The Right to Bloat, or, Jabba flies Economy class

[SpeedRacer 1]

Yeah that's another issue. in Boston they had these subways which were built in Japan. It wasn't just a fat issue with them: If three physically fit (not fat), but full grown American men sat side by side, often their shoulders just wouldnt fit. one or more of them would have to lean out or something.

Speed Racer
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[skycat 0]

I've actually heard of people who complain after getting off the flight and get a partial refund.

I'm fairly small 5'1 110 lbs and fit very well into airline seats, what I hate is that even average sized people think that cause I'm small they can spread into my seat if they have the middle seat. Normally a nice pointy elbow to the arm (accidentally of course) gets them to move back into the middle of their seat.

Fly it like you stole it!

[purplegirl 0]

i know what you mean, skykat - i'm 5 feet and 99 pounds and just because i'm small, large folks think they can invade my space on the plane.

anyway, back to the topic... i used to work for Delta Air Lines (international ticketing) and my friends working the gates have no qualms telling large people that they have to purchase an extra seat. otherwise, they deny them boarding. and that's actually the easy part of the job.

now try telling a non-English speaking Mexican attempting to board an AeroMexico/Delta flight that he simply CANNOT bring his live chicken on board. it probably took me a good half hour explaining to the poor guy who was literally in tears that live uncaged chickens are not allowed on board. period.

you guys, i have so many airline stories they deserve a topic of their own!

[Elisha 1]

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you guys, i have so many airline stories they deserve a topic of their own!

Do it! Do it ! Do it!

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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my friends working the gates have no qualms telling large people that they have to purchase an extra seat. otherwise, they deny them boarding. and that's actually the easy part of the job.

It's easy to crush someone's self-esteem? Wow.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[Zenister 0]

Or, try a search... there is very little new under the Sun.... or on DZ.com....

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[Zenister 0]

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my friends working the gates have no qualms telling large people that they have to purchase an extra seat. otherwise, they deny them boarding. and that's actually the easy part of the job.

It's easy to crush someone's self-esteem? Wow.

No, but it is pretty easy to illustrate that XXL doesnt fit into Med, and that their bulk requires additional space and therefore additional fees...

people who cant grasp that concept have bigger issues than self esteem...

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[JoeG 0]

My Grandmother was about 4'9'' and weighed over 400 lbs. She volunarily bought 3 seats and sat in the center one. She lost 290 lbs when she was 65 of all things.

I loved her very much, but she always claimed she had a glandular problem until she actually dieted.

As far as manners...I or the company I work for paid very good money for my seat. I would have no problems with either making them sit in the window seat or putting the armrest back down.

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"Knowledge is Power!"

[wingnut 0]

i think there should be little seats at the gate, just like the little bi n for your carry on, you don't fit, you get another seat....

always wondered what they would do if i carryied two , maybe 4 small boards that would fit under the seat in my cary on, but could be assembled to make a little wall on the side of my seat, then you would just have to put up the wall and they couldn't say shit cuz it would all be on your side of the seat......... but then you wouldloose the armrest and i'm fond of those, as long as i'm not having to touch the fat of the person next to me.........

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"i have no reader's digest version"

[Guest]

"...and I tried to get away from her, but I couldn't escape from her gravitational field..."

mh

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"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[2fat2fly 0]

I have put the armrest back down on people before. Sometimes I can cover it with a "I need to get to the recline button" sometimes not. As a lard ass myself who travels a lot-I stay in my seat, I expect others to do the same. I'll try not to be rude but I'm not going to be miserable for 90 minutes, either.

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[grue 1]

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I'm a big fella...but don't take up more than my own space. I was on a flight once where there were three of us big fella's in the same row. We were all in the 6'3 to 6'5 and 250 lb range.

I've got to tell you, we were a team in that row...alternating the lean forward/lean backward positions for the whole 4 hour flight.

Comic relief for the flight attendants and other passengers, as we were moaning and groaning the whole trip.

I run into a similar issue. 6'3", college soccer and hockey player. I have really broad shoulders, or so I'm told, and it really makes air travel aggravating. When I get put next to someone bigger than me, and not because of muscle mass and exercise, but because he or she is the only contestant on his or her own reality eating show, I tend to get annoyed. If I can keep myself in my own seat, I expect the person next to me to do the same..... AND DON'T SWEAT ON ME. EW EW EW EW EW.

cavete terrae.

[SpeedRacer 1]

Apparently, it just ain't "PC" to do anything about this:

from Forbes, October 2002:

Airlines
Why Airlines Can't Cut The Fat
Lisa DiCarlo, 10.24.02, 11:55 AM ET

There aren't many times when the airline industry deserves public sympathy, but the current flap over whether and how to deal with overweight passengers is a no-win situation.

The latest dustup involves a woman flying from London to Los Angeles on Virgin Atlantic in 2001. She apparently suffered leg injuries after being seated next to an obese woman who spilled over into her seat, reportedly squashing her. This week, Virgin paid the woman $20,000 in compensation, but the company is not changing its policy on overweight passengers. That is, Virgin is not planning to charge obese passengers for extra seats if they don't fit.


The airlines are in an impossible situation here, and appear to be caving into political correctness: catering to the complaints of a vocal minority while ignoring the comfort of the majority.

"Southwest got into trouble saying, if you are too big, you have to buy two tickets," says Dr. Adam Pilarski, an airline consultant at Avitas. "Various organizations that represent the calorically challenged had a freak attack over this, saying they're discriminating against those that may have a medical condition."

In June, Southwest Airlines (nyse: LUV - news - people ) began enforcing a longstanding rule of charging extra-large passengers for two seats. One month later, an obese brother and sister threatened to sue after they were denied boarding when they refused to buy extra seats. The airline later refunded the cost of the original flight and apologized, saying the siblings were not asked to pay for extra seats at the time of purchase.

Southwest spokesman Ed Stewart says the problem in that particular case was one of consistency. The siblings were not asked to purchase extra seats on the outbound flight because it was half empty. The issue arose on the inbound, when the plane was filled to capacity.

"You must be consistent," says Stewart. "We sell the second seat at a reduced rate, which the customer gets back immediately if the flight isn't full."

The issue is, of course, a delicate one for airline employees to approach with obese passengers. Should people be sized up by gate agents, or asked their weight as part of those pointless security questions?

The bottom line is there is no delicate way to handle the situation, no matter how comfortable someone feels with their weight. This puts airlines in an impossible spot, one that seems to favor political correctness.

"I have a legitimate beef if someone that's 300 pounds takes up a third of my seat," says Pilarski. "The airlines are caving into political correctness, but they have no choice."

Organizations and individuals that oppose the practice of double charging make the argument that people who "disturb" passengers in other ways should also be charged. For example: parents with crying babies, blind people with guide dogs, or even people with unpleasant body odor.

As annoying as those things may be, they aren't in the same category as the physical discomfort caused by being squished into a coach-class seat that, on average, measures only 19 inches across.

It's unlikely that this problem will be fixed. That's because airlines will want to avoid the publicity and potential embarrassment of forcing passengers to pay for a second seat or even denying them boarding. It's even less likely that cash-strapped airlines (several of which are fighting for their very survival) will retrofit their planes with wider seats to accommodate large customers.

Southwest's Stewart doesn't put much credence in any lawsuits that have sprung up from the rule. "The customer takes the hanky out and claims [he has] suffered mightily. This is a non-issue [that] gets attention for the entertainment value."

That may be true, but with obesity in America reaching epidemic proportions, more "average"-sized people can expect to be squeezed in coach class in the coming years.

Speed Racer
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[SBS 0]

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My ex's mom is really big, like 330 lbs. She doesn't wait for airlines to tell her to buy an extra seat, she just buys one on her own.

See, that's what I think is right. Someone else talked about the rude thin people...what about the rude fat people who live in denial and don't mind that they make everyone else's lives uncomfortable. If one is large, I am sorry...but live with it and do what you have to do to be comfortable and allow those around you to live their lives unimpeded.

I flew about 200,000 miles last year, and was fortunate enough to not have any situations like that. On the other hand, though, I also didn't get stuck next to any swedish bikini models either.



-S

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I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

[wingnut 0]

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flew about 200,000 miles last year

can i have some of your frequent flier miles???

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"i have no reader's digest version"

[SBS 0]

I've got about 400,000 with bonuses and all on American, and it makes me sick how quickly they go away...

So, short answer...NO! But thanks for asking.



-S

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I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

[wmw999 2,548]

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I guess the person has to tell the flight attendants they've bought two seats so no one sits down next to them

Actually, passengers who have bought two seats for one person get to go on first of all in the pre-boarding. Even before the families and other disabled. It's all laid out on their cards (I escorted my father to a flight earlier this month and read the whole thing).

It makes sense, though -- that way there is a benefit to buying the two seats, also. I wonder if two oversized people would be able to share 2 seats?

And, to my way of thinking, Southwest's stated policy of being consistent, and refunding the cost of the extra seat when the flight isn't full makes the most sense.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)