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So it's crazy to want the space you've bought and paid for?
As a regular sized frequent traveler I think that is fundamentally sane.
What I find "crazy" is an expectation that somebody should get less than they paid for so you get more. There are options for oversized passengers. If they don't either identify (with a doctors note) as obese prior to traveling (in canada) in which case they are legally entitled to another seat without cause, then they shouldn't be traveling next to someone. If your legs are too long to fit within your space you should pay for "economy plus" or exit row seats if the flight is full.
Just so you know, people elsewhere outside America didn't necessarily got that much fatter and can still fit in today's seats. More importantly the healthy BMI for a human being remains the same. It doesn't go up as time goes by.
When I have been in Europe the only overweight people I have seen have been Americans.
When I have been in Europe the only overweight people I have seen have been Americans.
To be fair there are plenty of overweight Europeans, but when it comes to extremely obese yah the Ami's win. Myself I am in no way obese, could drop a few kilos but I'm mostly just big and muscular with huge back and shoulders, I fit in the seat but if the person next to me isn't kinda small it's s bit tight.
It seems to be that we could compare needing a larger seat to everything else we buy.
For instance, if I go into Burger King and order a junior cheeseburger and it's not enough food for me, I don't get to eat a quarter or third of the hamburger that the guy at the next table has ordered, do I? Of course not. So why should I get to preempt a quarter or third of my neighbor's seat?
I don't know what all has been discussed in the previous 35 pages of posts, but I know from personal experience that the flight attendants are not going to be particularly sympathetic to your plight if a Passenger of Size is spilling over into your seat. Their main interest is getting that plane boarded so it can push off on time.
I was reading a discussion on a flight board once on how to combat this. I'm not sure I'd have the nerve, though, and who knows if it would actually work, but it's worth the try: You have a seat that you cannot comfortably sit in because of a Passenger of Size in the next seat. You speak to the flight attendant about it. She/he says there are no other seats. You repeat that you cannot sit in the seat. You'll get the same spiel from the attendant. They don't want to involuntary disembark the Passenger of Size because of the possibility of complaints/suits. So you'll be told to please take your seat....now. At this point, you have to be very careful because the attendants can pull the "interfering with the duties of a flight attendant" card and you'll be in trouble. So, at that point, you ask for the dispute resolution officer (different airlines have different names, but they'll know darn well what you are talking about). They have to call one. They don't want to. It takes time. Time is money. You say that you will agree to be voluntarily deboarded but that you insist on having your bags removed from the cargo hold. Whoo-boy. They DO NOT like that. At this point, chances are there is an airline employee travelling non-rev who can be moved into your seat. Non-revs have to be prepared to sit anywhere.
Worst scenario....you have to sit next to the Passenger of Size for the next five hours. Don't worry, you'll lose all feeling in your body after 45 minutes.
And please don't accuse me of having no feelings or sympathy for Passengers of Size. I feel very sorry for them. I'm sure they have a rough life. I would not make fun of them. But I've just paid $500 for that seat and I'm entitled to 100% of it. Not 66%, not 70%, not 90% of it. Just like they paid $500 for their seat and are entitled to 100% of it.....just not 25% of mine, too. Remember the hamburger? I want to eat all of mine, not share it with my neighbor.
The solution is not to increase seat size (and therefore jack up prices for everyone) but instead to offer bigger seats at premium price.
Unfortunately the fat ones with such a fair option will still choose to buy the cheapest seats designed for people with normal bodies and then complain about the smallness of those seats. Isn't that funny?
Don't tell me you can't afford premium seats. If you can't then don't fly.
[quote=apexgds;39968577]Passengers on Southwest can do one of two things ... either they can purchase two seats and then be refunded for one of the seats after the trip has occurred, or they can take their chances and inquire at the gate if there is room on the flight to reserve the seat next to them (at no cost).[/quote
Is that really true? Do you know anyone who has done that in the past year or two? I don't see anythign on their website that says you can do it. I suppose the second seat has to be a refundable seat? Don't the airlines have the right to fill an empty seat if the buyer doesn't show up within ten minutes of takeoff?
The last few flights I've been on, there has not been an empty seat on the plane. The planes are much fuller these days.
Passengers on Southwest can do one of two things ... either they can purchase two seats and then be refunded for one of the seats after the trip has occurred, or they can take their chances and inquire at the gate if there is room on the flight to reserve the seat next to them (at no cost).[/quote
Is that really true? Do you know anyone who has done that in the past year or two? I don't see anythign on their website that says you can do it. I suppose the second seat has to be a refundable seat? Don't the airlines have the right to fill an empty seat if the buyer doesn't show up within ten minutes of takeoff?
The last few flights I've been on, there has not been an empty seat on the plane. The planes are much fuller these days.
I was on a flight Friday that had about 30 empty seats. A few people had entire rows to themselves!
I can't imagine an airline refunding a seat after the flight has occurred. That is really interesting.
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Customers who have purchased an additional seat to accommodate a special seating need due to size or disability may request a refund of the additional seat purchase by sending us an e-mail request at southwest.com/feedback or by calling Southwest at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792). Even if the flight experiences an oversale (having more confirmed Customers waiting to board than seats on the aircraft) we will refund the cost of the extra seat(s).
So, what is the point of making them pay for the extra seat if they just give the money back? I would think that if they paid for an extra seat, and the seat next to them was indeed empty to accommodate them, they owned it. Seems like a silly policy if they just refund it later.
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