As I settled into my middle E seat on an early flight to Sydney, the familiar symphony of pre-flight announcements washed over me like lukewarm dishwater.
The flight attendant, all practiced efficiency and bright smiles, rattled off the usual instructions. Seatbelt on, phone off, locate nearest exit – the usual. Her voice tipped to a singsong register:
“In the unlikely event of a rough landing,” she chirped, “if you’re seated in the bulkhead row, place your head between your knees for protection.”
Great advice, I thought, wedging myself a little deeper into the seat. But…bulkhead?
Now that was a word that hadn’t graced my vocabulary since maybe a high school history lesson about ship compartments.
I’m no aerospace engineer. I knew it was some important plane part, probably near the front. Maybe the pointy bit?
My brain conjured blurry images of riveted metal walls and blinking warning lights – not exactly the image of comfort I was going for on a flight.
This sent me down a mental rabbit hole. How many other passengers were out there, silently raising an eyebrow about the mysterious bulkhead.
Surely, safety instructions shouldn’t be this confusing, right?
What is the bulkhead?
A bulkhead is a wall that splits up different areas on the plane. Kind of like an IKEA room divider that separates housemates in a tiny apartment.
The most common bulkhead you’ll see is the one right ahead of the first row of seats. This wall separates the passenger area from the food carts and bathrooms.
There might also be bulkheads dividing economy, business, and first class, or separating crew areas.
If you ever snag a seat right behind a bulkhead, you might be celebrating the extra legroom – no seat in front means more space for your toes.
But there’s a catch: because of the wall, you’ll be out of luck when it comes to shoving your carry-on under the seat.
Safety first! Make sure everyone gets it
Now, back to that safety message. If there’s an emergency, everyone on the plane needs to know exactly what to do, no time for confusion.
Jargon like “bulkhead” can be a head-scratcher, especially for first-time flyers.
Imagine if a bunch of passengers had no idea where the “bulkhead” was and didn’t know where to put their heads during a bumpy landing! Not good.
Passengers shouldn’t have to rely on context in an emergency.
How can airlines make things clearer?
Aviation regulations do not say how an airline should deliver the briefing. Just that they need to do it.
Every airline is a little bit different – and some do it better than others.
If the word bulkhead is confusing, there are other options:
- First row of seats
- Row directly behind a wall
- Row 1
All more understandable. All useful in different ways.
With clear communication, airlines can make sure everyone understands the safety plan.
And they do get most stuff right… The little handy laminated cheat sheet with key safety reminders is a perfect complement to the process.
Even if it’s hard to read while plummeting from 30,000 feet!
