Do commercial planes need 'No Smoking' lights anymore?

flazio · 30-10-2013 11:22PM #1

Surely at this stage we all know that smoking on a flight is a big no no, so can westop installing No Smoking lights beside the seatbelt lights?
I reckon we probably have pilots at this stage who wouldn't remember a time when smoking on flights was allowed.

Busted Flat. · 30-10-2013 11:25PM

flazio wrote: »

Surely at this stage we all know that smoking on a flight is a big no no, so can westop installing No Smoking lights beside the seatbelt lights?
I reckon we probably have pilots at this stage who wouldn't remember a time when smoking on flights was allowed.

They need bigger signs for the clowns that can't see the small ones, and there is more clowns out there than you can imagine.

A320 · 31-10-2013 02:30AM

flazio wrote: »

Surely at this stage we all know that smoking on a flight is a big no no, so can westop installing No Smoking lights beside the seatbelt lights?
I reckon we probably have pilots at this stage who wouldn't remember a time when smoking on flights was allowed.

I have been on newer airbus aircraft that dont have them,they had "turn off electronic devices" instead.the no smoking was on a small decal every few rows

murphaph · 31-10-2013 10:28AM

A320 wrote: »

I have been on newer airbus aircraft that dont have them,they had "turn off electronic devices"

...including e-Cigarettes I presume? :pac:

n0brain3r · 31-10-2013 11:31AM

Anyone ever on a smoking flight? It must of been a horrible experience. Did they recycle the cabin air more often to make up for it?

MuffinsDa · 31-10-2013 12:12PM

n0brain3r wrote: »

Anyone ever on a smoking flight? It must of been a horrible experience. Did they recycle the cabin air more often to make up for it?

Yep, up until as late as 2001 you could smoke on some airlines, they used to be quite lenient. I remember distinctly an Emirates flight in 2001 where the back was filled with smokers and smoke - I remember seeing and Indian gentleman smoking a pipe!

I was also on a lot of flights in which smoking was allowed in the 90s.

I think Air France were quite lenient about it up until early 2000s too.

It wasn't nice!

eusap · 31-10-2013 12:39PM

The new AerArran planes also have the No Electronics lights instead of the no smoking lights

hardCopy · 31-10-2013 12:43PM

MuffinsDa wrote: »

Yep, up until as late as 2001 you could smoke on some airlines, they used to be quite lenient. I remember distinctly an Emirates flight in 2001 where the back was filled with smokers and smoke - I remember seeing and Indian gentleman smoking a pipe!

I was also on a lot of flights in which smoking was allowed in the 90s.

I think Air France were quite lenient about it up until early 2000s too.

It wasn't nice!

I remember this too. You'd be asked at check in if you wanted smoking or non-smoking. There was no divider or anything, smokers just sat at the back and usually boarded from the back. The same way restaurants used to work, as if the smoke would magically stop at the dividing line between smoking and non smoking zones.

bk · 31-10-2013 01:00PM

The new No Electronics lights signs are pretty ironic given that the FAA is about to change the rules in the US to allow electronics during all phases of flight and I assume the EU authorities will follow suit.

Dublinflyer · 31-10-2013 01:34PM

I was on a flight in the US last week and the armrests still had ashtrays in them, sealed shut but still clearly marked with a cigarette sign. I think Ryanair allow e-ciggs and Aer Lingus do not.

I have seen the no electronics sign on a few of the newer aircraft. I suppose they will still need to have them even if the FAA change the rules as the pilot and airline will have discretion on if the pax can use PED's during the flight. In saying that if the FAA, and the others, was to say that PED's can be used on all phases of a flight it would be a brave airline that would ban them as I think it would change the habits of business travelers. It's going to be interesting to watch.

veetwin · 31-10-2013 02:14PM

n0brain3r wrote: »

Anyone ever on a smoking flight? It must of been a horrible experience. Did they recycle the cabin air more often to make up for it?

Yeah been on several smoking flights. Pakistani airlines used to allowed up to the mid 2000's as did Saudi Arabian. I used to smoke at the time so it was grand for me. Would hate to have been a non smoker on those flights though.

Peregrine · 31-10-2013 02:14PM

hardCopy wrote: »

I remember this too. You'd be asked at check in if you wanted smoking or non-smoking.

All of the flights I've been on had the No Smoking lights. I think we should still have enough No Smoking signs on the aircraft, be it lights or just signs on the back of seats. I know most people know it's a big no no to smoke on aircraft nowadays but there will still be people who 'forgot' or didn't know

Mister R · 31-10-2013 02:17PM

I guess for airlines operating in countries that are less used to flying. I went for an interview for Emirates once and they had this presentation before explaining about the company and how when travelling to parts of Asia and Africa a lot of passengers have never flown before, something that is unlikely at European or North American airlines.

billie1b · 31-10-2013 02:32PM

Dublinflyer wrote: »

I was on a flight in the US last week and the armrests still had ashtrays in them, sealed shut but still clearly marked with a cigarette sign. I think Ryanair allow e-ciggs and Aer Lingus do not.

I have seen the no electronics sign on a few of the newer aircraft. I suppose they will still need to have them even if the FAA change the rules as the pilot and airline will have discretion on if the pax can use PED's during the flight. In saying that if the FAA, and the others, was to say that PED's can be used on all phases of a flight it would be a brave airline that would ban them as I think it would change the habits of business travelers. It's going to be interesting to watch.

I think this is because the A330 fleet are so old that some Airlines allowed smoking on them still

Dublinflyer · 31-10-2013 02:42PM

You are right about the A330 age but it was actually an MD-80 I was on at the time. Now that was an old bird!

billie1b · 31-10-2013 02:44PM

Dublinflyer wrote: »

You are right about the A330 age but it was actually an MD-80 I was on at the time. Now that was an old bird!

Ha sorry, I took it up that you said 'I was on a flight TO the US last week' not IN, sorry minor lapse in my concentration, Jeez yeah MD80 is an old bird but a classic

Dublinflyer · 31-10-2013 02:56PM

Yea the MD80, it's great to see them still flying but holy moly they can be loud on the inside. I was delayed leaving Dublin and so missed my connection and rebooked right at the back about 6 inches from the engine. Even with ear plugs in my eardrums were shaking for a day after!

View Profile · 31-10-2013 04:38PM

The new 737 still has built in ash trays in the flightdeck.

APM · 31-10-2013 05:51PM

I flew from Morocco to Marseille last week and we had a passenger arrested on arrival for smoking in the toilets, so I think the signs are definitely still needed.

The passenger in question admitted smoking and claimed he was never told not to smoke.

Different cultures I guess.

To other posters, E-cigarettes are not permitted on Ryanair. Just the smokeless ones they sell onboard, which are not the same thing.

L1011 · 31-10-2013 06:25PM

Dublinflyer wrote: »

I was on a flight in the US last week and the armrests still had ashtrays in them, sealed shut but still clearly marked with a cigarette sign.

You'll get that daily in DUB - the Saab 340s used by Loganair have ashtrays.

BonkeyDonker · 31-10-2013 06:59PM

And the irony of it is that even though you cannot smoke on a flight any more, if ashtrays were originally fitted, but missing it can cause the flight to be cancelled - particularly in toilets.

Stovepipe · 31-10-2013 07:59PM

Hi there
people still try smoking in aircraft toilets and we still catch them. they also leave lighters and matches behind. Ashtrays are there because the risk still exists. Tobacco smoke, over time, damaged mechanical instruments. Aircraft were fitted with instrument filters to cope with it.
regards
Stovepipe

flazio · 31-10-2013 08:12PM

I'm not saying to do away with 'No Smoking' signs entirely, I just mean the overhead lights that sit beside the Fasten Seatbelt sign. Of course I believe that 'No Smoking' should be mentioned as part of every Pre flight safety announcement and that signage should remain around the toilets. (I also believe that a sprinkler should be activated should someone light up in the loo but that's another point)

ProfessorPlum · 31-10-2013 09:09PM

That might be a bit of a problem when the pax or cc go in to touch up their hair and get drenched!

pclancy · 31-10-2013 10:05PM

I've been on several 777-300s and 777-200s this year and ALL of them had ash trays in the toilets. Each time I saw one I wondered why there were never taken out or even installed in the first place as most of the aircraft werent very old.

On a trip to China in 2008 with KLM on a 747 there were two passengers caught smoking in the toilets and then on an internal China Southern 737 again the smell of fags eminated from the toilets soon after reaching cruise height. You might have some chance of getting away with it on a 747 but on a 737??? Both times though the stewardess got angry but no further action such as police was taken. Crazy.

keith16 · 31-10-2013 10:07PM

Whenever I go to the jacks on an Aer Lingus Flight, I always marvel at the ashtray in the jacks door. I say marvel, I mean "notice".

rovoagho · 31-10-2013 10:10PM

Comical that Irish airlines are adding No Electronics signs just as the FAA has abolished the requirement.

L1011 · 31-10-2013 10:17PM

keith16 wrote: »

Whenever I go to the jacks on an Aer Lingus Flight, I always marvel at the ashtray in the jacks door. I say marvel, I mean "notice".

Requirement, so staff have somewhere to extinguish a confiscated smoke

crosstownk · 31-10-2013 10:21PM

I remember being on an EI flight to LPA in the early '90s that allowed smoking in the rear of the B737.

As a smoker I found it horrible. Absolutely horrible. I never booked a smoking seat since.

On an AA flight to BOS (also in the '90s) there were two rows down the back that allowed smoking - it was like a train in Scandinavia.

keith16 · 31-10-2013 11:12PM

MYOB wrote: »

Requirement, so staff have somewhere to extinguish a confiscated smoke

Ah. That makes sense. Do people really try to light up on flights?

billie1b · 31-10-2013 11:14PM

keith16 wrote: »

Ah. That makes sense. Do people really try to light up on flights?

Jeez yeah, I probably have garda at one of my flights waiting at least 3 out of my 6 shift days

Do commercial planes need 'No Smoking' lights anymore?

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