Electronic Smoking Devices Appear to be Banned on Commercial Aircraft
August 9, 2008 by Mary Jo Manzanares
Filed under Air Travel
In the “what will they come up with next” category, NJOY (among other companies) has developed an electronic smoking device.
It runs on batteries or USB, and looks like a cigar, cigarette, or pipe, and is designed to simulate real smoking. It looks like, smells like, tastes like the real thing, right down to the glowing tip that makes it look like it’s burning. There’s even a vapor that looks like smoke.
I haven’t seen these on a flight yet, but they are cropping up more frequently these days.
A quick, informal, and non-scientific poll of my Flight Attendant friends indicates that most airlines are not allowing these devices to be used onboard the aircraft. I’m not certain if they are falling under the “no smoking” rule or the “use of approved electronic devices” rule, but it really doesn’t matter. For now, at least, electronic smoking devices do not seem to be allowed on most US carriers.
If you know of any airline that allows the use of these devices onboard, please leave a comment.
Photo credit: SXC
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That’s not my experience with NJOY on airplanes. Smoke it all the time on planes, and in airports, and in all cases it has been allowed. I get questions, but as soon as I explain it, no one seems to have any problem with it. Some of the flight attendants ask where they can get NJOY too!
While I don’t know about other non-smoking locations, I can confirm that NJOY is not currently permitted to be used onboard US flights.
As with all regulations, unfortunately, knowledge and enforcement may very well differ from flight to flight – which explains your experience. That doesn’t, however, change the overall policy.
This is not a reflection on the product, nor a comment on it positively or negatively. It’s just a ban for use onboard flights. This ban may change down the road, but for right now, that’s the scoop.
I did get some questions and frowns from people, mostly because they never saw electronic cigarettes before. But after explaining, people generally accept it. Got refused once though (out of 3 times i smoked in the plane – int’l flights outside US)
Well… Im not suggesting this… but you can literally go and….. start smoking… or VAPING your e -cig in the bathroom…. you will not turn on any smoke detectors and no one will know… I have done it….. I mean you may not be able to use it while sitting next to someone….. but IN the bathroom YOU CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!