Overheard on holiday

[marina]

Yes and that's what I would have thought but there's certainly a draft comes from somewhere!!   

[Jacqui Harvey]

Suffer this a lot  One flight we were on had ice dripping down the door, and my trousers where wet, the stewardess got a cloth and wiped my leg. that was on the occasion they had free blankets. Have not sat by the exit door for a while, but this time it brought back all the memories, freezing cold draught from all around the door, the people in the rows all around the doors started going overhead getting down coats.  I put my jacket around my legs.  I called over the stewardess, she said they always had trouble with the cold from around the doors, but she would ask the pilot to put up the heating.   It helped a little, but the woman sitting behind me had a hat and coat on and her nose was blue and dripping. 
I don't care what you say Gordon, but you need to sit by one of these doors and experience 4 1.2 hours of cold and we even paid extra for the pleasure. i.e. extra legroom seats.

[IanK]

We always pay to get row 1 on the flight back - so we can be home within 45mins of the aircraft door opening.

I cant say its "draughty", but its always much colder - I guess there are non insulated areas around the doors and the cold comes through the frames - after all its about 50 below outside.

Ian

[GordonA]

I don't care what you say Gordon, but you need to sit by one of these doors and experience 4 1.2 hours of cold and we even paid extra for the pleasure. i.e. extra legroom seats.

Now, why do the first 7 words of  that statement not surprise me ?? Pay attention everyone , Jacqui Harvey has discovered a way to keep aircraft in the air, whilst the pressurised air is leaking out all around the door seals !! By the way, is it just the " Exit " doors that leak, as some have claimed, or are the " Entrance " doors affected also ? I thought the doors were one and the same ??

[Colwyn]

I think Ian is on to something. If one area of the plane has less insulation then this could cause a kind of mini katabatic breeze that could be experienced as a draft. Although I've sat next to emergency exits and have never experienced this phenomenon (should it exist).

[Jacqui Harvey]

Well, I am surprised that two such well travelled know-alls did not know about this problem on planes.   Colywn (should it exists) Basically, you are saying I am a liar, is this correct?  I am not a liar and do not make up stories.   Gordon, I think Marina also mentioned the cold sitting by the exit seats.   So, it is not just me who has experienced this.

We always try to get extra legroom seats.   Not all are by the exit doors and not all exit doors have a draught, but some do.   On our flight going out we had a different plane and we were further back and so not by the exit doors.

These are a couple of pieces I have found on the internet.  I suppose these people are imagining things too?



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From a website that advises sitting about sitting next to exit doors.

Being so close to the exit door can often mean you are going to be freezing during your flight. Climate control on planes is bad enough, but on an international flight, the exit row can become especially cold. And since you can’t ask the crew to turn the heat up just for you, you may need to embark on a mission to find a couple of blankets just to stay warm.

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From another aviation website.

Emergency Exit Seat - FREEZING!

I have sat in emergency exit seats before - but never, until today, on a long-haul flight.

What I'm really looking for is some feedback on whether or not my experience today is "normal" - or whether I should complain to the airline, especially in view of the fact that I paid extra for this "premium" seat.

This was an overnight flight on a 767, and I was in seat 19K - i.e., the window seat by the emergency exit. It was a late evening departure, I had eaten before heading to the airport, so I settled down for the night almost as soon as we were airborne.

Managed to nod off, but awoke after a little while and realised that it was quite cold.

Put my fleece on and zipped it up, and put a shawl round my shoulders for extra warmth.

Nodded off again - woke up and realised that my feet were like blocks of ice (I had earlier removed my shoes and put on a thick pair of socks). Wrapped the airline's blanket around my feet, felt a bit warmer, went back to sleep.

Woke up again, realised that the right-hand side of my body was stone cold. Touched the wall beside me and it felt like the inside of my freezer! Put the cushion between myself and the wall, but within minutes that, too, felt like the inside of my freezer. Tried to position myself away from the wall, but with someone sitting next to me, and no armrest between me and the wall, my options were rather limited, and I ended up having quite an uncomfortable night (not that I expected to have a very comfortable one...).

When the lights came on in the morning I noticed that the lady in 19J had brought her own very thick blanket - did she know something I didn't?

Should I have expected my seat to be so unbearably cold? Should I have come prepared?

I'd be interested to hear from others who have sat in emergency exit rows - especially in this particular type of aircraft.

[Jacqui Harvey]

O.K. last word from my husband Phil, who is not a member, but just read this. He says to tell you  Gordon, that it is of no consequence to him where the cold air is coming from and he does not give fig, he just knows where it goes to and he had to get up and get his jacket from the overhead locker and was not a happy bunny at the time.

[Colwyn]

Colywn (should it exists) Basically, you are saying I am a liar, is this correct? 

No it is not correct. I said I had not experienced this. In fact I made a suggestion on how it might come about. Clearly the notion that somehow a draft could come from outside the plane is plain silly BUT I'm not sure you said this.

[Diverbaz 1]

In a pressurised cabin, if the doors had any "leaks" the air would be going outwards NOT coming in.

[marina]

I'm with Phil, Jacqui's husband on this.  I don't know, nor do I particularly care, where the cold air comes from but I do know I have experienced some very cold flights sat next to exit doors, which we do quite often as my OH is 6'2" and likes the extra leg room.  Science was never my strong point at school so I have no clever explanation as to where it comes from or how it occurs, just where it goes!