PASSENGERS will soon have less time to get a drink and snack when they are with Southwest Airlines.
The American carrier has confirmed that they will end their inflight services onboard earlier than usual.
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The new rules are being introduced following a spate of turbulence injuries in recent months.
In place from tomorrow, flight crew will stop serving anything from the trolley at 18,000ft rather than 10,000ft.
The seatbelt sign will also come on at 18,00ft instead, along with the tray tables being put back up.
This means anyone who likes to dash to the bathroom before the flight lands will have less time to do so.
The change will be around 10 minutes earlier in the flight, which could take it to around 40-50 minutes before landing.
A Southwest spokesperson said: “The change in procedures is designed to reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries for our crew members and customers.
“It is the result of the airline’s close collaboration with its Labor partners and a robust approach to Safety Management.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest Airlines than the safety of our customers and employees.”
Back in May, severe turbulence left one man dead and 23 passengers injured on a Singapore Airlines flight which was forced to make an emergency landing.
It’s not the only new rules the airline has introduced this year.
Southwest confirmed they would be ditching their open-seating model earlier this year.
The current rules let passengers choose any seat when in their cabin.
But from 2026, the new rules will mean passengers will be assigned seats.
The airline is one of the few that lets passengers fly with two free checked bags too.
And Southwest is launching their first red eye flights next year – the first in it’s 53-year history.
Other new rules are being introduced because of turbulence as well.
Singapore Airlines confirmed that they would not be serving hot drinks or food when the seatbelt sign is on.
What happened on the turbulent Singapore Airlines flight?
The London to Singapore flight took off on May 20, with 211 passengers and 18 crew, which included 47 Brits.
The plane then experienced “severe turbulence” during the breakfast service around 11 hours into the 13-hour flight.
This saw the aircraft drop 7,000ft in around six minutes, with images showing broken overhead panels and luggage strewn across the aisles.
Passenger Geoff Kitchen, 73, died following a suspected heart attack on the flight, while hundreds of other passengers were hospitalised.
It was thought to have been caused by thunderstorms over the Bay of Bengal.
But some airlines could require passengers to keep their seatbelts on the entire time.
A safety expert told The Times: “The messaging is going to be massively strengthened: it’ll be ‘Stay strapped in at all times’. End of.”
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