Smoking On Aeroplanes

[tgeezer]

I was talking to a cabin crew of a very prestigious Asian airline who said that it was not uncommon for poeple to smoke in the lavatory. It is difficult to prove who it was so not much is done. From the safety point of view I think it interesting that when smoking was permitted, the place on an aeroplane where you could not smoke is now the place where it takes place.

Edited January 14, 2008 by tgeezer

[Naam]

I was talking to a cabin crew of a very prestigious Asian airline who said that it was not uncommon for poeple to smoke in the lavatory. It is difficult to prove who it was so not much is done. From the safety point of view I think it interesting that when smoking was permitted, the place on an aeroplane where you could not smoke is now the place where it takes place.

you can't smoke there undetected if you don't know how to trick the smoke detector. and please don't ask as i will not tell you "how" although i am a heavy smoker but do NOT smoke during a flight.

[SoCal]

Is it actually a crime to smoke on an airplane?

[Crossy]

The best place to smoke in an aircraft? Persons who smoke on aircraft should immediately be asked to leave in the same way as they would if they were in a non-smoking area of the pub/restaurant!! They are risking the lives of the other passengers to indulge in their habit.

A building fire is scary enough, a tunnel fire is even worse (personal experience) but at least in these cases rescue can come and get you, on an aircraft, no way out, no nice fireman to come and rescue you until it's on the ground, then you're not safe even with the doors open, Swissair (IIRC) had a lavatory fire some years back which erupted when the doors were opened killing many.

[njpski]

if you want to smoke - GO OUTSIDE

if you want to smoke inside - do you mind if i spit or break wind

in your face?

smoking is just so selfish

[jingjoe]

Love a smoke, but survive easily during LH flights thanks to;

Suck away like a cough lolly while you kick back with a Bourbon and coke.... bliss

[flightcrew1]

Well I work for a major airline (US) based out of BKK and yes people do smoke in the toilets but the smoke alarm goes off. If you try to disable the alarm it also goes off. I had one passenger who stuck his head down into the toilet and then lit up and continued to flush the whole time. The alarm did not go off the first time he apparently did it but the second time he ended up throwing out his back and could not get off the floor and we had to enter to help him up and out. He denied that he had been smoking at first but the smell and the pack of cigarettes and lighter on the floor was a give away. He was arrested upon arrival. Sure it's generally only a fine but after a long flight do you really want to be held up for several hours and then banned from flying that particular carrier again? If you are flying a Star Alliance Carrier the information will be shared and you will subsequently be banned from those carriers as well.

Now that said - Tech crew (pilots) can smoke if they wish in the cockpit and if the cockpit crew are smokers then the cabin crew can and do smoke in the front as well.

[jingjoe]

Tech crew (pilots) can smoke if they wish in the cockpit and if the cockpit crew are smokers then the cabin crew can and do smoke in the front as well.

Sneaky buggers

[chiang mai]

Wheee, another good versus evil thread.

[Mighty Mouse]

If you are the type of smoker who would light up in the aircraft toilet, you would also be the type of smoker who likes to smoke in a buildings' lift.

Such smokers don't give two hoots about the comforts of other people who need to use the toilet or the lift.

It's these inconsiderate smokers who give all smokers a bad reputation.

[spot]

It's weird, but before and after getting on the plane I'm puffing away like mad, then as soon as I'm on the plane I don't even think about it. Never ever thought about sneaking one in the toilet.

So if I can manage 7-11 hours never thinking about it, why can't I give up? er.....?

[Mighty Mouse]

I have a mate who is a very heavy smoker. He wants to quit but finds it impossible to do so.

He travels regularly to Thailand and he told me that on some flights he is so desperate to have a few drags of a cigarette, that he thinks about putting the blanket over his head and lighting up.

So far he hasn't done that but it goes to show what a tight grip the habit has on some people.

[dantilley]

It's curious how there are ashtrays on the inside of the doors of many aeroplae toilets if they have always been no smoking areas...

Is there such a thing as a smoking flight anywhere in the world? Or is it a globally illegal thing? If so, then why bother having the no-smoking lights everywhere and make announcements about it, if it could never be allowed anyway?

[peter991]

It's weird, but before and after getting on the plane I'm puffing away like mad, then as soon as I'm on the plane I don't even think about it. Never ever thought about sneaking one in the toilet.

So if I can manage 7-11 hours never thinking about it, why can't I give up? er.....?

I think that's because almost all the planes we travel on these days have been non-smoking since they were built. It's like going into a hospital or non-smoking workplace. As a smoker - I find it easier not to smoke in such an environment.

I 'survive' not being able to smoke on a plane by using nicotine patches (the chewing gum gives me an upset stomach).

Peter

[chiang mai]

I smoke but one of the very few places I feel the desire to do so is on a plane. I can easily take a sixteen hour long haul flight without ever wanting a cigarette. I suppose that if I ever wanted to quit smoking I should probably get a job as a "trolley dolly" but suspect I don't have the legs for the job.

[Patsycat]

I read somewhere that there was a German guy who was going to start up a new smoking Airline.

Myself it's the Nicorette chewing gum and then straight into a smokers box on arrival.

[flightcrew1]

"curious how there are ashtrays on the inside of the doors of many aeroplae toilets if they have always been no smoking areas...

Is there such a thing as a smoking flight anywhere in the world? Or is it a globally illegal thing? If so, then why bother having the no-smoking lights everywhere and make announcements about it, if it could never be allowed anyway?"

I'm going to date myself here...when I first started as a flight attendant smoking was allowed both in the cabin and toilets with a curtain to separate the non smoking and smoking section. Back in the early 80's some of our aircraft even had a smoking lounge in the front!!

Now that said...if you are on an aircraft that has ashtrays in seat and the toilet that means the aircraft is about 20 years old!!! Time to change airlines!!

We make the announcements because even though smoking has not been allowed for years people still and ask if they can smoke.

I also beleive Aeroflot Russian Airlines is the only airline to still allow smoking on some flights.

[Naam]

for the record: EADS (Airbus) has accepted orders from several airlines to integrate in the A380 a cabin, separately ventilated, where smokers can indulge. a spokesman of EADS refused to name those airlines which ordered that version of aircraft.

[dekka007]

Tech crew (pilots) can smoke if they wish in the cockpit

Not true. Most ops manuals prohibit that and the flightdeck crew risk disciplinary action if caught OR more likely the case reported by fellow crew

I am not sure which US carrier u work for but iam 99.9% sure that most US Carriers ops manuals prohibit smoking at all times in the aircraft by any person on board including flightdeck crew, cabin crew and pax.

But perhaps they want to risk it.....I dont. There was a case in my previous company where engineering found substantial nicotine residue / discolouring on avionics fan cooling inlets on the flightdeck which resulted in a very nasty flight deck crew memo......explaining the consequences very directly.

Edited January 15, 2008 by dekka007

[flightcrew1]

Tech crew (pilots) can smoke if they wish in the cockpit

Not true. Most ops manuals prohibit that and the flightdeck crew risk disciplinary action if caught OR more likely the case reported by fellow crew

I am not sure which US carrier u work for but iam 99.9% sure that most US Carriers ops manuals prohibit smoking at all times in the aircraft by any person on board including flightdeck crew, cabin crew and pax.

But perhaps they want to risk it.....I dont. There was a case in my previous company where engineering found substantial nicotine residue / discolouring on avionics fan cooling inlets on the flightdeck which resulted in a very nasty flight deck crew memo......explaining the consequences very directly.

I guess I phrased that wrongly. Smoking is "not allowed" but the tech crew do smoke and if you are cabin crew and you know the tech crew are smoking they never have a problem with you having a smoke in the front. I'm a non smoker myself but see it all the time. With a severe shortage of tech crew I can't imagine them letting go any tech crew for smoking. At the moment we are so short tech crew we have been cancelling some flights within Asia. Other carriers in the region are in worse shape with tech crew shortage and losing 2 a month

I don't know of any cases of crew reporting on each other for smoking...other things yes, but if crew report on each other, life is then made miserable for that particular crew member on future flights if what was reported was considered trivial.

As I mentioned I don't smoke and was glad when they stopped smoking on board the aircraft because I used to stink like I was in a nightclub all night after getting off the plane.

[Sir Burr]

In the aircraft's toilet, the sink drain is operated by a vacuum. If you depress the lever/button to drain the water and keep your cigarette very close to the plug-hole, the smoke is sucked away. Breath out the smoke very close to the plug-hole and that gets sucked away too.

The alarm doesn't go off, but, the toilet will smell of cigarette smoke.

Never done this myself............just heard about it.

[Pundi64]

Is it actually a crime to smoke on an airplane?

It should be a crime to smoke anywhere, in the air or on the ground.!!!!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Is it actually a crime to smoke on an airplane?

It is indeed.

[sfokevin]

We should not bash the poor smokers....

I am all for a place for them to smoke...

Maybe on the wing...

[flightcrew1]

In the aircraft's toilet, the sink drain is operated by a vacuum. If you depress the lever/button to drain the water and keep your cigarette very close to the plug-hole, the smoke is sucked away. Breath out the smoke very close to the plug-hole and that gets sucked away too.

The alarm doesn't go off, but, the toilet will smell of cigarette smoke.

Never done this myself............just heard about it.

Yes, you are right...but only on the new aircraft. I would not try this on most Thai Airways planes. But as you can see from my previous posting one passenger was obviously trying this and threw out his back! Don't try this on older aircraft where the toilets are not vacume pump but the old blue water system. Not only will the alarm go off but you will have blue toilet water staining your shirt and face!

[spot]

We should not bash the poor smokers....

I am all for a place for them to smoke...

Maybe on the wing...

I wouldn't mind, but bit hard to get the cig lit there..

Besides, don't think you would be too happy if we were smoking over the fuel tanks.

[seonai]

What a hilarious topic Did anyone ever hear Billy Connolley's sketch about toilets in planes called 'The Jobby Wheeker'. It wasn't about smoking on board it was about where does the poo go once you've done it!!! Also, in the days where the vacume thing wasn't there in the toilet... he talked of leaving the toilet in the morning on an aircraft to face a large queue and there was a poo in the loo that you couldn't get to go away. So when you came out to the queue you would say 'Honest Jimmy, it's no mine...'

[Theyreallrubbish]

As there's a real flight crew person here can you confirm what may be an urban legend?

That after airlines went non-smoking the cabin airfilters that used to be changed 3-4 times on a long haul flight were then changed only once after the smoking ban started, thereby increasing the risk of germs being circulated in the cabin.

[lazeeboy]

Well I work for a major airline (US) based out of BKK and yes people do smoke in the toilets but the smoke alarm goes off. If you try to disable the alarm it also goes off. I had one passenger who stuck his head down into the toilet and then lit up and continued to flush the whole time. The alarm did not go off the first time he apparently did it but the second time he ended up throwing out his back and could not get off the floor and we had to enter to help him up and out. He denied that he had been smoking at first but the smell and the pack of cigarettes and lighter on the floor was a give away. He was arrested upon arrival. Sure it's generally only a fine but after a long flight do you really want to be held up for several hours and then banned from flying that particular carrier again? If you are flying a Star Alliance Carrier the information will be shared and you will subsequently be banned from those carriers as well.

Now that said - Tech crew (pilots) can smoke if they wish in the cockpit and if the cockpit crew are smokers then the cabin crew can and do smoke in the front as well.

now i must get freindly with the pilots

[gburns57au]

If you are really desperate....light the smoke take one drag and put it out....hold the smoke in for as long as possible....then exhale.....

result....not enough smoke for the detectors to pick up....and not enough smell.....very hard for anyone to prove.