinning as I chased various smoking disasters. Mark Fields, an instructor with 31 years with the airline, shouted commands. These instructions are designed to be short and clear, delivered with a sense of urgency but also calm, all of which is more helpful to digest in an emergency whether they're directing crew or passengers. Such protocols are critical to achieving the Federal Aviation Administration's rule that flight attendants must be able to evacuate an entire plane in 90 seconds. Mo ran through command-heavy drills, shouting at invisible passengers: Bend over! Stay down! Bend over! Stay down! The lines would be stuck in our heads like earworms well into the next day. These commands and procedures must become muscle memory. To prove it, new students must maintain a 90 percent average on all 'knowledge assessments' and successfully complete all hands-on evaluations within three attempts throughout the program. Mo crouched alongside Alana Calhoun, an instructor with more than a decade of experience, to execute CPR on dummies to the beat of Lady Gaga's 2008 hit 'Poker Face,' which has the correct cadence for the lifesaving procedure. Calhoun is the platonic ideal of a flight attendant: chipper, helpful, attentive. She didn't just greet colleagues as we passed; she beamed at them. So it did not surprise us when Calhoun mentioned that she worked at Disney World before pivoting to aviation. Before that, she worked at the children's restaurant Chuck E. Cheese as the titular mascot himself. It was good training for working flights; she reminded us that Chuck E. Cheese serves alcohol. Flight attendants also face unruly, inebriated customers, although Calhoun says the landscape is different from when the issue peaked after the pandemic. These days, she's noticed passengers seem more aware and step in to help when they notice trouble. Still, flight attendants are trained in self-defense and de-escalation. With CPR dummies resting at Calhoun's feet, we took a break from touring so Mo and I could ask the instructors our lingering questions. Are they afraid of flying after the accidents of late? (All said no.) Will dressing up get you upgraded on a flight? (No.) Can they date passengers? (Yes, but there's a policy against sharing the location of the layover hotel with strangers to protect the safety of the rest of the crew.) What are the most-ordered drinks? (Sparkling water on the West Coast, Coke in the South, tomato juice in Florida, coffee in the Caribbean.) How often do they have to stop people from attempting to join the 'Mile High Club'? (Very rarely; some have never encountered the problem.) What do they think of passengers giving them gifts? 'It means the world,' Calhoun said, particularly when you're working over the holidays and someone gives a $5 Starbucks gift card or a thank-you note. Maybe my arm would come out its socket, or maybe I'd pull the man helping me out of the raft and into the water. By the time I could wrap my mind around the possible outcomes of this last drill, my body was hurtling to safety; I flopped in belly first, like a fish. We were ending the day with a ditching drill. I'd changed into a swimsuit and a Delta long-sleeve shirt, along with my slacks, and boarded a trainer plane installed alongside an indoor pool with a group of giddy students. They'd just passed their final exams and were officially flight attendants. Once we were buckled in our seats, sound effects simulated a problem — the plane was going down. Life jackets on, we followed commands from Fields on when to jump out of the door into the 80-degree water. Pulling the tab to inflate my vest was a life highlight after seeing hundreds of safety demonstrations over my traveling career. But in the pool, we had to join forces to get into a tall life raft. I felt like I'd sneaked into a Navy SEALs boot camp, attempting to hoist up my fellow evacuees while treading water. We all made it in and spent the next few minutes erecting a canopy to protect us from the hypothetical elements we'd meet floating in the ocean. People moved quickly in the awkward, slippery setting, and then we were done, smiling like kids under a parachute. We had made it through a day of flight attendant school, not with honors — just with a new appreciation for the people who do it for real.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Experienced climber dies after 3,000-foot plummet from North America's highest peak
A Seattle man died after falling 3,000 feet from a climbing route at Denali National Park in Alaska, the National Park Service said Wednesday. Alex Chiu, 41, was ascending the West Buttress route of Mount McKinley on Monday, June 2, one of the park's most frequently climbed routes, while not attached to a rope, the agency said in a statement. He was ski mountaineering, which involves ascending and descending the route with skis. He was joined by two others in his expedition to conquer North America's highest peak. Two others witnessed his fall onto the rocky face covered in jagged ice, and lowered themselves over the edge as far as they could, but they could not see or hear him after the fall, officials said. The mountaineers descended the route to ask for assistance at Camp 1, which is located around 7,800 feet up the mountain. Due to high winds and snow, ground and air search teams were unable to quickly reach the area where he had fallen on Monday. On Wednesday, clear weather allowed two rangers to depart Talkeetna, a village south of the mountain, in a helicopter search for Chiu. When his body was found, it was transferred to the state medical examiner, the agency said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Alaska State Medical Examiner's Office for Chiu's official cause of death. Chiu was an aerospace engineer at the Federal Aviation Administration and, before that, a software engineer at Boeing, according to his LinkedIn profile. On his social media accounts, he described himself as a storyteller, traveler, scuba diver, rock climber, alpinist and marathon runner. He wrote on his Instagram account about how living in Seattle allowed him to take his ice-climbing tools to the mountains every weekend. He shared that following the daily grind of his 9-to-5, he would pack up his gear and head to the mountains. "I had become so good at what I did that I started teaching others how to do it, and that was even more fun to teach others how to experience the joy you have in these wild places," he wrote in an Instagram post. "When I am in the mountains, I realize I was at my best. I was smart, witty, passionate, and bold." The pandemic put the brakes on his alpine climbs, but he dreamed of heading back to the climb. "So tomorrow I am getting on an airplane to Alaska," he wrote in an Instagram post on May 19, "in an attempt to climb the third-highest peak in the world because I don't want to know what happens to a dream deferred." The busiest season on the mountain lasts from mid-May to mid-June; there were about 500 climbers on it Wednesday, the agency said. Chiu is one of several people who have died while climbing Mount McKinley or other areas of Denali National Park. In April 2024, 52-year-old Robbi Mecus, of Keene Valley, New York, fell to his death while climbing an estimated 1,000 feet off Mount Johnson in the national park. The NPS said that a similar accident happened in 2010, in a similar location. That incident involved an unroped French mountaineer, who fell to his death on the Peters Glacier. His body was never recovered.
