magsau said:
Bear,
Did AA not have a similar program? Seems that the AA FA's are a bit trimmer than ours. Do they still have one?
If a pilot could not get through the window and down the escape rope I think they should be put on the ATKINS diet 😉 Till they can squezze through.
ALL airlines at one time had weight restrictions for flight attendants, including AA. I'm can't say for sure, but I think that AA does have a requirement that you must be able to fit through the window exit on any so-equipped a/c that you are qualified on. But, a lot of the very senior flight attendants have dropped their quals on all a/c except 777 and 767 which do not have window exits.
I don't know if other airlines allow f/as to drop quals on a/c that the company still flies. I think Continental requires that all f/a's be qualified on every single a/c that the company uses--of course, mainline f/as do not have to be qualified on Continental Express a/c. It certainly gives the company more flexibility in utilization of flight attendants.
I agree that cockpit crew members should be required to demonstrate ability to get through the cockpit windows. Not that I want to force anyone onto a diet, but rather because in the case of a fire in the forward cabin or galley or if that newfangled reinforced door jams, the window may be the only way out for the cockpit crew.