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If the oversized person in the adjacent seat spills over into my seat, and if all upon which we can rely is market-forces, then I really have no recourse. I could engage in verbal or physical sparring with said person, and depending on law of the jungle vigor, I may or may not win. But this is not the airline's problem. So then, whose problem is it? Again, this is where I think that the regulatory machine can intercede.
You can talk with a flight attendant. And if this is a big enough problem, some airlines will solve the problem.
We don't need government regulating seat sizes on anything. That's no different than having government regulate hamburger sizes or the length of golf clubs or knee room in the back seat of a car.
As a consumer, I have the right to determine how much safety I purchase. I should have the right to decide if I want to purchase a seat belt. I should also have the right to decide if I want to purchase a wider airplane seat. Why should you give that right to the government?
Because there comes a point where how you would choose to buy safety impacts not only you but those around you who might desire a higher level of safety. You might say they, hey, I'm short and don't mind a small seat pitch. Let the airlines go even shorter with seat pitch than Spirit does.
But seat pitch also plays a role in how fast a plane can be evacuated in the event of a crash or fire. The FAA says that you must be able to evacuate a given plane configuration within X number of seconds. There are very legit reasons for this evacuation time given how during the Golden Age of Flight there were any number of plane crashes where passengers initially survived the crash but then died because they were unable to evacuate the plane before it caught fire.
So they say that in the name of your taller seatmate being able to evacuate the plane before dying from smoke inhalation, you must demonstrate that the plane can be evacuated within that time deadline with a smaller seat pitch. Airlines somewhat game the system (the people they use for the FAA test are airline employees who rehearse the process before the FAA inspector comes to watch the test in best possible conditions) but in the end, there is a rule they have to meet and it's not a huge impingement of freedom unless you consider it a right to burn to death in a plane crash when it could be prevented by putting slightly fewer seats in a plane and getting a good evacuation time.
Similarly, your right to not wear a seat belt on a plane is trumped by the people sitting next to you on the flight having a right to not break a bone because you were thrown from your seat during turbulence and landed on them.
Not entirely correct. I was seated next to an extremely large person, I'd guess 400+ lbs. Person was so large we could not put the arm rest between the two seats down otherwise she wouldn't "fit" or in other words, her size required her to occupy my seat.
I brought this to the flight attendants attention and I was told I could de-plane and take a later flight.
You should have filed a complaint or refused to raise the arm rest.
So, let's begin with this: I am a big butt boy, my wife is "normal" sized (140 lbs). She complains that airplane seats are too small. However, when we fly, if we are in economy or "extra space" seats I always buy the three seats in a row. Otherwise, if affordable, first class (only two times so far).
I accept that I am too large to fit comfortably in one seat and have no wish to inconvenience others. My PRIMARY reason is that despite your size as a fellow traveler I have absolutely NO desire to sit THAT CLOSE to anyone, especially on a 5 or 6 hour flight. Or in a movie theater, concert hall, restaurant and so on (places I have also bought extra tickets for proximity reasons).
I don't care how "skinny" you are there are many worse things than a little extra body contact: your halitosis, your body odor, your inane conversations, your disgusting child, your revolting perfume/cologne, your horrible choice in music that I can hear through your cheap headphones, your stomach churning choice of food or beverage, your bare feet, your disturbing pile of personal junk you need around you while traveling, your gross head on my shoulder as you drool in your sleep, etc.
I will always buy the entire row or if I can't afford it I will not fly.
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.
What if 20 inches still isn't wide enough? Where do we draw the line?
If I were a fat person, I would like the option of buying two seats, but not for your comfort for my own. The fault is the cheap ass airlines, which couldn't care less whether or not anyone is comfortable, thin or fat.
You can talk with a flight attendant. And if this is a big enough problem, some airlines will solve the problem.
What the flight-attendant can achieve is very limited. She can't create new empty seats from thin air. She could request that certain passengers voluntarily choose different seats on the spot, but they are under no obligation to comply. By voicing my complaint I complicate the flight attendant's already harried day, possibly cause a commotion and elevate the stress-levels of passengers and staff. The underlying problem is one of hardware specified by the airplane - the narrow seats.
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlygal
What if 20 inches still isn't wide enough? Where do we draw the line?
Just because there is no obvious standard, does not imply that the very idea of a standard is ludicrous and offensive. There is no obvious standard for highway speed limits, and personally I think that most speed limits are too low, and are set more for revenue-collection than for safety. Yet most people would agree that some speed limits are unavoidable, that the idea of speed limits has its place, and that while we can argue what those numbers ought to be, well, we can arrive at some number that pleases most people most of the time. Likewise with seat-width. I don't presume to know what is the appropriate number, or what would suit most people within say 2 standard deviations of adult human shoulder width. But the key point is that such a debate ought to be had; right now we're at best grousing and bemoaning our poor predicament. Ideas of minimum seat-width standards have yet to enter the broader public debate. And that's unfortunate.
But the key point is that such a debate ought to be had; right now we're at best grousing and bemoaning our poor predicament. Ideas of minimum seat-width standards have yet to enter the broader public debate. And that's unfortunate.
Honestly, I don't think it's all that important enough to warrant public outcry. Most people fit in standard seats, most people only fly a few times a year (if that), and most would balk at paying more to have more room.
Should an obese passenger pay for an additional seat?
If a passenger requires an additional seat, s/he should pay for an additional seat; few things in life are that simple.
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