are tiger airways jeopardizing safety by pursuing profits

[lrwm01]

Is Tiger Airways seat purchasing policy a threat to Aircraft Safety – I think it is and I would welcome other traveler’s comments. And, if what i observe is not Tiger approved procedure on board then, again, i would be happy to be informed.

The facts are this – if you, as a passenger, and you wish to sit in one of the “premium (read more leg room) seats”

[sundaymorningstaple]

If I remember correctly the same instructions are in all the briefing materials. Therefore as these are meant to be read by ALL passengers then I would assume that the initial persons arriving at these exits would be able to open the door. Assuming that they had taken the time and opportunity to read said pamphlets when told to do so.

Are you saying then, just because you are not seated in the exit rows, you would die rather than life a finger to help? Or are you just saying you are too damn lazy to read the pamphlets? Whether or not the seats are occupied, shouldn't make a damned bit of difference when the plane is going down should it. If the seat is empty it's empty whether by accident or design. You gonna die because of it?

[rhino]

[quote="lrwm01"]It is also no use trying to request the seat at check in – because even if it is vacant it will NOT be allocated to you and you will be firmly told “you did not pay for the seat, so you cannot have it”

[ScoobyDoes]

I've travelled many a full-service airline that has flown with emergency exit seats empty.

The full-service airlines tend to keep these seats as long as possible for two types of people..... the very tall and those Elite Frequent Fliers such as gold / diamond card types that are guaranteed a seat on a plane, even if it 3x over booked.

Frequently the front row and last row of each cabin is held in reserve for these possibly late requests and the front of the cabin can often be the emergency exit.

[muratkorman]

lrwm01,

I think it is not Tiger Airways policy, but your mentality which creates this situation. Your approach is ridiculous. In most cases, having the emergency exit row empty is safer. If some passangers on that row especially the ones beside the exits panic, more trouble is about to come. The flight attendants will be managing the emergency exits as they are trained to rather than waiting the passenger who may be in a shock at that moment.

If you are against this 25 SGD charge, put it in other words with different reasons, but please try to find something logical.

[lrwm01]

muratkorman

thank you for your comments, however I beg to differ. There are NO crew positioned at the center emergency exits; if there was my post would be irrelevant and it would never have been written. In an emergency the crew are instructed to attend door front left and right and door rear left and right, NOT the doors at row 12/13. In fact the crew briefing to passengers, i seem to recall, include the words "in the case of an emergency we will have to remain at the front and the back of the airplane" or maybe that was on Jetstar)

the only people who are briefed about the emergency exits at row 12/13 are those who are sitting there on take off (as their allocated seat). therefore, if there is no one sitting in those rows (for whatever reason (including the "I do not want to pay S$25") then there is no on who is briefed. In answer to an earlier post that passengers can read the briefing card - many (if not most) of the passengers who are flying are not experienced travelers and for a variety of reasons including language they will not even look a the emergency briefing card - never mind understand it.

So i ask you to reconsider - there is an aircraft substantially full of inexperienced travelers, seated through out the aircraft, except for row 12 and 13. these travelers do not, as was suggested by an earlier response, read the safety briefing card avidly - and in the event of an emergency no one is briefed on the use of the center safety exits - would you agree wiht me that to have no one in row 12.13 is more dangerous than having a briefed passenger(s) in row 12/13.

If these rows are vacant it is Tiger policy that is contributing to the fact.

In my experience I have only ever known the seats to be allocated to those who have paid the surcharge. I do know that these seats are NOT allocated on request, a fact confirmed by a Tiger Duty manager (if it has happened, as I am sure it has, it is the exception and not policy)

So, I restate my case, exit rows that are not manned by cabin crew, and will not be manned by cabin crew, that do not have passengers who are briefed on the opening of the emergency exits, can be more dangerous than exits that are have briefed passengers. I do not discount a briefed passenger panicing and being next to useless.

I believe that the Tiger policy of charging a high premium for these seats, and the refusal to (a) allocate these seats to anyone who have not paid and (b) the inability for a passenger to voluntarily change seats before take off - which is an understandable regulation - contirbutes to a more dangerous situation than that where passengers are allocated to exit rows irrespective of the payment or status...

I make these points - just in case there are any cynics reading --yes i can afford to pay, and three hours is not a lifetime, and twenty odd years in and around the airline industry does provide me with some degree of insight.

However, I might be being anal, pedantic, or even paranoid -- I don't know -- but my submission is what i think -- and is just MHO. and if you beleive it is badly written or badly argued, then so be it.... And if you disagree, one mans meat etc etc - but thank you for reading

[sundaymorningstaple]

However, I might be being anal, pedantic, or even paranoid -- I don't know -- but my submission is what i think -- and is just MHO. and if you beleive it is badly written or badly argued, then so be it.... And if you disagree, one mans meat etc etc - but thank you for reading

Yup. You're right. Not much more we can say.

[ScoobyDoes]

Nearly all airlines fly these smaller planes where there is no crew station at the emergency exit. Ihave flown DragonAir, KoreanAir, Asiana, Silk, BA, Midland and Malaysian as examples only of where the smaller planes are used.

If the flight is full then of course people will be in those seats, if the flight is partially full then it is still hit-n-miss if there are people in them or not and these are full-service airlines. They are basically treated just like any other seat, and not ones that specifically need filled first.

You cannot fault Tiger or the other LCC for leaving these seats empty.

I have no comment on whether you are anal, paranoid or what...... but it was nobody else that mentioned it first.

[ozdude]

the only people who are briefed about the emergency exits at row 12/13 are those who are sitting there on take off (as their allocated seat).

I have sat in the exit rows a few times with SIA and Qantas, and not once I have I been briefed on how to operate the door. My understanding of exit row seating is that airlines would prefer the passengers to be able bodied to assist cabin crew in emergency procedures if required.

I have also found it quite easy to choose these seats using online check-in and getting online early enough. These seats are not available when you book, but when you check in, they suddenly become selectable.

Virgin in Australia has been doing the same thing for years, you can pay a small premium to get extra leg room.

[Plavt]

I really don't know what the concern is when people say; "I have not been briefed on how to operate the door!" The fact is the evacuation literature including the operation of the doors is provided for those who can be bothered to read them! The other solemn fact is few if any passengers bother and take little or no notice of the safety announcements. Whether a member of the crew is stationed at the emergency exits in question is neither here nor there since in an emergency they could be elsewhere dealing with other aspects of the possible crisis (have you considered or read events during previous accidents). Think about there is a good deal one can do for themselves acknowledging of course the difficulties within the confines of an aircraft.

[jpatokal]

I really don't know what the concern is when people say; "I have not been briefed on how to operate the door!"

Me too. Here's my two-line briefing.

* Lift up the honking big red door handle in the direction of the honking big arrow.
* Door will either open or come off entirely. If it comes off, throw it out.

Ta-dah! The slide will inflate automatically, and you may now exit the plane.

[cutiebutie]

I fly with Tiger twice a month and think they are the best of the cheap airlines. And I never had trouble getting the exit or first row, and I did not pay any premium