Head on over to Lufthansa’s website and you’ll find that they’re getting strict with seatbelt use. The blurb from the current info page is as follows:
In the event of unexpected turbulence, injuries are often
the result on board passenger aircraft, whereby this could be prevented in many
cases if passengers kept their seatbelts fastened. For that reason, up to now
Lufthansa has recommended that passengers keep their seatbelts fastened. In the
interest of the safety of its passengers, the airline has now decided to make it
generally compulsory to fasten seatbelts. Passengers will still be allowed to
stand up, for example, to stretch their legs or to visit the toilet, unless
fasten seatbelt signs are switched on. The new regulation also applies to
Lufthansa Regional partners. Incidentally, the aircraft itself is designed to
resist the extra strain resulting from turbulence without any significant
damage.
I’m all for it. If I’m in my seat, I always have my seatbelt fastened. You know those stories about planes hitting severe turbulence and people getting hurt? 99.9% of the time those people didn’t have seatbelts on.
Then again, I suppose you could argue that not requiring seatbelts allows natural selection to run its course . . . .
4 comments on “You Vill Be Seated!”
Heheheh…I love the wording “generally compulsory”. Isn’t that like saying “somewhat mandatory”?
Ha ha ha – “generally compulsory.” That is certainly an interesting phrase.
I have never flown internationally, but most carriers insist that you keep your seatbelt fastened at all times.
Has anyone flown Lufthansa before? I’m considering them for an upcoming trip but I don’t have anything to compare them to. I have heard mostly good things but would love to hear some testimonials.
Lufthansa is good (in that German efficiency sort of way), one of the better ones in Europe.
“Generally compulsory” is a somewhat sloppy translation from the original “generelle Anschnallpflicht,” which is unequivocal.
They’ve started the same nonsense at Swiss, insisting that it “is only for your own safety.” If they were doing it FOR me, it would be a suggestion. When they make it mandatory, they are doing it TO me.
BTW, I usually wear my seatbelt when seated, but this kind of hypocrisy gets my dander up.