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So the polite person asked if they could raise the arm rest to spill over into your paid seat.
But the second obese person just flipped up the arm rest w/o asking you if it was ok to spill over into your paid seat.
You're a very kind person, you deserve karma points and then some.
I am SO not kind normally, I am perhaps the most impatient, easily annoyed person on the planet but thanks!!!
I think the difference was I responded with empathy to the first person who was clearly aware that their size impacted their neighbor and truthfully (without paying double voluntarily) didn't really have much they could do about it in that moment.
The second was entitled and rude (even without size being factored in).
Even as a very assertive person, I can't imagine asking for someone to be offloaded. It's kind of frustrating how much is being transferred to passengers instead of the airlines being accountable. On a full flight, and just by looking at both of the men is would be VERY clear that there is no way they could fly without impacting their neighbor's space. It's not a hidden thing - the gate agents shouldn't wait until a passenger complains.
I agree that the overweight passengers should either book a second seat or be offloaded automatically if the flight is fully booked.
One thing that Spirit Airlines does which I wish the other carriers would do is supply a few seats which are as wide as a first class seat, but don't come with any first class amenities. The Big Front Seats cost only a bit more than the standard economy seat, not 3-4x as much (the way true first class seats do).
It makes sense to me: if we can have an economy plus section with extra legroom, why not an economy wide section with extra seat width?
It won't completely solve the problem because not everyone who needs such a seat would book one, but it would definitely help.
Spirit Airlines does this? Wow, that's the first GOOD thing I've ever heard about them! Personally, I think it's a great idea, and I would love to see all airlines do it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the average weight of American adult males has increased from 166 pounds in 1960 to 191 pounds in 2002. So even if this trend halted in 2002, this still means that American men are considerably heavier now than they were back in the 1960s -- which is when many of today's popular airliners, including the 737, were designed.
The 737 has 3-3 seating, with each seat being 17 inches wide (not counting armrests). If one seat per row were removed, the remaining seats could be widened to 20 or maybe 21 inches, which would be a better size for today's larger-sized people. But on the flip side, the plane would lose 1/6 of its carrying capacity, which means that the airlines would have to raise their prices by a pretty steep margin to compensate.
So what's the solution? Maybe have 2 or 3 rows configured like that, and charge something like 25% more for them. It would still be an economy-class product, just a bit more roomy and a bit more expensive.
In the long term, I think Boeing needs to design its new 797 (or whatever they want to call it) to have 3-3 seating but with each seat being 20 inches wide.
It's not a hidden thing - the gate agents shouldn't wait until a passenger complains.
They shouldn't - but all too often, they will. And for understandable reasons: it's one of the sucker aspects of their job. Gate agents already spend a lot of their time dealing with upset, angry people; they're not exactly eager to create more.
So in the end it falls on the passenger to stand up for himself/herself. Alas, it's not a perfect world.
How pregnant are we talking here? Women past a certain point in pregnancy are not supposed to fly so this argument does not apply as well.t
Not only that but I'd also argue that a pregnant stomach is less likely to have the same form that disruptive body fat does-pregnant stomachs are in the front whereas obese people's weight is more like a blob shape, sort of occupying whatever space gravity directs it to.
I'm just saying it's a slippery slope. Someone close to tipping the scales and intruding on other peoples space that is pregnant can certainly argue that they are being discriminated against due to being pregnant and not obese.
It's a very sensitive topic and adding pregnancy to the equation makes for a VERY tough situation. I wouldn't want to be the ticket agent that has to notify that pregnant lady of the "situation".
Everything sounds good in theory and on a discussion board but to actually implement it in real life situations is a different story.
Maybe airlines need a skinny beyotch section. I can't decide if you should pay more for that, or less, since technically it's less weight to haul around and fewer people would qualify for those seats. WDYT?
No one is asking for a "skinny beyotch" section.
Have things gone so far in the US that morbid obesity is the norm, and being at your right weight makes you an annoying freak?
Why should I pay for business class or for two seats when I need one? If you are significantly overweight and there will be spillage, for lack of a better word, the onus is on you - not the rest of us.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the average weight of American adult males has increased from 166 pounds in 1960 to 191 pounds in 2002. So even if this trend halted in 2002, this still means that American men are considerably heavier now than they were back in the 1960s -- which is when many of today's popular airliners, including the 737, were designed.
That's the problem in a nutshell. People on average have grown larger, but the seats have not. And planes are flying 90%+ full these days, instead of 65% full. So we all feel like we're trapped in a crowded elevator for hours.
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So what's the solution? Maybe have 2 or 3 rows configured like that, and charge something like 25% more for them. It would still be an economy-class product, just a bit more roomy and a bit more expensive.
I think that's the most practical solution, at least for now. Here's hoping the airlines start implementing it!
Quote:
In the long term, I think Boeing needs to design its new 797 (or whatever they want to call it) to have 3-3 seating but with each seat being 20 inches wide.
That would probably be the best solution in the long run, but it won't happen for engineering and cost reasons.
So what's the solution? Maybe have 2 or 3 rows configured like that, and charge something like 25% more for them. It would still be an economy-class product, just a bit more roomy and a bit more expensive.
In the long term, I think Boeing needs to design its new 797 (or whatever they want to call it) to have 3-3 seating but with each seat being 20 inches wide.
And those who don't need the extra space should also pay for the additional cost just because the fat ones need it? Makes no sense to me.
Regarding 797, why does Boeing "need" to have wider seats? Those who can't fit in today's seats are few, and not everyone on Boeing's planes are Americans, who just happen to be much fatter than pretty much all other countries.
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