SAFETY or PRIVILEGE?

Preferred seating is a wonderful perk for those of us who spend many hours in an airline seat. These seats have extra legroom and other small accoutrements which make the travel experience more tolerable. On at least one major carrier, free alcohol for those seated in these preferred seats is the latest benefit. 

Typically, these preferred seats are located in the first several rows, just behind first class…and of course the emergency exit rows. That’s right, free alcohol for those seated in an emergency exit row. Is this reasonable?

I get it! We can all appreciate that airlines are competing for passengers, and they desire to encourage loyalty through such benefits. However, is free alcohol for those seated in an exit row a good idea?

There are several qualifications for a person to be seated in an exit row. At a minimum the person must (abbreviated from 14 CFR 121.585):

·      Be 15 years of age or older

·      Have the ability to perform the required functions without assistance

·      Have the ability to read and understand the instructions related to emergency evacuation

·      Have the ability to hear and understand crew commands

·      Have sufficient visual capacity to perform applicable functions

·      Have the ability to impart information orally

Sobriety is not mentioned anywhere. And of course there is an abundance of research to prove that any level of alcohol impairs a person. I would certainly prefer that the person(s) who are seated in these exit rows be as capable as possible…and this includes not being encumbered by the deleterious effects of alcohol. I believe that persons seated in the exit rows should not be given free alcohol…in fact, I believe that if we truly value safety, then persons seated in these rows should not be served any alcohol, free or otherwise!