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Technically, yes you deserve a "reasonable accommodation" from your employer, possibly only after a doctor's letter. The accommodation could include them paying to upgrade to a extra legroom seat.
Technically? When? Where is height an ADA-protected class? That's the only time that reasonable accommodation comes into play.
Should they also have to subsidize the cost differential between a 17EEE shoe and 11.5D if they have a dress code?
Sorry, at 6'2, I'm the runt in my family. Height has its advantages and disadvantages. The cost for the extra legroom seats:
A. Does not average $40 per leg. More like $19-$24 domestic.
B. Is tax deductible. Take 30% off.
C. Is not an employers responsibility.
Personally, when I'm paying my own way, I fly business class, because the extra cost is cheaper than dying from deep vein thrombosis.
Two questions.
1. How is paying for business class on every flight cheaper than dying? Is there a death charge from the airlines?
2. How many people that don't fly in business class die of this out of the millions of people who fly?
I'm 6'4" with very long legs, and travel frequently for my company, so I do know exactly what you go through. However, opting for a seat with more leg room is your choice, imo.
It's comfort - not a medical necessity.
Sitting with your legs sharply bent for long periods (actually, even just longer than an hour) can become a medical issue pretty fast. I think it's worth upgrading, and if the company doesn't want to pay the medical costs when he gets a DVT, they might want to pay the cost of a seat upgrade.
OP, bring this issue to your employer's attention. Yes, your health and possibly even life could be at stake.t
I'm 6'4" with very long legs, and travel frequently for my company, so I do know exactly what you go through. However, opting for a seat with more leg room is your choice, imo.
It's comfort - not a medical necessity.
Do a trans-Pacific flight eating your knees the whole way and tell me it's not a medical necessity.
That three inches (6'7" compared to 6'4") is a big difference. Once you get past 6'5" or so, the world simply doesn't fit anymore -- stadium seats, music hall seats, airline seats, hell -- even automobile seats.
OP, I'm in the same boat as you. I have mastered asking gate attendants nicely and getting exit rows, bulkhead and anything that might work. I don't have to fly for work, thankfully. But when I do, the gate attendants almost always hook me up.
1) I arrive early.
2) I empathize that they have a difficult job trying to make a bunch of cranky people happy. I never mention how I empathize. But this is my underlying attitude. They're the ones hooking me up with better seats. Be respectful of their situation. If you try to get an upgrade while thinking, "These bastards are going to give me what I want," you will sit between the two "Discount Daaahble-check" guys, eating your knees. Attitude is everything.
3) I simply ask for a better seat. "Hey, I don't want to spend the next five hours eating my knees while the person in front of me slams their seat into my legs repeatedly in a futile effort to try and make it recline. Do you have anything that might work for me?" Learn this like it's a script and say it verbatim. (Sorry, munchkins, this only works if you're very, very tall.) Often enough, I don't even have to ask. I just do the "forlorn really tall guy about to eat his knees" look, and the gate attendants shuttle me to a better seat. I luck out that way.
This usually works for me. The longer the flight, the better my success rate. And, yes, I get these seats without paying the upgrade fees. Often enough, I get bumped to 1st. Occasionally, they'll try to charge me, and I simply level with them -- "Look, this isn't a convenience issue. Flying sucks for someone like me. Don't you have any seats with a little more leg room? Even a couple inches makes a big difference. I don't want to arrive in wracking pain."
I hope you have similar luck using the system of "be nice and ask for exactly what you want."
Air travel just keeps getting more and more uncomfortable. @ 6'6" I barley fit in a standard aisle seat. It must be even more uncomfortable to fly when you are overweight. Last trip I took the seat was about 18 inches wide- How do overweight people handle it? I saw one large couple across the aisle from me and it didn't look like they were having an enjoyable trip.
I'm 6'7" and as you can imagine, flying is especially miserable. With airlines cutting legroom by the day, I've come to the point where I cannot fit in the 'cheap seats' anymore. And when I say I don't fit, I don't mean the seat in front hits if the person reclines. I mean I hit BEFORE it reclines. Therefore, I always have to upgrade to exit row, bulkhead, or some other section that guarantees more legroom.
Normally, my job doesn't require all that much travel, but recently I've had to fly three times in as many months. My employer covers most of my expenses but refuses to purchase anything better than the cheapest fare available, which of course means the seats with the least legroom. I've been paying out of pocket to upgrade my seat, and my travel department has told me they won't cover the cost. The cost averages roughly $40 per leg of the flight, so the cost can add up quick.
I'm currently working with my supervisor and HR to come to some sort of agreement on this, but I'm curious how others would handle this. Would you make a stink about it? Suck it up and pay it? Refuse to fly for work anymore? I've been looking for some sort of law I could site that would say they're required to compensate me (which would be the best solution IMHO), but I haven't found anything yet.
Mike
Have you ever considered voluntarily sitting in the Emergency Exit row? You get tons of legroom there. Of course it comes with responsibilities...so only do this if you're prepared to handle them.
I, too, am fairly tall, for a woman, and find it more comfortable in the Emergency Exit row, and usually volunteer for it.
This DOES mean...being able to OPEN that door in an emergency (I am strong enough to do this, even though I am a woman) It also means being able to help position the exit slide, and help people in the plane to use it...
I don't fly often, because I totally hate the security procedures anymore - they have gotten to the point where they are positively offensively personal...so, generally, anywhere I can get to by car, I prefer to drive.
Flying is now an emergency means to reach my destination where my car can't go...or where time forbids road travel.
1. How is paying for business class on every flight cheaper than dying? Is there a death charge from the airlines?
Never heard of the "death tax"? Actually, dying is the one reliable way to get a refund on a nonrefundable fare.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EzPeterson
Technically? When? Where is height an ADA-protected class? That's the only time that reasonable accommodation comes into play. .
Any “borderline” disability may be an ADA disability. If height limits your ability to perform even one specific work-related activity (such as air travel) then yes, reasonable accommodation comes into play.
Quote:
Does not average $40 per leg. More like $19-$24 domestic.
OP said "average". Frommer's says the average for Economy Plus is $39 per segment for domestic, and $100 for international. I've seen extra legroom seats go as high as $200 per segment, and at the time of ticket purchase, I never see premium economy below $25 per leg.
I'm 6'4" so I feel the OP's pain. Can't offer much help except to change jobs or pay the extra out of pocket. You might try to find out what their policy is for folks that are too fat and have to pay for 2 seats. Does the company pay the extra or not. If they pay for the two seats, then it sounds like discrimination not to pay for anything extra for you. My attitude is just to quit flying. With the small seats, the TSA and the unreliability, I'll just drive when I want to go.
I'm 6'7" and as you can imagine, flying is especially miserable. With airlines cutting legroom by the day, I've come to the point where I cannot fit in the 'cheap seats' anymore. And when I say I don't fit, I don't mean the seat in front hits if the person reclines. I mean I hit BEFORE it reclines. Therefore, I always have to upgrade to exit row, bulkhead, or some other section that guarantees more legroom.
Normally, my job doesn't require all that much travel, but recently I've had to fly three times in as many months. My employer covers most of my expenses but refuses to purchase anything better than the cheapest fare available, which of course means the seats with the least legroom. I've been paying out of pocket to upgrade my seat, and my travel department has told me they won't cover the cost. The cost averages roughly $40 per leg of the flight, so the cost can add up quick.
I'm currently working with my supervisor and HR to come to some sort of agreement on this, but I'm curious how others would handle this. Would you make a stink about it? Suck it up and pay it? Refuse to fly for work anymore? I've been looking for some sort of law I could site that would say they're required to compensate me (which would be the best solution IMHO), but I haven't found anything yet.
Mike
When the time came, I'd simply go out on workman's comp.
When the time came, I'd simply go out on workman's comp.
Good luck with that.
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ADA sets the bar VERY low.
