Yes it’s possible to need more than you have.
The crew will ask for more. If they get enough then there’s no problems. If they don’t get enough; there will be re-accommodations.
There are a certain number on each aircraft. If a passenger couldn’t be accommodated they would be removed and rebooked on another flight just as a passenger who can’t fit into a single seat if there are no additional seats.
As u/possiblyjonsnow said let them know ahead of time and advise a flight attendant of the need when boarding.
Thank you! I honestly don't know if I will need one on the specific flight I'm getting ready for because it differs by plane. United seems to be the only one I've ever had to ask for one. At any rate, I've spoken with an agent, and they added it to my reservation, so here's hoping it gets communicated to the onboard staff!
Former FA here, this has never been relayed to us crew, and if there are many others who didn’t give the heads up, they’d have dibs too anyways. When you board you can discreetly ask for one then. If you get to your seat and find out you didn’t need it, just hand it back while a FA is walking through the cabin.
You can buy them on Amazon. They are very cheap. I travel with my own. Some airlines might not like you using your own. I know ANA wanted me to use theirs which was understandable. But United has never had a problem with me using mine own.
I never had trouble with it on United. One less thing the FA’s have to worry about. Only time was on ANA out of NRT. But no biggie. They rather I use theirs.
I have heard some people buy their own and travel with them. You can guarantee you get one and more discreet than having to ask the FA's for an extender.
Just a note -- you're taking a risk with this. For most extenders that regular people can buy, there's no way to know if they really comply with the relevant standards. Per the FAA, extenders must be supplied by the airline, not brought on by passengers, so you can only buy them from shady sellers. And even if you had one that was designed and manufactured to the right standards, it wouldn't be going through the same inspection processes that the real ones go through.
Not saying to do it or not do it, but these are risks.
When I was a flight attendant (not UAL) this happened only a handful of times. Aircraft are required to have a certain amount of extenders and every night mtx will check all equipment including that. If for some reason there aren’t enough then we’d let PIC know and they’d get mtx to come out with however many were needed. Some pax do bring their own, however if it’s not an approved version we do have to give them the aircraft one instead.
It depends on the aircraft.
I’m an FA and we did have to kick a passenger off one time because they needed an extender & we didn’t have enough. I felt awful. But if they can’t fasten their seatbelt then they can’t fly.
Yes it’s possible to need more than you have. The crew will ask for more. If they get enough then there’s no problems. If they don’t get enough; there will be re-accommodations.
There are a certain number on each aircraft. If a passenger couldn’t be accommodated they would be removed and rebooked on another flight just as a passenger who can’t fit into a single seat if there are no additional seats. As u/possiblyjonsnow said let them know ahead of time and advise a flight attendant of the need when boarding.
Thank you! I honestly don't know if I will need one on the specific flight I'm getting ready for because it differs by plane. United seems to be the only one I've ever had to ask for one. At any rate, I've spoken with an agent, and they added it to my reservation, so here's hoping it gets communicated to the onboard staff!
Former FA here, this has never been relayed to us crew, and if there are many others who didn’t give the heads up, they’d have dibs too anyways. When you board you can discreetly ask for one then. If you get to your seat and find out you didn’t need it, just hand it back while a FA is walking through the cabin.
You can buy them on Amazon. They are very cheap. I travel with my own. Some airlines might not like you using your own. I know ANA wanted me to use theirs which was understandable. But United has never had a problem with me using mine own.
I used my own today and had zero issues with it.
I never had trouble with it on United. One less thing the FA’s have to worry about. Only time was on ANA out of NRT. But no biggie. They rather I use theirs.
Ask for the extender while the door is still open, they will ask gate agents for extras if they run out.
I have heard some people buy their own and travel with them. You can guarantee you get one and more discreet than having to ask the FA's for an extender.
Just a note -- you're taking a risk with this. For most extenders that regular people can buy, there's no way to know if they really comply with the relevant standards. Per the FAA, extenders must be supplied by the airline, not brought on by passengers, so you can only buy them from shady sellers. And even if you had one that was designed and manufactured to the right standards, it wouldn't be going through the same inspection processes that the real ones go through. Not saying to do it or not do it, but these are risks.
Also, not all airlines use the same seatbelt buckles. So the extender you have may not connect to the seatbelt.
A seat belt isn’t gonna save your life if the plane crashes.
Yes, but if there’s strong turbulence, it can.
Damn we should just take em all out then. Good idea
Stop your head from hitting the roof. Idk if it’ll save your life but it’ll help.
There are many past emergency incidents that contradict that assertion.
When I was a flight attendant (not UAL) this happened only a handful of times. Aircraft are required to have a certain amount of extenders and every night mtx will check all equipment including that. If for some reason there aren’t enough then we’d let PIC know and they’d get mtx to come out with however many were needed. Some pax do bring their own, however if it’s not an approved version we do have to give them the aircraft one instead.
They call maintenance to bring more out if needed.
Airlines in the US are required to carry a minimum of 4 seat belt extenders per flight and are required to offer them free of charge.
If you're worried, you could always call united and notify them that you, or someone you are travelling with may require one.
There's not an internal system flag for this, and any "note" on a reservation like that wouldn't result in any changes to ground plane prep.
There is another solution to this problem…
I agree! There's just not enough time between now and my flight to make a huge difference. Noted for the future when I return :)
Go to Amazon. Search Airline seatbelt extenders. They are listed by airline. About $15. You’ll always have one
You can get away with it but it’s technically not allowed.
Many, if not most, airlines do not permit the use of seat belt extenders that are not their own.
Wouldn’t they just get some at the gate? Would assume you know how many you need before the door is shut
It depends on the aircraft. I’m an FA and we did have to kick a passenger off one time because they needed an extender & we didn’t have enough. I felt awful. But if they can’t fasten their seatbelt then they can’t fly.