After 9/11, the cockpit gets blocked off when the door is opened. A pilot goes to the lavatory, and no one can approach the front of the aircraft. That makes sense, but the flipside is that this should be reserved only for the pilot’s important needs. Here, a Southwest Airlines pilot flying from Dallas Love Field to Los Angeles reportedly spends a part of the flight chatting up a flight attendant, while passengers are forced to wait to use the lavatory. That seems like bad judgment to me – and actually illegal!
@SouthwestAir fly attendant sent elderly woman in row 6 to the lavatory in the back so the pilot could continue to just yuck it up with her. No one in the lavatory. They talked for a good 10 mins. Awful flt 3756 pic.twitter.com/WDTksOCrea
— Jeffrey F (@jeffreyfields) December 1, 2024
Federal Aviation Regulation 121.543 requires pilots to be in the cockpit at all times except:
- “Necessary for performance of duties” to check something in the aircraft
- “In connection with physiological needs” using the lav
- Crew rest, when another pilot takes their place
There’s no time limit on these exceptions. Was flirting a “physiological need” – perhaps!
Several years ago on an American Airlines flight from Washington National to Dallas-Fort Worth my flight’s captain spent 20 minutes in the galley flirting as part of his lavatory trip.
This came right after the meal service, and passengers up front were visibly squirming in their seats, while a service cart in the aisle in coach meant it wasn’t possible for passengers to go to the lavatories in back either.
My view is that a few pleasantries as part of a bathroom trip is fine, but that a pilot shouldn’t be out of the cockpit for 10 – 20 minutes on non-bathroom business while they’re on duty.
I’m all for Southwest Bashing, but please, someone, put a stopwatch on Gary’s bathroom breaks, unless that is where he writes posts like this while others wait….
The worst part is that if anyone had actually spoken up (as in talking directly to the pulot or lD/A they would have probably been black listed/arrested on arrival.
The stupidity of current regulations in the USA in particular nees to be looked at
Are you guys nuts? Half of yall as passengers can’t even stay in your seat for 2 minutes, walking through cabin while seatbelt signs on, sometimes in significant turbulence etc and you expect the pilots to sit in a confined flight deck for hours on end without getting up to stretch their legs. I mean God forbid they spend 5 even 10 minutes having a conversation while they are up! Do you all have jobs?!?!? Do you sit at your desk for 5 hours straight without getting up or taking a break, or speaking to anyone else? You all are absolutely RIDICULOUS! There is more than one bathroom in the plane
WALK TO THE BACK! So small minded to think “flirting” is what the conversation is about. Is that what yall do with your coworkers when you het up from your mundane desk jobs to speak with others? I’m sure there are a myriad of topics they talk about besides “flirting”
The fact that so many are throwing out negative comments but not one can relate the content of the conversation between the Captain and F/A speaks volumes for the credibility of those complaining!
Southwest is a peasant airline for peasant passengers. I’m not surprised they scrape the bottom of the barrel when it comes to flight crew. If you don’t like the service you get in cattle class, perhaps don’t fly Cattle Airlines then.
Drink cart? Those don’t exist on SWA.
Disregard. I read it wrong.
LMAO, you people are true idiots !
@ME, In too many cases the seatbelt sign stays on for much or even all of the flight so there’s not a lot of (or any) opportunities for passengers to legally use the lavatory. (Many non-US airlines turn the seatbelt sign on much less often.)
Incredible waste of time and print. I can guarantee that no one was “Forced” to wait while one of the Cockpit Crew conversed with a Flight Attendant. There are at least 2 restrooms on the aircraft. Also, when one of the Pilots needs to use the restroom, one FA stands at the front of the cabin to assure the safety of the Cockpit. Another FA enters the Cockpit to assure the remaining Pilot has someone there in case of emergency. Then another FA remains in the Galley and is available should there be a need in the cabin. May we suggest that whoever made this ridiculous complaint, grow up and pay attention.
We could also do without the juvenile remarks from the immature members of this group/
The regulations are not about whether or not it’s ok to chat up a flight attendant.
It’s because if something goes wrong on the flight deck, the second pilot is in position.
Any pilots replying to this article need to keep in mind that if it’s ok to be out of the seat for 10-20 minutes, then maybe we only need 1 pilot in the flight deck going forward and they can install an easy button and the plane can land itself in an emergency.
How’s that sound to you guys?
Otherwise, stay in the seat unless you have a legit reason to be out of it
If you can’t hold your water on a 2.5 hour flight, maybe you should talk to the flight surgeon.
Southwest is the best airline in the US, hospitality is till a value for them, best economy pitch, 2 bags for free, no other compares. There are two lavatories in the airplane, everyone could have used the one in the back, what are y’all even talking about? Do you know what they were talking about? How do you know they were flirting? You should all get a life, my Lord
Hes just trying to get laid and yes that’s a physiological need!
It happens on other airlines.. I experienced the same thing on an American Airlines. The seatbelt sign had been on for an hour and the Captain came out and used toilet as soon as the sign went off. He must have needed to use it.like the rest of us. He then spent 10 minutes chatting.up the stewardess, who interrupted her giggling to bark at those who needed to use the same facility. People even said that they needed to go, but she was too busy enjoying her authority to tell the Captain that others needed to go. He knew as well, just didn’t care.
What was wrong with the aft lav? Blows my mind the author of this article knows where to find FAA regulations to quote but couldn’t find a blueprint for the most popular airplane of all time…
For starters there’s bathrooms in the back of the plane. I fly 40 to 50 times a year, get over yourself. By a long shot Southwest employees are much friendlier than other airlines employees.You may run into an occasional unhappy employee,but those are few and far between.
The usual trash complaints from this author. Don’t YOU get up to stretch your legs on a multi-hour flight? Pilots are not robots. Do you want them cramping up while they’re trying to fly the plane? Stop being such heartless a-holes.
I’ve seen the same thing more than a few times on UA, where it’s even more annoying because they block the F class lav.
You really must have nothing else to complain about today… standing up for 10 minutes on a long flight is not only reasonable but it’s healthy. (Yes streaching your legs is indeed a physiological need) Talking to a coworker well on break is also not illegal.
The pilot must be a high-school student I think
Were they dei hires?
Let the man stretch his legs. For those who are that important, fly private.
Poster ME is correct.
The OP doesn’t state the flight route but haviing routinly flown Paris to LAX (called the Polar) which is 12.5 hours after engine start and another hour of cockpit preflight (for which we are not paid) and at least :20 minutes post flight because tjhe stairs are blocked by exiting PAX all 400+ of them
i would often take physiological breaks by walking the lenth of the cabin.
That was pre 911. Now the flight crew is locked in the cockpit. I can’t image spending hours in it without a break outside of it.
Idiots in the comments talking about stretching your legs but don’t acknowledge FAA regulations. I bet you complain when the construction workers block your exit, but you simp for pilots taking 10 mins to flirt on a 3 hour flight. It’s so sad.
SWA should suspend the employees.
You have no idea what’s actually going on here.The FA could have been telling the pilot something pertinent to the safety of the flight, or “10 minutes” was actually 2 (time is warped a little bit when you have to pee). This is a trash article that’s clearly written by someone who has never been a pilot or a flight attendant at an airline before.
Articles like this is the reason I made the decision to stop visiting this site. Unfortunately my poor decision prevailed today and I’m all the more dumber for it.
Seriously with all the news going on this is what you choose to write about?
My only comment is that some people are too elderly, infirm, or incontinent to walk very far or wait very long.
The video is seconds long with a view from a seat and no one walked up there to ask to use the bathroom. Lies.
There are 3 restrooms on every swa plane 1 in the front and 2 in the back. This passenger is totally reaching. Clearly thinks yhey are too special to use back Lavs. The Cap has every right to get out and converse with flight crew and stretch his legs for some time.
Really good to read!
I’m in a wheelchair, you think waiting 10 minutes to use the toilet is bad, try waiting for a full 6 hours. That, after I was left outside the plane waiting for help, then humiliated while boarding, having one flight attendant claim it was my size that prevented them from getting me to my seat, when it was clearly metal on metal that was getting the isle chair stuck, the isle armrests didn’t raise making it hard to get into the seat that they made some poor guy move from for me. Then I was ignored the entire flight until the last 30 minutes.
This happened to me on and AA flight from SJO to DFW a few months back. In this instance the pilot chatted with the FA, drinking a cup of coffee, for at least 20 minutes AFTER using the bathroom and then he used it again before going back to the flight deck! All the while there was a line ~10 deep waiting to the aft lav.