Smoking Flights

As I sat on VS009 last night pondering which v:port offering to partake of next I started a chain of thoughts that went something like this:

1. Looking up at seatbelt light and noticing the constantly illuminated 'No Smoking' light next to it
2. Why do Airbus / Boeing still include the 'No Smoking' light
3. Guess some airline must still allow smoking

So the questions are
1. Which airlines still allow smoking? - is this in a limited area or the entire a/c
2. When was the last time anyone was on smoking flight - especially if you were one of the smokees

Phil

[fozzyo]

Originally posted by BuffyTVS65
As I sat on VS009 last night pondering which v:port offering to partake of next I started a chain of thoughts that went something like this:

1. Looking up at seatbelt light and noticing the constantly illuminated 'No Smoking' light next to it
2. Why do Airbus / Boeing still include the 'No Smoking' light
3. Guess some airline must still allow smoking

So the questions are
1. Which airlines still allow smoking? - is this in a limited area or the entire a/c
2. When was the last time anyone was on smoking flight - especially if you were one of the smokees

Phil

Smoking flights. [:$]

The Smoking Carriage on Virgin Trains was bad enough, at least there you could get away from it - and not even the smokers stayed in there too long.

Its quite strange you posted this, on our recent Sydney flight we were on one of the new new 340-600's (air born Jan this year). I noticed that in the toilet and on the toilet door they still had the little pull out ash trays. I couldn't think of a single reason why they are needed.

Mat xxx

On an internal flight in Brazil there was smoking. This was the end of last year

Olympic and Egyptair used to allow smoking (flew both two years ago) ... not sure if thats still the case.

I remember flying Air France 8 years ago and they had a little bar area with curtains and an extractor fan where you could smoke in Business, though thats gone now.

Not sure which airlines still permit it, but my last smoking flight was in 1995, Air2000 on my way to Turkey. Back then I was on just about 30-a-day, but sitting right at the back of the smoking section was awful, even for me (and it's not often you'll hear me complain about a smoking area!). Dunno what it'd be like now I've moved onto 60-a-day

I'm not sure if there are worldwide regulations for smoking on flights by the authorities (CAA/FAA/etc..), or whether it's a voluntary code by individual airlines (I guess once an airline declares there's no smoking on board, then it's enforceable under normal crew instruction laws). That could be a reason the lights are still included?

BTW, next month is my 21st anniversary of starting smoking

Cheers

Michael

That's funny, I was pondering the exact same question on my last flight.
I last flew as a smoker in the early 90's around europe. I don't recall the smoke ever hanging around long enough to bother anyone.

Even now in China which is one of the heaviest smoking and non saftey concious nations there is, all flights are non smoking.

Just found this handy guide. Bit out of date and doesn't include VS either but fairly good idea of state of play.

Found another article that suggested that while flights are officially non-smoking - flight deck crew are still allowed to smoke - which is obviously a pain as the air is circulated around the passenger cabins.

Phil

i went on the national carrier of Egypt ( can't remember the name of the airline)to Cairo, a 747. What an incredible flight. Smoking was allowed at the back of the plane, where you could also sit next to 3-4 stretcher cases with drips in their arms. They had actually taken out some rows of seats to get the stretchers in. Whatever their ailments were they probably had a breathing disorder by the time they were carted off the plane, as everybody stood by them smoking.

Alcoholic drinks weren't served but I took a rum and coke with me delicately disguised as a 2 litre bottle of diet coke.

The best part of the flight was the pilot at the start with a serious announcement regarding electrical items. It all boiled down to turn everything off until the seat belt sign went off then turn on whatever you wanted including phones. The icing on the cake was his comment to all the pax wearing pace makers. He advised them that they should not worry about trying to turn them off as they would not affect his instruments. I sat there not believing what I was hearing, and no, I hadn't started on the rum at that stage.
Tony

Originally posted by mcuth

BTW, next month is my 21st anniversary of starting smoking

Cheers

Michael

Happy anniversary for next month:D

Jilly

On the way back from Johannesburg I noticed one great thing about the No Smoking illumination - it's actually very good low lighting for when the lights are dimmed in the cabin.

Thanks,

David.

I was on Air Europa 18 months ago or so and they had 2 rows at the rear of the aircraft which where smoking.

Paul

Its quite strange you posted this, on our recent Sydney flight we were on one of the new new 340-600's (air born Jan this year). I noticed that in the toilet and on the toilet door they still had the little pull out ash trays. I couldn't think of a single reason why they are needed.

Mat xxx

I have just looked down the list of carriers who are using the A346 - They are all non smoking operators.

I am bemused as well to why Airbus continue to add these little ash trays and non smoking signs as standard?? [:?] Surely these are a production cost waiting to be slashed??

Originally posted by tallprawn
I have just looked down the list of carriers who are using the A346 - They are all non smoking operators.

I am bemused as well to why Airbus continue to add these little ash trays and non smoking signs as standard?? [:?] Surely these are a production cost waiting to be slashed??

How much do you think a redesign and a tool re-jig will cost?

Paul

It looks like smoking signs and ashtrays come as standard by both Beoing and Airbus.

However an airline has to cater for it's target audience by providing the service which a customer would expect - therefore if a carrier is more likely to make more money by selling a smoking service then they'd turn the lights off!

Maybe i'm just quite confused!

American Airlines had smoking sections on flights to and from Mexico.
As a kid, we flew with British Caledonian to LAX and my dad had to go the the bach 4 rows for a cigarette. Unfortunate for the people in the row 5th from the back. There is something strange about smoke where it appears not to want to obey the imaginary barriers we put up to segregate between smoking and no smoking areas. I expect it is some sort of scientific thing no one can work out.

PIA!

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by p17blo
I was on Air Europa 18 months ago or so and they had 2 rows at the rear of the aircraft which where smoking.

Paul

Which route?

I fly the London-Parma route every now and again and hadn't noticed and smoking section [:#]

Also I think Condor allows smoking.

[Scrooge]

Oh and btw,wlcome Capt Hogan

It does seem a little pointless having the non-smoking signs up there, perhaps they should just make them permanent.

Originally posted by jilly
Happy anniversary for next month:D

Thanks I actually celebrate it a month earlier on No-Smoking Day, and smoke as much as I can all day

Cheers

Michael

I flew on a KLM "combi" flight from Schipol to Singapore in the mid '80's. Not only were we allowed to smoke, but the cabin crew came round every hour or so offering free ciggies in packets of 5:)

My last cigarette was onboard a Lufthansa flight from HKG to FRA in late 1997. I remember being told off by the flight attendant when she saw me using my pastic glass as an ashtray (much easier than using the one in the armrest):D

"Sir, you cannot do that! Do you want to burn the plane down?" [ii]

And she confiscated my glass!

The Strawb

I think US Airways now have "no electric items" (or words to that effect)displayed on their ERJ-170s instead of the non-smoking sign.

Cheers,
VS045

Hi All

Up until a couple of years ago ...guys from my office used to fly back and forth to Athens with Olympic...there were a couple of rows at the back of the Y cabin allocated to smoking.... but the same in Business (the back 2 rows) smoking of cigars was also allowed in business !! .... so both the back and front of aircraft had smokers !!!

It became affectionally known as 'the flying fag'

regards

Mark

Ive just developed a funny sense of de ja vu whilst reading a thread on Flyertalk... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=537843 [:w]