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To save weight, airline removes life vests
In an attempt to cut as much weight as possible from their aircraft, Jazz Airlines, a subsidiary of Air Canada, recently decided to pull all life vests from their aircraft. Now, in the unlikely event of a water landing, passengers will be advised to use their floating seat cushions for buoyancy.Will this affect the safety of the passengers? Well, purely from the flotation standpoint, life vests have an advantage in that they don't need to be held onto, which can be tough to do when you're in ice-cold Canadian water. They also help the passenger's body face upward, out of the water versus the opposite position that holding a seat cushion would require (an article on TheStar has better diagrams). But government regulators don't require one or the other.
How much do these life vests weigh? About a half kilogram. For the seventy five people that might be on this Jazz aircraft, that's a total of thirty-eight kilograms or about eighty three pounds per flight.
It seems to me that there's enough swing in the passenger and luggage loads such that the weight shouldn't make much of a difference. Suppose a men's rugby club books a dozen tickets instead of a middle school girl's gymnastics team. Each one of those guys could weigh three times as much as the girl. What do you do about that?
Sure, many domestic airlines no longer have life vests, but for the eighty pounds of weight saved, is it really worth the drama and customer disgust?
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
maz Aug 30th 2008 9:20PM
#1: It has been done.
#2: Although hypothermia is a realistic consideration, planes have ditched in the summer and in the warm waters of the Caribbean and off the coast of Italy too (with life-vest donning survivors I might add).
#3: Finally, there is no commercial passenger aircraft in service that does not have a Flight Attendant assigned to each primary emergency exit--many of which are in the galleys or galley area. All other emergency exits (or exit rows) are secondary and above what is required (although many configurations of the Boeing's 767 has additional crew members assigned to and seated at the overwing exit rows). In reality, passengers often panic and try to get out the way they came in, completely disregarding the nearest usable exit...until otherwise directed by a crew member or a fellow passenger. (I've seen it first hand!)
Now, don't you feel better.
Joyce Aug 26th 2008 12:11PM
Tell me this, how are the parents with babies and toddlers expected to hold on to their "flotation devices" AND their children at the same time? Put the damn life vests back on the planes, at least for the children! If airlines must cust costs, then cut out some of the flight attendants on the flight. The only one they need is the one to turn on the video with safety instructions, who tell passengers what to do in the event of a water landing.
maz Aug 30th 2008 8:09PM
Most airlines do not provide (and never have provided) standard life vests on regional jets and "domestic only" aircraft, such as 737s. However, airlines do provide infant life vests on all aircraft for exactly the reason you mentioned. All of this information is available on the Safety Briefing Card that passengers often do not read and let's not even discuss the Safety Announcement that most pay no attention to--which is exactly the reason that there are an FAA required minimum number of Flight Attendants onboard every plane.
I am a Flight Attendant and I have evacuated an aircraft. I can assure you that we are needed. In my situation, the plane had come to a complete stop and everyone remained seated and dumbstruck until I began yelling "RELEASE YOUR SEATBELTS AND GET OUT! RELEASE YOUR SEATBELTS AND GET OUT!..." And I can assure you that I said it at least 3 times before anyone moved. I had to physically remove one woman from her seat and have her carried off the plane because, although she was not injured, she was in negative panic and just sat there. Also, the folks seated in the exit row did not open their exits until an FA told them to--again, negative panic.
You may think that your comment is whitty, and I know there are bad Flight Attendants out there--I've worked with them, but never forget that there are those of us who take the safety aspects of our jobs seriously and will risk our lives to save yours.
bill Aug 26th 2008 12:26PM
who would be surprised with a name like 'JAZZ' I guess they figure everuone is going to be dead anyway so why bother.
avioniker Aug 26th 2008 12:53PM
It should be understood that if nothing is done nothing happens.
It doesn't matter if the plane is full of gymnasts or a rugby team, every kilo carried requires fuel to carry it. Removing any weight will save fuel, PERIOD.
Quit the whining and face the fact that the airlines haven't raised prices in over 40 years to match the costs of operation.
I paid $105 each way from Denver to Florida in 1968 and can still fly that same route for the same money.
Get over it!
s. perry Aug 26th 2008 1:08PM
carry your floatie wings to wear on your upper arms! :)
Bill Aug 26th 2008 1:08PM
Maybe they should take out the seats and use the life jackets as seats that would save a lot more weight!
Foz Aug 30th 2008 4:34AM
ahahahahaaha wouldn't that be a sight!!
Kris Sep 17th 2008 6:14PM
A more effective way to reduce the weight of an aircraft is to scrape all the paint off, (like American Airlines has). Painting your plane to look like an Orca adds a lot of weight.
joshcalkid@aol.com Aug 26th 2008 1:35PM
I recently returned from Montréal to Chicago on Air
Canada's Jazz airline. The plane was a CRJ 100 series, the smallest possible jet you could find. It was so small, the flight attendant used the lavatory as her make shift galley. Yes, she got her water, and dumped the coffee in the toilet. She stacked the cups on the sink of the bathroom. How do l know that? I sat in the last row and saw her try to do this all on the sly. My seat mate was horrified. He couldn't believe any of it. So, Air Canada, with your rude flight attendants, why can't you be more civil in flight as you seem to be on the ground in Montréal? It was very gross to see that, plus using the lavatory was nearly impossible, since she was in there all the time.
execk2 Aug 26th 2008 2:00PM
Only 15 years ago I started flying AC on business and have logged more than 1.5 million miles. I was Super Elite for a few years and in those days flying was quite satisfying and I wore a tie on board. It is now shorts, t-shirts and people bringing pizzas and Big Macs on board. It's a bus in the sky now. What a shame! WestJet and Porter are my 2 favorites now.
Marty Aug 26th 2008 2:05PM
This removing of life vests is worrisome for me. I am an adult nonswimmer. If the 5 biggest airline companies start removing vests too I would not be a happy passenager.
Maz Aug 30th 2008 7:18PM
If it is not an overwater certified aircraft, it probably does not, and never had, life vests--regardless of whether you are dealing with a regional or legacy carrier. And don't worry that you are not a strong swimmer--if you wind up in the water it is important to simply stay afloat and not swim. It hard to believe, but the more you move, the quicker hypothermia sets in.
mazedancr Aug 26th 2008 2:41PM
hello life jackets DONT WORK ON LAND so unless you are on a transatlantic or pacific flight why would you need them carseats are an ESSENTIAL for small chlidren thought
Maz Aug 30th 2008 7:05PM
You might think that car seats are essential, but quite frankly less than 10% of parents purchase a ticket for their child or bring a car seat. The FAA allows children who have not yet reached their second birthday to be held on the lap of an adult (at least 18 years of age) for taxi, take-off, landing and any time the "Seatbelt" sign is illuminated. Parents choose to save money by holding the child on their lap--even though they would never dream of doing so in a car traveling down the highway at 50 mph. They are given the impression that it is safe, because it is allowed. However, it is physically impossible to keep a hold of even a 5 lb handbag in a situation such as an aborted take-off (when a plane would be coming to a complete stop from around 150 mph) or a down draft (where a plane flies into an invisible air pocket and drops several thousand feet). It has nothing to do with strength either--its simple physics.
In the industry, we call these children "Cabin Missiles."
The truly sad thing is that, as a Flight Attendant, when I approach parents to brief them on the recommended way to hold the child for take-off and landing, placement of O2 masks, life vests, the importance of not fastening the child into their own seatbelt, etc--I am often dismissed before I've even begun. "Yeah, yeah, yeah--we do this all the time." And then I watch them do everything wrong.
dan Aug 26th 2008 4:35PM
i' going to start flying rap airlines cause they never had life vest anyway cause the brothers don't swim...lmao
ppamelat@aol.com Aug 26th 2008 6:18PM
I really hate to be the one to break the news to everyone BUT do you really think that life vest is nothing more than a "feel-good-warm-blanket-device"?
And please estimate how many fail when needed? hmm.
When it is time , it is time. Not a well rehearsed event-opps , is everyone going to move into a bubble now?
Maz Aug 30th 2008 6:38PM
Federal Aviation Regulations (Part 121) require that an approved flotation device be provided for each soul onboard. "Your seat cushion serves as an approved flotation device." In addition, "extended overwater operations" certified aircraft must carry adult, infant and crew life vests, as well as rafts, beacons, etc. Most airlines do not provide (and never have provided) standard life vests on regional jets and "domestic only" aircraft, such as 737s. (By the way Joyce, airlines do provide infant life vests on all aircraft). All of this information is available on the Safety Briefing Card that passengers often do not read and during the Safety Briefing that most pay no attention to.