Flying etiquette and safety are being taken more seriously in one country.
Now, in Turkey, passengers can be fined for standing up on a plane before it has reached the gate and come to a complete stop. This new regulation is aimed at improving safety and disembarkation procedures.
The fines are administrative and are imposed by the Turkish authorities after the airline files a "passenger ignorance report."
While the exact amount of the fine hasn't been specified, reports suggest it could be around $70 US.
It does make me wonder, how did we get to this point? Passengers are expected to remain seated with their seatbelts fastened until the plane has reached the gate and the seatbelt sign is turned off. The primary reason for this rule is to ensure passenger safety during taxiing, especially in the event of unexpected turbulence or other incidents.
I know every time I fly, there are always people who click off their seatbelts the second the plane hits the tarmac. You can hear the clicking noises followed by an announcement from the flight attendants reminding people to stay seated and keep their belts on.
Why are rules so hard for people to follow? Will the threat of fines help? I feel like the enforcement of this will slow down the process of everyone getting off the plane.
People are agitated and tired after flying. Everyone wants to get off the plane and if the taxiing or wait for the gate takes longer than usual, people get even more antsy.
I fear fines will result in more chaos. I am not sure if airline travel turns people into animals or if it is the other way around. Maybe we’ve asked for it.
Holding airlines to account doesn’t seem to be working either. I’ve heard numerous stories about loopholes in airline protection regulations. You can generally get compensated if your delay stretches overnight, causes you to miss a connection or goes on for more than three hours.
But there always seems to be a reason for an airline to get out of this.
I was delayed for several hours, there was a mechanical issue and then a crew change was needed.
I didn’t see a dime of compensation, and was told I wouldn’t because it was out of their hands. It didn’t make any sense to me, but after several emails back and forth, I gave up.
What is my time worth? Airline travel isn’t always smooth.
But if we follow the rules— the airlines and the passengers, there would be a lot less headaches. Threatening people and companies with fines isn’t always the answer, but then again, I suppose money talks.
