Why Don't All Airlines Have a Thirteenth Row??

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Why Don't All Airlines Have a 13th Row?
by David Parker Brown


Have you ever noticed while flying that some airlines have a 13th row and others don't? Some of the reasons why might surprise you.

Airlines around the globe that do not offer a 13th row actually make up a short list that includes: Air France, Iberia, Ryanair, AirTran, Continental Airlines, and Lufthansa. Some aren't even sure when and how the policy came about and others have a very interesting explanation.

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines actually has some of its aircraft with a 13th row and others without. Alaska decided to order Boeing 737-800s and, "due to cancellations by other airlines, Alaska was able to practically buy the first couple right off the assembly line," said Geoff Pettis, Manager of Interior Engineering with Alaska Airlines. "However, this compressed time frame meant Alaska was not able to spec out [design] the cabin as would have normally happened."

To keep the layout consistent, Alaska continued to order new 800's without a 13th row, "but not because of any superstition," Pettis said.

AirTran does not offer a 13th row because passengers had expressed a desire not to sit there. That will be changing when the carrier is acquired by Southwest Airlines later this year. Southwest has stated the seating configuration will be reconfigured on AirTran's aircraft, including the addition of a 13th row.

The number 13 is not the only unlucky number for some cultures, and airlines have responded to that too. Lufthansa, which is based in Germany, does not have a 13th or 17th row. "The reason is that in Italy and Brazil, 17 is regarded as unlucky," Lufthansa spokeswoman Jennifer Janzen explained.

Currently Continental Airlines does not have a 13th row. "Many years ago, apparently, someone decided we wouldn't have a row 13 in our fleet," spokesman Andrew Ferraro told AOL Travel News. "We maintained the row numbering system for consistency as we brought new airplane types into the fleet."

But with the merger of United Airlines and Continental, row 13 might start disappearing on United Airlines's fleet as the two airlines align their seat row numbers to ensure consistency with their new brand.

"I believe the goal of airlines omitting it is to help reduce anxiety that fliers may have," said Matt Daimler, Founder of Seatguru.com. He also pointed out that rarely does the row number actually match the number of rows in an aircraft anyway, given factors such as the extra space taken up by first class.?

[Paxton]

Same reason most American Hotels don't have a thirteenth floor.

[Ben73]

My old house was Number 13.
It was a Sh^% hole and always had stuff going wrong with it.

Maybe it is an unlucky number. At my new house much less seams to go wrong.

[fmc351]

Always picking on poor old 13. What about 7? Its a cannibal, 7 ate 9.

[SpoolMan]

Few weeks ago I was on a P&O cruise there was no 13th level on the ship it went from 12 to 14...

Some new housing estates don't have a number 4, this is considered a unlucky number in Asia and they wont buy a house with that number.

[fairBA]

Who ever posts next will be number 7.....

[Mr Hardware]

i'll do it
because like all superstitions, they're based on lies not facts
people see me and say "that hardware is a pretty cool guy. he doesn't afraid of anything"

[buggo]

Where did the 13 superstition come from? And other numbers for that matter.
IMO, it's a bit silly just skipping a number like that, if a planes going down, I'm sure 12 and 14 will fair just as bad.

[thefargo]

The number 13 is associated with bad luck in some countries, and even has a specifically recognized phobia, Triskaidekaphobia, a word which was coined in 1911. Friday the 13th has been considered an unlucky day since the 1800s, as a combination between an unlucky day, Friday, and the number 13. Another theory as to why the date and number 13 is considered unlucky is that, on the day of Friday the 13th after the final Crusade the pope had sent out men to capture and burn alive the last 13 Knights Templar in order to put an end to the Crusades.
Another theory states that the number 13 is unlucky because, when in years where there were 13 full moons instead of 12, it made it difficult for the monks who were in charge of the calendars. "This was considered a very unfortunate circumstance, especially by the monks who had charge of the calendar of thirteen months for that year, and it upset the regular arrangement of church festivals. For this reason thirteen came to be considered an unlucky number

[trippytaka]

I am not superstitious, but there is no way I would get in row 13, buy a house that's number 13 or stay on the 13th floor. Weird, seeing I walk under ladders, own a jet black cat and have broken mirrors for work.

[dylancox]

Originally Posted by SpoolMan

Few weeks ago I was on a P&O cruise there was no 13th level on the ship it went from 12 to 14...

Some new housing estates don't have a number 4, this is considered a unlucky number in Asia and they wont buy a house with that number.

If Asian people hate the number 4 so much.. why are they the biggest producer of 4 Cylinder cars . Apparently 8 is their lucky number, wonder why the majority of Japanese cars don't sport 8 cylinders

[trippytaka]

Originally Posted by dylancox

If Asian people hate the number 4 so much.. why are they the biggest producer of 4 Cylinder cars . Apparently 8 is their lucky number, wonder why the majority of Japanese cars don't sport 8 cylinders

Very true... the quad cam V8s are special.

Although, interesting fact I learned the other day. When Toyota came to NASCAR they had the V8 revving to 10500rpm. Other manufacturers tried and had massive engine failures and racing started to be too expensive... hence the 9500rpm rule. Before each race NASCAR officials hand out the specs of the gear ratios etc the cars are allowed to use, which limits them to 9,500rpm.

True story. Toyota race V8s were just too good.

[xisled]

Unlucky number 13th post. LOL

[Franco Cozzo]

The Dawn Princess, a cruise ship I was on earlier in the year didn't have a 13th deck, just went 12 to 14.

[Yellow_Festiva]

I'm flying tomorrow on 2 planes returning from Europe, one being the A380. I'll see what numbers they have.

I was also questioning why new planes still display the no smoking sigh next to the buckle up sign? I would have thought all planes have been no smoking for years and this was perhaps common knowledge by now??

Or do some countries / routes still allow smoking I wonder??

[gtxb67]

luckily my puppies will not have a #13 this week - perhaps our luck/skills level will change

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I'm flying tomorrow on 2 planes returning from Europe, one being the A380. I'll see what numbers they have.

I was also questioning why new planes still display the no smoking sigh next to the buckle up sign? I would have thought all planes have been no smoking for years and this was perhaps common knowledge by now??

Or do some countries / routes still allow smoking I wonder??

You are on a dugong.....

People in a hot air balloon in the middle of a tornado with 13 black cats and 169 broken mirrors under 2197 ladders are luckier than you........

[sudszy]

It is really very silly. You are sitting in seat 13A ready for take off and complain to the hostie that you want to be changed to another seat because 13 is unlucky.

She comes back with new boarding passes for everyone, moves the numbers one down on all the overhead bins and now you are in row 14, problem solved? not if you think there is something in the unlucky number thing, you are still in the thirteenth row!

If people were really serious about the superstition they'd count down the rows and refuse to sit in the thirteenth one, or live on the thirteenth floor on the building. Perhaps airlines could just pull out the thirteeth row and leave it as blank space, sounds stupid......yep, about as sensible as the rest of it.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I'm flying tomorrow on 2 planes returning from Europe, one being the A380. I'll see what numbers they have.

I was also questioning why new planes still display the no smoking sign next to the buckle up sign? I would have thought all planes have been no smoking for years and this was perhaps common knowledge by now??

Or do some countries / routes still allow smoking I wonder??

Some middle east countries and most probably some intra asia airlines still allow smoking.

PS Good luck on your Airbus ... hope you make it.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Pedro

Some middle east countries and most probably some intra asia airlines still allow smoking.

PS Good luck on your Airbus ... hope you make it.

LOL..... This will be my 3rd time flying in a 'dugong'. Oh well, we shall see I guess ;)

[dannyxm]

im only superstitious when things go wrong!

how about race cars? Any number 13 cars getting round?

[Mickxr8]

Whilst were on `13`, Who thought up 13**** phone numbers ?

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by danny351

im only superstitious when things go wrong!

how about race cars? Any number 13 cars getting round?

I tried to get # 13 when I was racing but someone else had it.
But I did use it in some of the sprints I used to do in my F6.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

LOL..... This will be my 3rd time flying in a 'dugong'. Oh well, we shall see I guess ;)

What worries me about Airbus' in general (not just A380's) is this constant blowing of engine oil lines.
The Qantas one in Singapore was the worst and made headlines but there are a lot more just reported as incidents. And when I checked with ASN about the A330 I was on that blew an oil line half way between Honolulu and San Fran, it hadn't been reported at all. (If the other engine had suffered the same malady we would have been in the drink 2000 miles from land - say goodnight dick).

[wrongwaynorris]

Poppycock for people who do not want to or are not capable of taking responsibility for their own actions . Just won a corporate kart race at Waneroo with you guessed it kart 13 . Not only won it but was 5 seconds faster than the second fastest guy . Funnilly enough all the naysayers who were ragging me before the race for getting Kart 13 were conspicuous in their silence after the event .

[shedcoupe]

Originally Posted by trippytaka

I am not superstitious, but there is no way I would get in row 13, buy a house that's number 13 or stay on the 13th floor.

???????

[gtxb67]

i agree that superstitions are not worth the effort of thinking about
however, if having number 13 makes you question superstitions, it will affect your performance or your enjoyment of an activity. therefore, most people will avoid the number 13. i used to always look for ladders to walk under, although i now walk around them. my luck has always been fantastic and for some reason, over the last few years, i have decided to stop pushing it - does it make any sense - none at all. but if it puts my mind at ease for the next 30 seconds while stepping around a pallet at work or over a gutter, then it was maybe a good idea to do it

when i used to go to the football every week years ago, i would wear the same clothes, take the same food and drinks, walk around the ground once the same way, politely refuse the first record that was offered to me and accept the second. did it make any difference. none at all - i always said that i am not superstitious, but i would do anything to get my puppies or any of my three michael's (motor racing) home

[Yellow_Festiva]

G'day from Dubai.

Flight EK108 Malta to Dubai, I can't remember the type of plane (XXX-777??) Had these seat numbers (roughly)..

Starting at 1 I think then to 11, then a partition, then skip a few numbers to start again from 15 then on to around 31 then another partition where another 3-4 numbers are skipped to start again from 34.

Will be leaving for home tomorrow flying the Manatee....

[wodahs]

bad duw duw
i once broke a mirror but had a good laywer and got off with only 3 1/2 years bad luck

[JamesR]

Originally Posted by sudszy

It is really very silly. You are sitting in seat 13A ready for take off and complain to the hostie that you want to be changed to another seat because 13 is unlucky.

She comes back with new boarding passes for everyone, moves the numbers one down on all the overhead bins and now you are in row 14, problem solved? not if you think there is something in the unlucky number thing, you are still in the thirteenth row!

If people were really serious about the superstition they'd count down the rows and refuse to sit in the thirteenth one, or live on the thirteenth floor on the building. Perhaps airlines could just pull out the thirteeth row and leave it as blank space, sounds stupid......yep, about as sensible as the rest of it.

technically, if you were to remove a row of seats, the next row would still be 13.