Shoes off for take-off/landing

[opusman]

Now I've flown a fair bit but have never had this before.

Recent EK flight from SIN-MEL, one (1) of the hosties walked one (1) of the aisles in J, telling pax to put their shoes back on for take-off and landing.
No other FA did it, and the other aisle never got the warning.

So is this a new EK policy being unevenly applied, or just one particular FA being overly cautious?

 

[Solid]

Even if it's not policy I like it.

 

[kpc]

If you fly Sq, the FAs always insist you keep shoes on/off for landing...SQ006 incident ex Tpe led to this. I always keep my shoes on for take off / landing.

 

[Skyring]

Now I've flown a fair bit but have never had this before.

Recent EK flight from SIN-MEL, one (1) of the hosties walked one (1) of the aisles in J, telling pax to put their shoes back on for take-off and landing.
No other FA did it, and the other aisle never got the warning.

So is this a new EK policy being unevenly applied, or just one particular FA being overly cautious?

Never had it before in all my years of flying.

But it is excellent advice. Chances are that the aircraft has the highest possibility of crashing when close to the ground, and if it's survivable, you don't want to exit the aircraft to be walking over debris or rocky ground. Or even tarmac hot on a summer's day. I always keep my shoes on for takeoff and landing, but if it's more than an hour or two, they come off for comfort.

 

[Mal]

Yep, shoes on until after takeoff, shoes back on during approach phase.

Haven't had any staff specifically point it out though, except in bulkhead etc.

 

[ozcos]

Interesting. I always ensure mine are on for takeoff and landing. A friend gave me some tips many, many years ago before my first ever business trip and one of those was that I don't want to be walking over hot embers without shoes . 15 years on and I have developed my own idiosyncrasies but that one still sticks in my mind.

Anyway... What's interesting is I've been on more than one flight where taking shoes off pre-departure is actively encouraged. Finnair was one... Before the new seats. The FA's handed out shoe bags and came along before departure to collect them (with shoes) and place in the overhead bins. If I recall JAL was another but that was a while ago and my memory is t so great sometimes.

 

[spudseamus]

Shoes on till well away from the ground and no pj's on till that time as well

 

[RB]

Yep, shoes on until after takeoff, shoes back on during approach phase.

Haven't had any staff specifically point it out though, except in bulkhead etc.

As above for me too, just seems to be the common sense way to go

 

[Skyring]

Interesting. I always ensure mine are on for takeoff and landing. A friend gave me some tips many, many years ago before my first ever business trip and one of those was that I don't want to be walking over hot embers without shoes .

A crash is a remote chance, but if one happens and you survive both the crash and the exit, the next thing you want to do is get away from that thing. Fast. Being crippled up by bare feet on hard ground, or hot wreckage, will slow you down.

It's the same reason the brace position pays attention to hand positioning. You need one hand in working order to get your seatbelt off so you can get out.

 

[Milboo]

Heard it on a number of flights - most recently on SQ and VA domestic J just last week.

 

[newflyer]

Hey Skyring - just logged on to AFF (for the first time in many, many years) to see this post. Interestingly, you posted a very similar comment many years back (like 2005...!), and I've never forgotten the advice, for all of the reasons you note above!

 

[Skyring]

Hey Skyring - just logged on to AFF (for the first time in many, many years) to see this post. Interestingly, you posted a very similar comment many years back (like 2005...!), and I've never forgotten the advice, for all of the reasons you note above!

Geez. 2005 was the year I started flying seriously. My first trip to the US, my first RTW.

Some things don't change. I always read the safety card and listen to the safety briefing. If anything happens, it'll happen quick and I won't have time to read that card.

Luckily nothing has.

Touch wood.

 

[get me outta here]

We're a bit OT, but one piece of advice I clearly remember is to put your dominate hand under the other so as to protect the most important one.

 

[Skyring]

Heard it on a number of flights - most recently on SQ and VA domestic J just last week.

But what about high heels? They tell you to take your heels off, so they don't puncture that sturdy liferaft.

 

[SYD]

But what about high heels? They tell you to take your heels off, so they don't puncture that sturdy liferaft.

Carry them in your dominant hand? Or wear sensible shoes in the first place....

 

[Princess Fiona]

Now I've flown a fair bit but have never had this before.

Recent EK flight from SIN-MEL, one (1) of the hosties walked one (1) of the aisles in J, telling pax to put their shoes back on for take-off and landing.
No other FA did it, and the other aisle never got the warning.

So is this a new EK policy being unevenly applied, or just one particular FA being overly cautious?

IME EK FA's are prone to issuing instructions that seem to have originated from their imaginations.
On one particular flight Shrek was asked to stow an iPad at the top of descent into SYD. After querying it the CSM appeared to confirm that there was no particular reason to stow the iPad and there had been a miscommunication

 

[Princess Fiona]

But what about high heels? They tell you to take your heels off, so they don't puncture that sturdy liferaft.

Interested in the answer to this as I'm wearing heels on most of my flights.

 

[Milboo]

But what about high heels? They tell you to take your heels off, so they don't puncture that sturdy liferaft.

Heels stay on. Would be removed and chucked away from the slide during an evacuation.

you need to get to the slide first and may be needed to protect your feet from debris on the ground. Bare feet may also slow your exit to the doors.

 

[Quickstatus]

I would think bare feet faster to exit then slide than heels to exit then take off then slide

Many Female FA wear heels too.

I suppose it's the stiletto type of heel that is or pelagic for slides?

 

[kermatu]

I would think bare feet faster to exit then slide than heels to exit then take off then slide

Many Female FA wear heels too.

I suppose it's the stiletto type of heel that is or pelagic for slides?

While I haven't paid huge attention to it, I have a few times noticed female FAs slip out of high heels to flats after take-off and from flats to heels just before sitting down for landing. If heels were a big safety issue I suspect there'd be an instruction to remain in flats for take-off and landing. Just from a few observations though.

Personally, I keep shoes on for take-off and landing and pretty much for all flights under 4 hours. And whenever using the bathroom -- but that's another thread. I have heard safety announcements mentioning keeping shoes on before, but never seen FAs issue instructions.