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Galley Gossip: Attention All Nippon Airway passengers, please empty your bladders now!

by Heather Poole (RSS feed) on Oct 7th 2009 at 8:30AM

Ya know, I've seen a lot of strange things working as a flight attendant in the last fourteen years, I really have, and just when I think I've seen it all a passenger will surprise me. Recently an elderly woman asked if I'd be willing to help her get her bra back on right after she yelled at me for talking too much in the aisle. And then there was the time I sat down on my jumpseat in the back of the airplane and another passenger cracked the lavatory door open and asked if I had a magazine she - not he - could borrow. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

Most of the time it's a passenger making a strange request, but this time it's an airline and that airline is implementing one wacky new policy. It wants you to pee before you fly. As of October 1, 2009, All Nippon Airways (ANA), a Japanese Airline, is asking its passengers to empty their bladders before boarding a flight, and they're doing so in the guise of going green. Now I'm all for being green, I even carry my own eco friendly refillable water bottle along with me on trips, but setting up signs at the airport and hiring "loo-attendants" to remind people to use the bathroom is kind of crazy, don't ya think? ANA believes a lighter aircraft will result in lower fuel use which in return will create a reduction in carbon emissions.

Perhaps All Nippon is on to something. It's been rumored that American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 when they removed one olive - ONE OLIVE! - from each salad in first class. Can you imagine how much money will be saved if every single passenger on board a full flight uses the loo before take-off? According to the Dailymail.co.uk, the average human bladder capacity is 15oz, which means if 150 passengers relieved themselves that would total to 63.7kg of waste. That's 140 pounds, people! That doesn't even count the amount of money the airline stands to save on toilet paper. Now does anyone know how much an olive weighs?

Of course it's the All Nippon staff who is in charge of asking passengers to use the restroom one last time before they board. How embarrassing is that going to be - for everyone involved! I can't help but wonder who, exactly, is going to do this, and how, exactly, this will be done, and what, exactly, is going to be said. I'm dying to know. Will frequent fliers receive special treatment by being allowed to go first? Will flight attendants be able to flash their badge and cut the line like we do at security? Will the airline take a delay for passengers who have difficulty going on cue. Next thing you know ANA will start limiting the amount of beverages allowed to be consumed on board after take-off! And here I thought charging for checked bags was bad!

While the airline is only in an experimental phase with it's carbon emission reduction plan which will take place over one month and forty two flights, it may actually extend the program if it is well received by passengers and gets positive results.

Photo courtesy of Tango-Sierra

Filed under: Japan, Airlines, Transportation, Galley Gossip

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Bert Oct 7th 2009 11:33AM

This will just work out great! 200-400 people rushing to the closest loo is certainly not going to cause delays in getting passengers on board, creating pushback delays and then getting further delayed down the taxiway.

Add to that the environmental impact from people going to the washroom an extra time, as opposed to just holding it in. Think of all the gallons of water, forests of trees and all the chemicals in the soap being wasted. Then again, ANA might be able to stock their lav with 3 sheets less toilet paper because less people will use the loo.

This is green-washing at it's worse.

frank96 Oct 7th 2009 10:49AM

Weight of the aircraft being important here. Maybe we'll see Flight Attendant weight restrictions come back? :::grin:::

Heather Poole Oct 8th 2009 2:03AM

That was the first thing that crossed my mind, Frank, when I first read the story about ANA

Melvin Oct 7th 2009 12:28PM

With these kind of things I always get the impression that companies try to save a lot of $ and publish it as beeing green.
But if it helps the environment.... ok. I would love to hear the messages in the boarding rooms:

"Bing.... Passenger Smith, please take your seat at the toilet."

"Bing.... Passengers of the flight ANA123 to XY, please get ready to board the toilet."

lol
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Bob, the semi talented singing pilot Oct 7th 2009 5:04PM

The old lady's bra was unhooked?

Perhaps she was in the lav joining the mile high club.

And all your talking must have been distracting, spoiling the moment.

At least she finished in the lav in time for the other lady to get some serious reading done.

Heather Poole Oct 8th 2009 2:02AM

Bob, you crack me up - as always!

tammy Oct 21st 2009 7:59AM

at least it's not as bad as Ryanair wanting to charge pax £1 to use the loo onboard...

Nikki Oct 31st 2009 3:00AM

As someone who used to have to service the lav of an aircraft this is the greatest thing i have ever hear of! Now if only we could get those bags to walk out of the cargo bins and onto the baggage carousel all by themselves ramp work would be a dream.

Vale Nov 20th 2009 10:20AM

I don´t think this is a bad idea at all,as a mater of fact just the recycling project that they´re presenting to support the idea of the toilet use, makes it worth on being call green.
Just imagine all the trouble that you´ll be saved of as a flight attendant or a cleaning guy.
At least they´re doing something more than just complain.