I happened to make a cardinal mistake yesterday when on LAN flight from Sao Paulo to Milan.
When the plane is about to land, I tend to open my SIM card storage and choose the most appropriate one for the country and that was exactly what I was doing.
For some reason, LAN prefers to have the Boeing 787 window “shades” dark (you cannot change them on the individual controls) and I didn’t realize that we were about to touch down.
We did and my cell phone flew on the floor and came to three parts of which two went under the business class seats in front.
The flight attendant first was trying to fish them on the floor and opened the seats in front but without any success. It took 15 minutes for the KLM mechanics to finally found the parts.
Conclusion
This happened to me once before, but then I managed to drop the phone on the Singapore Airlines seat that I was sitting on (cannot remember if it was in business or first). The flight attendant was very efficient dismantling the seat and getting the phone out.
Not sure why LAN prefers to have the window shades all darkened? I understand it during the overnight flight but even at landing?
At some point it did look like the phone was “gone”. I already decided to give me a new phone for Christmas, but I guess that the current one will do for another few months.
You didn’t realize that you were about to touch down? How is that even possible?
I knew that we were touching down SOON but not that it would have happened at that very moment. The “electronic” window shades for the entire biz cabin were dimmed.
Just a hunch but that’s probably why they tell you to stow all loose items well before touch down.
What? You mean those instructions are actually given for a reason?
Thanks for sharing John – “there for the grace of God……”
Safe travels in 2016 thanks for keeping us informed
Hear, hear. I second Skip’s post – without these highly informative and useful articles by John, nobody would know to keep hold of their phones. It’s a bit like Sebastian’s brilliant article about the bomb on the Paris-bound plane – I often wonder what I would do without such gems.
Keep up the good work, John – let’s have more of these essential tips and news items, just not at the expense of the equally wonderful Whine Wednesday articles, please.
I’m not trying to troll your post, but it’s full of douchebaggery. First, at no point did you commend the crew for retrieving your components. Second, you make a completely unrelated comment stating “I don’t recall if it was first or business.” (Does it matter?) Third, you actually seem to be blaming the airline because they dimmed the windows. For an apparent frequent traveler such as yourself, you should know that when they begin descent and announce it to the passengers, that you really SHOULD be packing things up and not attempting phone surgery. I think the intent of your article was to remind us common-folk to hang onto our devices, but it seems that only you have this issue. By the end of the article, I was REALLY hoping they didn’t find your stuff..
What an ass u are lol
I got caught more than once this way on a A380. Suddenly we landed. I had not realised we were even near.
Interesting that they were dimmed. Many airlines actually require that all shades are open during landing and takeoff. First time I encountered that was on Air Jamaica. Seemed strange, but makes sense if there is an emergency. I totally understand dimmed after landing when the sun is hot.
I change my SIM out after take off:)
Why not used your common sense. …… wait until the plane landed and do all this thing afterwards. ..
Surprised you didn’t demand some points as compensation for the inconvenience, especially as it was their fault !?
John wrote this not Sebastian.
just enjoyed reunion with my phone – left in a hotel conference room in DC, carried across pond by fellow delegate to London and sent special delivery up to Scotland. An odd feeling being w/o phone, which of course is so much more than a phone
Is it so bloody important for you to do this in flight? Is it so important to turn on the phone immediately? Now you’ve just inconvenienced everyone on board.
EXCELLENT comment!!!
For him, an apparent frequent traveler, he didn’t even know the purpose of dimming lights for landing, which is to ensure the cabin environment matches the exterior environment. He is one of those “me, me, me” whatever he thinks/feels is important/necessary, zero sense of looking at himself wrong doing, only blame others, wrongly blaming “Dark Shades” in this incident, a typical inconsiderate, low quality ass. “cannot remember if it was in business or first”, real billioniors don’t even show off mentioning their own jets. Sadly, imaging the potential tortures the staff globally might suffer from such a frequent flyer Bug.
Some articles by the Blog authors (or is it just Sebastian) on here is unpalatable, but it doesn’t justify these two ill-spirited comments. If you don’t like it, no need to be so jealous or malicious. Jump out of the Emergency Door and end your subscription here 🙂
Sydney Swan, there is no difference! They will both milk as much as they can from any situation, even when it is clearly their fault! I still can’t believe hotel chains allow them to stay there!
That’s a big issue with your cell phone. Wow. You must have had urgent calls to make, that could not wait until deplaning and in the terminal.
i saw one lady’s phone fly from the front of the plane all the back to the rear and she had to wait for the entire plane to exit before retrieving it,, hahahaha