This is my first visit to iFly.com………great info. Thank You!

Great question. In the vast majority of cases, speaking to the pilots during flight is not an option. Most airliner cockpits are shut off from the cabin by a reinforced door, making the flight attendants your only way to relay a message to the flight crew. Also, post-9/11 security mandates prohibit passengers from entering the cockpit.

Aboard curtain-equipped aircraft, all airlines make use of the seatbelt sign. With this sign illuminated, regardless of whether or not flight attendants are aboard, passengers are required to remain seated unless special circumstances dictate otherwise. You’ve probably heard flight attendant briefings include the phrase, “federal law requires passengers to comply with all crewmember instuctions.” The illuminated seatbelt sign is such an instruction, and therefore carries potential legal enforcement if passengers choose to disregard it.

With curtains and no flight attendants, pilots often encourage passengers to come forward if passenger safety and/or comfort is an issue. For medical events, equipment malfuctions, security issues, etc, the crew actually expects passengers to advise them of such developments. Otherwise, idle chatter is usually not encouraged.

In fact, below 10,000 ft. not even the pilots can speak to each other except for necessary flight communication (known as the “sterile cockpit” rule). This is an actual FAA regulation that can result in fines/enforcement action against crewmembers who engage in idle conversation at low altitude. The only time crewmembers are exempt from the 10,000 ft. altitude is when the flight’s final cruise altitude is below 10,000′ and the aircraft is established in cruise.

Besides these federal regulations, each airline can apply its own additional rules & restrictions. At my airline, communication with passengers was not expressly prohibited, provided the aircraft was in cruise flight in a low-workload setting. However, it was still quite rare for pilots to engage in prolonged conversation with a passenger. When it did occur, the passenger was usually seated in the jumpseat (front row) and provided a headset with which to hear the crew.

If you find yourself in a position to chat with your pilots when airborne, the best advice is to let the crewmembers be the ones to initiate the conversation. Otherwise, though they might appear idle, they could in fact be busy with a critical task. The best rule of thumb is, if the communication can wait until after landing, let it.

Most pilots are more than willing to speak to you for a few minutes after landing (sometimes before departure). If you’d like to talk to the Captain, try to mention your desire and let the crew decide the best time for it. This is the best way to ensure the pilots are able to speak with you and that no regulations are unintentionally violated.