Overweight? Buy an extra seat

[Shoopy]

My cousin is a flight attendant. We were chatting online and she mentioned that the airlines are now charging overweight passengers for an extra seat.

The kicker though is that if you don''t realize you don''t fit in a regular seat before everyone has sat down, they''ll come up to you and tell you that you either need to move, pay for another seat, or take another flight in front of everyone!

And I thought paying $6 to reserve your seat ahead of time was too much

 

[Lauren8211]

Hmph. No need to embarass anyone, that is hardly appropriate. I''m sure there has to be a more tactful way to handle it.

However, I don''t disagree with the policy.

 

[DiamondFlame]

If you''re overweight the onus is on you to find out ahead if there are additional seats available or if it''s going to be a full flight. I don''t think it''s fair if you deprive another of a seat on account of your bulk. Alternatively, lobby the airlines for wider seats...

 

[Po10472]

Ryanair in the UK posted a poll on their website asking customers to provide information on what they would like to change about the service etc and 1/3rd of those who replied said that the company should charge a ''fat tax'' on those travellers who were bigger than ''normal''.

What they have suggested is that women over 15stone or men over 20stone would be required to pay a higher premium and/or buy another seat. If an individual was under the proposed weight threshold but their body size impinged on those beside them, i.e., they were wider than the seats, then they would also be charged a ''fat tax''.

Its absolutely and utterly outrageous and highly discriminatory therefore potentially illegal to do this. Yes, I understand that there can be larger people on a plane, myself not exactly being miss thin, but lets look at the size of the seats and the fact that even a slim person has problems fitting into a normal seat.

Its just BS and the airlines trying to make more money, next they''ll be charging people over 5ft 6'' a tax for their knees touching the seat in front of them.

OH........fyi.....customers were encouraged to fill out the poll for a cash prize!!

 

[AmberGretchen]

fiery - I think some airlines, like Southwest, have been doing this for a while.

While I can totally sympathize with the fact that this would be humiliating and uncomfortable for the person in question who has to buy the extra seat, I think it is a policy that was made by considering everyone else on the plane as well. As someone who has been squeezed uncomfortable into a seat next to someone who was taking up their own seat and more than half of mine, I have to say, I think the policy makes good sense.

Would it be better if airlines made larger seats to accommodate the growing American population? Possibly. Its that likely to happen? Not really. And unless it does, it seems to me that in the interests of fairness to all passengers, all of whom paid for a seat on this airplane, and all of whom are therefore entitled to that seat (without being expected to share it unexpectedly).

 

[Shoopy]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:18:48 PM
Author: DiamondFlame
If you''re overweight the onus is on you to find out ahead if there are additional seats available or if it''s going to be a full flight. I don''t think it''s fair if you deprive another of a seat on account of your bulk. Alternatively, lobby the airlines for wider seats...

I agree with this. I think that with the new policies, at the very minimum you should call and ask for measurements to make sure you can fit in a regular seat. If not for anything else than to save yourself from the embarrassment.

I''m hoping that they don''t really go up to the passenger and say something in front of everyone. I would hope that they would perhaps ask the passenger to preboard or something. In any case, its a sensitive topic and I''m sure they (the airlines) will have a hard time trying to be compassionate while implementing the policy.

 

[somethingshiny]

I have to wonder if they''re going to do this to pregnant women too? I mean, we''ve all see a tiny woman who gets pregnant and doubles her weight in 3 months. If they do begin to charge pregnant women, I believe we''re dealing with an ethical and discriminatory issue even more so than just a "fat" people issue.

I''ve been on a plane next to a large person, and I have to say, it didn''t bother me half as much as being next to the "oh, god, we''re gonna die" guy who twitched the whole time. Or the smelly guy....

So, if we''re charging for extra seats so as not to inconvenience the seat mate, we should start by a sniff test and charge accordingly.

 

[Lauren8211]

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.

 

[Maisie]

I''m a chunky monkey but I still fit in airline seats. I think its going to be really embarrassing if they start charging based on weight. What are they going to do if they think you are bigger than the cut off? Whip out the scales and weigh you at the check in desk?

 

[purrfectpear]

If you''re that fat I suspect you know it beforehand.

Saying something to them is no different than saying something to a blind person in the emergency exit seat. Somehow the obese seem to think that their fatness needs to be treated with kid gloves, moreso than any other disability.

My formerly size 2 body is now a hefty size 14. I don''t live in denial and think people don''t look at me and see chubby

 

[Shoopy]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:28:42 PM
Author: somethingshiny
I have to wonder if they''re going to do this to pregnant women too? I mean, we''ve all see a tiny woman who gets pregnant and doubles her weight in 3 months. If they do begin to charge pregnant women, I believe we''re dealing with an ethical and discriminatory issue even more so than just a ''fat'' people issue.

This is something that has been worrying me a lot after hearing it today. I grew wide and now I''m paranoid...

 

[Shoopy]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:29:40 PM
Author: purrfectpear
If you''re that fat I suspect you know it beforehand.

Saying something to them is no different than saying something to a blind person in the emergency exit seat. Somehow the obese seem to think that their fatness needs to be treated with kid gloves, moreso than any other disability.

My formerly size 2 body is now a hefty size 14. I don''t live in denial and think people don''t look at me and see chubby

Yeah I definitely think if you are very overweight, you know beforehand.

But, just to use the size you mentioned as an example, a size 14 should be able to fit in a regular seat and you wouldn''t think that you can''t. What if you go and you find out that at 14, the armrests don''t go all the way down? Size 14/16/even 18 is little but you never know. That would be embarrassing...at least I would think.

 

[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.

 

[musey]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:28:42 PM
Author: somethingshiny
I have to wonder if they're going to do this to pregnant women too? I mean, we've all see a tiny woman who gets pregnant and doubles her weight in 3 months. If they do begin to charge pregnant women, I believe we're dealing with an ethical and discriminatory issue even more so than just a 'fat' people issue.

Well no, it's not a "fat people" issue, it's a size issue. They should probably revise their policy to be dependent on measurements rather than weight, imo.

BTW even tiny women generally shouldn't "double their weight" or size unless there's a larger issue than simple pregnancy, and it would be pretty hard for a "tiny" woman to get too large for the seat. If a pregnant woman is too large to fit in the seat, then obviously it applies to her too - whether she's incubating or not

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

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.

I 100% agree with this. Seat space is a commodity that must be paid for. As such, one who needs more space should be required to pay more for the space they need to comfortably and SAFELY fly in a commercial airplane. It's a safety issue too people (larger people need more room to move around in order to grab the life vest or air mask.

 

[Steel]

Do you have to be overweight to buy an extra seat?

I''d love a bit more room on economy flights.....

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:44:01 PM
Author: Steel
Do you have to be overweight to buy an extra seat?


I''d love a bit more room on economy flights.....

Of course not. You could buy the entire plane if you wanted to Steel.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:44:53 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk

Date: 4/29/2009 3:44:01 PM
Author: Steel
Do you have to be overweight to buy an extra seat?


I''d love a bit more room on economy flights.....

Of course not. You could buy the entire plane if you wanted to Steel.

Haha. I''d love to be able to afford more room!

At 5''10" my butt may fit, but my legs are certainly crammed in there!

 

[elrohwen]

Yeah, I think they've been doing this policy for a while now, but I totally agree with others that there are more tactful ways to go about it. I do agree with the policy and I think it's absolutely necessary for the safety and comfort of everyone on board.

And I wish airlines would invest in bigger seats, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. I'm a size 6/8 and sometimes I sit in these seats and have very little room on either side of my hips! The seats are crazy small these days.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Deleted.

 

[Steel]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:47:05 PM
Author: elrohwen
Yeah, I think they''ve been doing this policy for a while now, but I totally agree with others that there are more tactful ways to go about it. I do agree with the policy. I''m a size 6/8 and sometimes I sit in these seats and have very little room on either side of my hips! The seats are crazy small these days.

Seriously,

Are the seats getting smaller or our backsides getting bigger?

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:47:05 PM
Author: elrohwen
Yeah, I think they''ve been doing this policy for a while now, but I totally agree with others that there are more tactful ways to go about it. I do agree with the policy. I''m a size 6/8 and sometimes I sit in these seats and have very little room on either side of my hips! The seats are crazy small these days.

Ditto! I''m afraid if I get any bigger I won''t fit, and I''m not considered overweight at all!

 

[Shoopy]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:49:45 PM
Author: Steel

Date: 4/29/2009 3:47:05 PM
Author: elrohwen
Yeah, I think they've been doing this policy for a while now, but I totally agree with others that there are more tactful ways to go about it. I do agree with the policy. I'm a size 6/8 and sometimes I sit in these seats and have very little room on either side of my hips! The seats are crazy small these days.

Seriously,

Are the seats getting smaller or our backsides getting bigger?

Both lol

The interesting thing about Southwest is that they actually did make their seats smaller a few years back (recent though) so that passengers can feel comfortable in the aisle.

I don't know about you...but I rather be comfortable in my seat and have no problem saying "excuse me, pardon me" when walking to the bathroom.

I've never had a problem with fitting in the seat but I also watch my seats like a hawk. The week before my trip, I check the seat map every day and move my seat around so that I dont sit next to anyone. I also won't book a flight where I have to sit in the middle.

I do have to say though that I am worried about it now. As mentioned, I grew wide with pregnancy. All of my weight went to my hips and my bump is just now starting to grow at 30 weeks. My flight to Vegas this weekend will be interesting to say the least

 

[Bia]

Date: 4/29/2009 3:45:56 PM
Author: elledizzy5

Date: 4/29/2009 3:44:53 PM

Haha. I'd love to be able to afford more room!


At 5'10' my butt may fit, but my legs are certainly crammed in there!

Me too. And on top of that, I get that annoying restless leg $**t, and spend the entire flight trying to figure out what to do with them! Up, down, crossed, under seat, crossed at the ankle. Being long can be very uncomfortable.

eta: Elle, I did something that made it look like your quote. Macs drive me insane!

 

[decodelighted]

The whole thing sucks for me. I have very wide hips & carry my weight in my hips/butt -- exactly where they are drawing the line. However, VERY often I''m sitting next to someone with super wide shoulders -- I bet they don''t get charged extra! I''m just slightly above the national average size -- it seems pretty absurd that this might affect me because of WHERE my extra lbs. are. When folks that require seat belt extenders etc won''t necessarily be affected ... because of where their lbs. are.

And it would be infuriating if they made different weight size requirements for MEN & WOMEN????? What??? THAT would certainly be discrimination! If you''re going to set some upward limit it should be *standard* .. not sex specific.

Blerg. Not looking forward to my next flight ... at all.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I always pay more to fly Midwest (when possible) so that I can get a nice roomy seat with leg room. I understand the airline''s motivation for cramming us all in like sardines ($$), but I find it very uncomfortable and I''m fairly petite. I always feel bad when stuck next to my poor husband who''s over 6 feet tall and crammed in his seat trying to work on his laptop.

 

[meresal]

I read the first 6 ot 7 replies and then scrolled down... sorry if I repeat...

I heard that the maximum size is measured by two factors...
1. If the arm rests won't go down on each side
(AND/OR?? I'm not sure if it's both or either)
2. If after adding the extender belt, you still cannot close your belt

Just something I heard on the news one night, I think. Anyone else hear this?

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Date: 4/29/2009 4:02:23 PM
Author: meresal
I read the first 6 ot 7 replies and then scrolled down... sorry if I repeat...


I heard that the maximum size is measured by two factors...

1. If the arm rests won''t go down on each side

(AND/OR?? I''m not sure if it''s both or either)

2. If after adding the extender belt, you still cannot sloce you belt


Just something I heard on the news one night, I think. Anyone else hear this?

Yeah, I''ve heard this. I used to watch that show on A&E I think it was the reality show about airlines..and they used to show people trying to fly on Southwest affected by this. The tears, etc. And yes they did weigh the people at times if I remember correctly. Most of the time they seemed to go by the seat-belt extender rule...but it also was by the arm rests.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I heard that as well Meresal. And I''d just like to say that I know someone who''s a size 22 and she can get a belt buckled with the extender and put the arm rests down if she needs to (not that she wants to). I think this rule is for the VERY obese passenger.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 4/29/2009 4:04:00 PM
Author: SarahLovesJS


Yeah, I''ve heard this. I used to watch that show on A&E I think it was the reality show about airlines..and they used to show people trying to fly on Southwest affected by this. The tears, etc. And yes they did weigh the people at times if I remember correctly. Most of the time they seemed to go by the seat-belt extender rule...but it also was by the arm rests.

Blah. Weighing people does no one any good. 150 lbs on someone who is 4''8" is going to fit differently than 150 lbs on someone who is 5''10" Unless they''re standing by with a BMI Chart?

Measuring inches is the only way to be able to decide if someone fits or not.