Overweight? Buy an extra seat

[phoenixgirl]

My guess would be that once the scales tip and it is no longer more profitable for the airlines to upset and inconvenience passengers who cannot fit into one seat, then some of the airlines will provide larger seating in one way or another. My assumption is that there will always be an additional charge for additional space, just maybe not such a price difference as there is between first class and coach. Perhaps a plus-sized airline will even cater to the obese. People who feel strongly about this should either boycott airlines that do not accommodate the largest passengers or write letters.

That said, this is not an issue that speaks to me. I too know the horror of seeing that the person next to you is spilling into your seat. They are thinking, "Phew! A petite woman!" and you are thinking, "I did not pay good money to canoodle with this stranger!"

 

[RubyCharm]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:34:47 PM
Author: musey

Date: 4/29/2009 3:28:47 PM

Author: elledizzy5

I don''t agree with it being considered discriminatory. You have to pay for what you fit into it. If you require more room, you should pay more. It''s not like they''re charging more with the intent of discouraging overweight people from flying.


I pay X amount for my seat, I want my whole seat. I shouldn''t get part of it taken away because I''m thinner.

DITTO. And I have had ''part of my seat'' taken away from me when sitting next to a large person (or in-between two large people, THAT was a fun flight

).


I have a small dog that often flies with me. It is my job to make sure my carrier for him fits under the seat in front of me (and they provide measurements for the space), or else I have to ''rent'' one from the airline. I also have to pay $100 for his presence under that seat - each way.


If that''s fair, then having people pay for more than one seat if they don''t fit in one is MORE than fair. I agree that they should post measurements for said overweight passengers to check ahead of time.

I know where you are coming from because I have two small dogs that always fly with me and my FI. One is 6 lbs, the other one is about 4.5 lbs. They could fit in one carrier together (with plenty of space to spare), but they have to fly in separate carriers (a flight cost us $200 each way), because that''s the airlines'' policy, and each carrier counts a a carry-on piece (so, it''s not like we are taking up extra space on the plane).

We pet owners have been paying extra money for a long time to be able to fly with our pets without disturbing other people, even when those policies don''t always make sense. And, I don''t think we are being discriminated against. It''s just a policy that prevents people from flying with their pets without any regard to either their pets'' safety or other people''s comfort. If the airlines fail to set appropriate restrictions in place, then some passengers will end up having a crappy flying experience that could have been prevented.

 

[musey]

Date: 4/29/2009 4:55:08 PM
Author: fieryred33143


I'm overweight. Can't do anything about it until after July 13th. But there are a lot of people that are content being unhealthy and overweight. While it isn't anyone's business how they choose to live their lives, perhaps things like this will be the wakeup call they need to realize that living an unhealthy lifestyle isn't ideal.

I'll let everyone know how it goes for me on Friday

 

[musey]

Date: 4/29/2009 4:56:27 PM
Author: phoenixgirl
My guess would be that once the scales tip and it is no longer more profitable for the airlines to upset and inconvenience passengers who cannot fit into one seat, then some of the airlines will provide larger seating in one way or another. My assumption is that there will always be an additional charge for additional space, just maybe not such a price difference as there is between first class and coach. Perhaps a plus-sized airline will even cater to the obese. People who feel strongly about this should either boycott airlines that do not accommodate the largest passengers or write letters.

I agree, though I hope this will not be the case. I'm hoping (crossed fingers) that our society is on the brink of a health rebound, and that people will start becoming healthier on the whole. Not holding my breath, but still hoping.

That said, this is not an issue that speaks to me. I too know the horror of seeing that the person next to you is spilling into your seat. They are thinking, 'Phew! A petite woman!' and you are thinking, 'I did not pay good money to canoodle with this stranger!'

Exactly! Oh, I've seen that look so many times. Grr.

 

[whitby_2773]

i dont mind the width of the seats, tho nobody would say they were wide. but i''m 5''5" and i''d kill for more length between seats in front and behind me. because of a bad back and the cramps i get in my legs, i have to sit with my legs crossed; not my feet - my legs. even at my height, this is virtually impossible on most planes in economy class. it''d be nice it airlines joined reality and and accepted that people are getting irrevocably taller. this isn''t a function of choice, like obesity - people can''t do anything about this, and airlines need to be a tad more current in the dimensions of the average flier for whom they''re constructing seats.

 

[vintagelover229]

I think the airlines should have a few larger seat (either in the front or the back) that are big enough for a larger person...and they should charge more for it. I mean, they have the big seats in the movie theaters dont they? I mean, that way if someone needs it and didnt know about it before they have one. I''m not sure how they''d do it, but i know they could make something like that work!

Luckly for me I havent been in the situation where someone was "in" my section. I think I would request a different seat. Idk what I would do!

How do you do that w/o huring someones feelings?

 

[akmiss]

Sorry I haven''t read all the post...........
But my FI is not fat by any means. He is 6.5 and weighs about 240 pounds. He is just a very big man with lots of muscle

. I believe it was mentioned that the airline averages a man to be 5.8 feet tall

Hell, I am almost 5.8 as a woman.......
Reality check please! The airlines are not about making people comfortable. Please don''t get me started on the fact that most airplanes do not have baby changing stations! Come on, babies are human too! and deserve some accomodations. I have had some bad luck with airlines and their policies concerning young children. My youngest son ad a couple surgeries performed out of state (alaska to philly!) He had a cast from his waist up with his right arm extended out to the side. I had a few problems fitting him into his seat and had very little help from the airlines. Not to mention getting the poor kid past TSA security........ It was a nightmare and I hope to repress those memories someday. I would have to say that the flights were just as much stress on me as the surgeries and hours of physical therapy that followed. talk about PTSD.

 

[Haven]

I support this policy. I don''t support publicly embarrassing obese passengers by declaring they must buy a second seat in front of the other passengers, but I do support the practice.

I''m 5''10", and I''m not a small woman. I fit just fine in airplane seats, and I''m pretty sure I''m larger (and longer) than the average American woman.

As for whether the planes should make larger seats--I don''t think so. That would just be accommodating the problem.

 

[Porridge]

Date: 4/29/2009 4:55:08 PM
Author: fieryred33143
If anything...the policy will raise awarness.


I''m overweight. Can''t do anything about it until after July 13th. But there are a lot of people that are content being unhealthy and overweight. While it isn''t anyone''s business how they choose to live their lives, perhaps things like this will be the wakeup call they need to realize that living an unhealthy lifestyle isn''t ideal.


I''ll let everyone know how it goes for me on Friday

Amen

Best of luck for Friday

 

[tlh]

Date: 4/29/2009 5:16:50 PM
Author: musey

That said, this is not an issue that speaks to me. I too know the horror of seeing that the person next to you is spilling into your seat. They are thinking, ''Phew! A petite woman!'' and you are thinking, ''I did not pay good money to canoodle with this stranger!''

Exactly! Oh, I''ve seen that look so many times. Grr.

Yup. Nothing better than havnig the person in front of you reclining their seat back, and sitting in between 2 larger passengers, both cascading into your seat... even though they know each other!

 

[Kay]

Date: 4/29/2009 4:56:27 PM
Author: phoenixgirl


That said, this is not an issue that speaks to me. I too know the horror of seeing that the person next to you is spilling into your seat. They are thinking, ''Phew! A petite woman!'' and you are thinking, ''I did not pay good money to canoodle with this stranger!''

ROFL! I still remember a flight I took in college, back when I was a size 4/6 (although not petite at 5''10"). I was in the aisle seat and an average sized guy was in the window seat. A rather large man appeared to take the middle seat. As he was sitting down, the other guy raised the arm rest between them to give the big guy more room. I could feel eyes on me, but I kept my eyes glued to my book. The guy was spilling into my seat over and under the armrest as it was -- there was no way I was going to remove the barrier and open the flood gates.

It was a very uncomfortable flight.

 

[musey]

Date: 4/29/2009 5:25:05 PM
Author: akmiss
I believe it was mentioned that the airline averages a man to be 5.8 feet tall

Hell, I am almost 5.8 as a woman.......

Reality check please!

I mentioned that, and I was citing the actual average height of a man... not what the airline "averages" it to be.

Your FI is an outlier, not part of the average pocket

... as are you.

 

[musey]

Date: 4/29/2009 5:33:56 PM
Author: tlh

Date: 4/29/2009 5:16:50 PM
Author: musey

That said, this is not an issue that speaks to me. I too know the horror of seeing that the person next to you is spilling into your seat. They are thinking, ''Phew! A petite woman!'' and you are thinking, ''I did not pay good money to canoodle with this stranger!''

Ooooooh that would make me mad!!!!

 

[vespergirl]

As much as I fell sorry for someone who would be embarrassed in that situation, I''ve also been stuck next to very large people on very long flights, where they are taking up half my seat. I honestly think it''s more unfair to the people in the seats next to them who don''t even get the one full seat that they paid for. So, I think the policy is a good idea, but I hope that people won''t be publicly humiliated in it''s execution. One of my best friends is a very large woman, and we were talking about this. She said that she just always flies first class, so it doesn''t become an issue.

 

[cara]

Flying first class is not an option for many people... And I''m not sure how to implement an economy plus-sized seating area. If you don''t charge for it, everyone would sign up! Obese or merely overweight, big-boned, long-legged, even petite, we''d all like some more space.

If you do charge more for a roomier economy seat, there are some people that due to denial about their size or financial pressure or not really caring if they take up half of someone else''s seat will just buy a regular seat and carry on. You will still need some method of sorting people and compelling some of them to pay more for the bigger option.

any suggestions?

 

[Haven]

Date: 4/29/2009 5:36:34 PM
Author: musey

Date: 4/29/2009 5:33:56 PM
Author: tlh

Date: 4/29/2009 5:16:50 PM
Author: musey

That said, this is not an issue that speaks to me. I too know the horror of seeing that the person next to you is spilling into your seat. They are thinking, 'Phew! A petite woman!' and you are thinking, 'I did not pay good money to canoodle with this stranger!'

Ooooooh that would make me mad!!!!

My husband had the most maddening experience with seat reclining on a flight home from Denver last year. The man sitting in front of DH reclined his seat, so DH then reclined his own seat. The woman sitting behind DH was an extremely large woman, and she called the flight attendant over to complain that DH reclined his seat. The FA told DH to put his seat upright, and DH said "No. The person in front of me reclined, I have the right to do the same. I'll put my seat up, if you force him to put his up, as well." The FA pushed back and whispered to DH that she was a very large woman and she was uncomfortable with his seat reclined, and the only way she could sit comfortably is if she reclines her seat, but the one in front of her remains upright. DH said "Well I'm uncomfortable sitting upright with the seat in front of me reclined, that doesn't count for anything?"

The FA told DH that the woman behind her had a special circumstance because she was so large. DH refused to comply, because he did not want to be cramped for the four hour flight. The FA brought the head FA over, who sided with DH, so the whole thing ended there. Ridiculous.

 

[sunnyd]

What happens when the flight fills up? On some airlines you don''t get to choose where you sit, nor do you always get 2 seats together. Is there gonna be a ''2 for me'' checkbox?

 

[Shoopy]

Cara-The sorting process is really the only way of ensuring that larger people pay for these economy-plus seating (FYI...economy plus does exist for a fee...although its more to accomodate passengers requiring more leg room).

As you mentioned, some people just don''t care so they aren''t going to make an effort beforehand to ensure they don''t hinder on someone''s space.

In addition to these people, there are those that just aren''t aware of their size for whatever reason...haven''t traveled in a while, always traveled with family so they never noticed, etc. These people are going to be in for a shock when they travel alone and realize they are spilling over into someone''s seat *and* have to pay extra.

Personally, the last time I traveled was back in October but I went business. The last time I was in economy was back in June 2008. Although I didn''t measure my hips prior to pregnancy, I would say that pregnancy has added probably an extra 10 inches to my hips and my waist line remained consistent until just a few weeks ago. So I have no idea how I will do in these seats and it isn''t really something that I would have thought about had my cousin not mentioned it.

 

[Black Jade]

As Americans get fatter and fatter (pointed out earlier in this post), they are more mean to fat people. It''s an odd disconnect.

This policy sounds mean to me. If they are really going to apply it only to people who can''t put down the armrests or buckle the seat belts, maybe that''s reasonable but I fear it will be abused.

As someone else stated, do thin people get a discount? I am thin and have very narrow hips and also have short legs. So I always have extra room on a airplane. But I don''t see anybody offering to charge me LESS. Or charge less for kids. They actually charge the same fare for babies as for everybody else, even if the mother will basically be holding them.

I don''t see any point in picking on people for being fat. Maybe if you are sitting next to a fat person on an airplane, try talking to them--they might be intelligent and be an interesting conversationalist so that you might forget about it if you feel a little uncomfortable.

 

[decodelighted]

I think there should be a per minute penalty assessed for crying children. The second one starts crying, an attendant makes you swipe your credit card into a time clock thingamajig ... when the kid stops hollering ... you stop paying.

Also, when someone farts -- I think you should be able to punch them in the face. Body odor? Forced to wear a red "O" on their forehead.

Oh, and if a kid is rocking in the chair in front of you -- slamming into your knees repeatedly -- or kicking the back of your chair for sport ... they must be wrapped neck to knees in athletic bandages for the rest of the journey.

Its only fair!

 

[bee*]

I don''t know how I feel on this one. I have been stuck in the middle of a row with two quite large people on either side of me and it was the most uncomfortable six hours of my life. I couldn''t even get out to use the loo as I would have had to climb over them. But on the other hand, I''m not sure how they would implement it. There''s no way they can whip out the scales on the plane or at check in, so not sure how it would work.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Date: 4/29/2009 6:13:05 PM
Author: decodelighted
I think there should be a per minute penalty assessed for crying children. The second one starts crying, an attendant makes you swipe your credit card into a time clock thingamajig ... when the kid stops hollering ... you stop paying.


Also, when someone farts -- I think you should be able to punch them in the face. Body odor? Forced to wear a red ''O'' on their forehead.


Oh, and if a kid is rocking in the chair in front of you -- slamming into your knees repeatedly -- or kicking the back of your chair for sport ... they must be wrapped neck to knees in athletic bandages for the rest of the journey.


Its only fair!

I agree with you Deco..and you know..since everyone is whipping out their horror stories of bit booty people taking up their seat, I''ll whip out my child kicking seat horror story. I road all the way to Japan from Newark...over 12 hours folks..with a kid kicking the back of my seat. He did not even sleep..he just kept kicking, and kicking, and kicking.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 4/29/2009 6:08:56 PM
Author: Black Jade
As Americans get fatter and fatter (pointed out earlier in this post), they are more mean to fat people. It''s an odd disconnect.


This policy sounds mean to me. If they are really going to apply it only to people who can''t put down the armrests or buckle the seat belts, maybe that''s reasonable but I fear it will be abused.


As someone else stated, do thin people get a discount? I am thin and have very narrow hips and also have short legs. So I always have extra room on a airplane. But I don''t see anybody offering to charge me LESS. Or charge less for kids. They actually charge the same fare for babies as for everybody else, even if the mother will basically be holding them.


I don''t see any point in picking on people for being fat. Maybe if you are sitting next to a fat person on an airplane, try talking to them--they might be intelligent and be an interesting conversationalist so that you might forget about it if you feel a little uncomfortable.

I don''t think anyone was saying that fat people aren''t interesting and intelligent. But you know, somehow the desire to have a conversation at all, no matter how interesting the conversationalist, diminishes greatly when I find myself crammed into one side of my seat. Just sayin''....

But honestly, I don''t complain when I sit next to someone spilling over into my seat, because I feel guilty (since I am really small). On the other hand, it is annoying (because if I''m feeling uncomfortable, and I''m pretty thin and short, the other person is seriously encroaching on my personal space). I don''t think the larger people should be publicly told to buy another seat; I think that''s pretty mean and definitely doesn''t help any kind of situation. But I mean, really, if I''m paying the exact same fare for the exact same size seat, then I want my space (having just gotten off a flight a few hours ago, I especially feel strongly about this now - if I have to travel on a cramped tiny space with swine flu concerns, etc. going around, then I definitely don''t want someone taking up half my seat).

 

[Haven]

Deco--I see a difference between farting and being so large that you must use more space than what you paid for. As for the crying children, that''s not a bad idea.

Black Jade--I really don''t see why this is mean. You buy a *seat* for a flight. If you require more than one seat, then you should pay for more than one seat. We charge less money for children''s meals in restaurants because they get less food. Adults eat more, so they pay more. If you require two main dishes, you pay for two main dishes. If you require two airplane seats, you pay for two seats. I don''t see the difference.

Is it maligning for clothing companies to charge more money for XL sizes? They require more fabric to make, so they cost more to the manufacturer, but are people going to start complaining that we are being mean to people for charging more just because their clothes are larger? No, of course not. You consume more, you pay more.

The idea that people should be able to take up as much space as their body size requires just doesn''t make sense to me, especially if it infringes on others'' abilities to sit in their own seats. I''m a larger person, I need to consume more daily calories than a tiny woman--should we both pay the same amount of money for our daily food, regardless of how much we eat?

 

[IloveAsschers13]

Date: 4/29/2009 6:13:05 PM
Author: decodelighted
I think there should be a per minute penalty assessed for crying children. The second one starts crying, an attendant makes you swipe your credit card into a time clock thingamajig ... when the kid stops hollering ... you stop paying.


Also, when someone farts -- I think you should be able to punch them in the face. Body odor? Forced to wear a red 'O' on their forehead.


Oh, and if a kid is rocking in the chair in front of you -- slamming into your knees repeatedly -- or kicking the back of your chair for sport ... they must be wrapped neck to knees in athletic bandages for the rest of the journey.


Its only fair!

HAHAHAHAHA
I'm dying laughing, tears streaming... HAHAHAHA I just read this outloud to my BF...

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Date: 4/29/2009 6:30:39 PM
Author: IloveAsschers13

Date: 4/29/2009 6:13:05 PM

Author: decodelighted

I think there should be a per minute penalty assessed for crying children. The second one starts crying, an attendant makes you swipe your credit card into a time clock thingamajig ... when the kid stops hollering ... you stop paying.



Also, when someone farts -- I think you should be able to punch them in the face. Body odor? Forced to wear a red ''O'' on their forehead.



Oh, and if a kid is rocking in the chair in front of you -- slamming into your knees repeatedly -- or kicking the back of your chair for sport ... they must be wrapped neck to knees in athletic bandages for the rest of the journey.



Its only fair!

HAHAHAHAHA

I''m dying laughing, tears streaming... HAHAHAHA I just read this outloud to my BF...

Me too, lol.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 4/29/2009 6:26:05 PM
Author: Haven
Deco--I see a difference between farting and being so large that you must use more space than what you paid for. As for the crying children, that''s not a bad idea.

Just drawing parallels re: the issue of infringing on other people''s personal space. Your fart comes into my personal space. As do odors & high-pitched wailing & jarring movements of a repeated nature.

As for what you''re paying for ... you''re paying for *passage*. Should people in wheelchairs get charged more for seeing a movie or a concert because their wheelchair takes up more space than the average chair? What if that person was in a wheelchair because the drove their motorcycle drunk into a minivan full of family members -- or a church group? Is that their "fault" as much as excess weight is the "fault" of someone with a biological disorder?

Just sayin''.

 

[akmiss]

I think that there should be some sort of formal policy regarding the matter. One would have to be morbidly obese to require an extra seat so there should be no surprise on that one. If the big person is able to board the plan than I think the airline has lost any chance at charging for the extra seat. As fas as crying kiddos go......Sorry but they are here to stay. Maybe purchase a first class ticket and avoid all the nonsense to begin with.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 4/29/2009 5:22:57 PM
Author: redrose229
I think the airlines should have a few larger seat (either in the front or the back) that are big enough for a larger person...and they should charge more for it.

They do. It's called first class. But it's a **choice** not a requirement-which is the entire issue here.

 

[musey]

Oh jeez