airlines and large people

MrsLillyG · August 2013

I read an article a while back about one airline deciding to weigh their customers and charge them at different rates. This would be a very beneficial policy to families with young children flying but I'm sure large people would not be thrilled. My last couple flights I have been sat next to large people. Frankly I'm sick of not getting to share the common area (arm rest) and having my neighbor spill over into my seat. I paid for 100% of my seat, not 80%. I would be thrilled if they had a couple rows that were designated for larger people that obviously cost more but perhaps not as much as first class because they would not have the extra amenities. You would have to buy these seats if you weighed over a certain amount and was traveling in a group smaller than one side of a row. I know this sounds rude, but I just don't get why I have to give a section of my fully paid seat to some stranger because they are fat and I am thin.

MrsLillyG · August 2013

what do you guys think about a policy like this?

Simply Fated · August 2013

I'm considered average weight, but even I fill up my seat completely. At some point it stops being the fat person's fault when even the skinny people are spilling over into other people's seats.

Wouldn't a more logical and compassionate solution be to just make the seats larger? Or, realistically, just offer a larger quantity of first class seats at a more reasonable rate. Then you can go sit there and stretch your arms and legs out like a starfish.

I'm not sure if shaming overweight people is the way to win this "war on obesity." But hey, if you think it'll work, go up to some overweight people and ask them what they think about your ideas.

Dreamergirl8812 · August 2013

I don't think she sounds hateful at all. As airline seats get smaller and smaller and people get larger and larger, something has to change.

blueobsidian · August 2013

I'd rather sit next to someone overweight than someone who smells, someone who won't stop talking while I'm trying to read, or someone with badly behaved kids.

GypsyWife_ · August 2013

I'm fat and I always am self conscious on flights because of that problem. I wouldn't mind paying a little bit more money but only for a bigger seat not for a normal seat. I would hate being segregated for my appearance.

Simply Fated · August 2013

GypsyBridetobe said:

I'm fat and I always am self conscious on flights because of that problem. I wouldn't mind paying a little bit more money but only for a bigger seat not for a normal seat. I would hate being segregated for my appearance.

Can you imagine a world like that? Like if they did that on buses or something? Just made the undesirables sit in the back?

I kid. But, really, I think it would be great to have more affordable larger seats as an option for everyone. First class seats always look so comfy, but that expense is not in my budget. I fly cramped in coach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R5mVF6jeTU

staar987 · August 2013

What would probably happen if they offered larger seats at a reasonable price is that anyone that wanted a larger seat would buy them. It wouldn't only be the overweight people. So unless airlines put a stipulation that you have to weigh X amount to buy this seat it really wouldn't help. And I think that is not a really great way to go about things. Maybe airlines should realize that those seats are small even for average size people. They are just making them smaller so that they can have more people on board.

FWIW, I'm about average weight. My husband is 6'4" and slightly overweight. We put the arm rest between us up so he can have a bit more room. But he is tall, so his legs take up more room. Would your plan to have a "fat people section" include tall people? Then you would have to be either X weight and/or X height to buy a seat in that section? That is just making things more segregated based on appearance.

Even at an average weight, I would feel uncomfortable with having to be weighed in before a flight. I would avoid flying that airline at all costs.

audreyecu61 · August 2013

staar987 said:

What would probably happen if they offered larger seats at a reasonable price is that anyone that wanted a larger seat would buy them. It wouldn't only be the overweight people. So unless airlines put a stipulation that you have to weigh X amount to buy this seat it really wouldn't help. And I think that is not a really great way to go about things. Maybe airlines should realize that those seats are small even for average size people. They are just making them smaller so that they can have more people on board.

FWIW, I'm about average weight. My husband is 6'4" and slightly overweight. We put the arm rest between us up so he can have a bit more room. But he is tall, so his legs take up more room. Would your plan to have a "fat people section" include tall people? Then you would have to be either X weight and/or X height to buy a seat in that section? That is just making things more segregated based on appearance.

Even at an average weight, I would feel uncomfortable with having to be weighed in before a flight. I would avoid flying that airline at all costs.

Here, here. My H is the same height, it's always a dilemna when we fly.

I don't want to be weighed either.

And after all the other indignities you suffer when you fly, taking off your shoes, having your bags scanned along with your body?

Are there that many overweight people that it is really going to make a difference?

Grabows14 · August 2013

If there were larger seats everyone would flock to them because they offer more room. It might seem like an incentive to get fatter to qualify for the section if they were only for larger people (snark). Any way the seats in the exit row and the first seat in the front of the section offer more legroom for taller individuals.

ElcaB · August 2013

I'd choose a different airline if I had to be weighed to fly. My weight is personal. Besides, what about baggage? If the weight limit on a bag is 50 lbs. but mine only weighs 30, should I get a lower price than the person with the 50 lb. bag? Stupid.

Flying coach is uncomfortable period. There are plenty of people I've flown with --- skinny, average, and overweight --- who simply don't respect my personal space when flying. They hog the armrest, cross their legs into my area, etc. Should the flight attendants fine them for being jerks in the same way they do their overweight passengers for being overweight? You tell me.

Charging passengers according to their weight is ridiculous.

staar987 · August 2013

Grabows14 said:

If there were larger seats everyone would flock to them because they offer more room. It might seem like an incentive to get fatter to qualify for the section if they were only for larger people (snark). Any way the seats in the exit row and the first seat in the front of the section offer more legroom for taller individuals.

While I do agree that you can sit in a bulkhead row or an exit row for more leg room, it is often difficult to get those seats. They generally are chosen first, cost more (we noticed this when booking our honeymoon), or they are held until check in so they can verify that you speak English (we also encountered this on our honeymoon.) We reserved exit row seats and they didn't actually assign us them due to the English speaking verification. So we didn't get to sit together on our flights to our honeymoon location because one flight they were already taken and that flight got in 2 hours late so by the time we got to our connecting flight they were taken as well.

misssunshine17 · August 2013

One time a gentleman was seriously in my space (like I was pushing up against the window), I got his attention and put the arm rest down. It probably dug into him, but I paid for my seat and he was making me uncomfortable. If it's not super intrusive, I normally don't care. I generally offer to take the window seat. I'm 5'1 and 107, so I don't mind helping people feel comfortable as long as it's not absurd.

southernbelle0915 · August 2013

This is a super touchy subject because most people are self-conscious about their weight and appearance. I don't think anyone can deny sitting in your seat with an empty seat next to you and watching the people file in. When an extremely large person comes down the aisle you say silently, 'please don't be here, please don't be here'. I've done it, my friends have done it, and you can almost see other passengers exchange looks/sighs knowing what the other is thinking.

Is obesity a huge problem? Yup. Do most Americans need to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle? Definitely. However, I don't think fat-blaming and/or fat-shaming is the best solution to airline comfort, though. Instead of being angry at fat people, write to the airline about how annoying it is that they have tiny seats and pack customers in like sardines. I'm 5'7" and a size 6 - I don't touch either armrest, but it's close. I can hardly even reach down to grab my purse without smashing my face into the seat in front of me. The seats barely accommodate skinny/average people. I realize the airlines want to turn the biggest profit possible. That means fitting as many people as possible onto each flight - customer comfort be damned.

I think airlines need to make coach seats bigger with more leg room. Not to accommodate or "promote" obesity, but simply for customer comfort.

itzMS · August 2013

Weight is the wrong way to go about it. I actually weigh A LOT, oddly enough, but wear a size 6. (I assume it's due to big bones, and muscle...who knows). Same with DH. He looks like he weighs 130, but actually is 180 due to muscle.

Airlines could technically require everyone to have their girth measured for safety/seatbelt reasons...but that would just be chaotic. Plus, I'm pregnant now...so having to pay more due to my girth just because I'm pregnant would be INSANE.

I don't think there is a solution in today's day and age.

MayDay513 · August 2013

This happened to us on an Alaska airlines flight. DH and I bought two seats, this extremely overweight man who sat next to us and ate the whole effing time bought one seat but literally sat in 1.5 seats. I wrote AA an email and so did DH we both got $100 Credits for our next flights as responses to our complaint letter. It was a short flight so it could have been worse.

MrsLillyG · August 2013

Maybe I should write a letter to the airline and try to get credit. I think that making someone buy a seat that they fit into is just giving equalI treatment to everyone. I think everyone getting the whole seat they paid for, nothing more, nothing less is equal treatment. I would rather sit next to a crying baby over an obese person-there are always headphones. And well I rethought about this policy. When you are checking in if you dont look like you can fit into the seat with the armrest down and you havent bought larger seats, then you there will be some sort of check. I think a policy of checking everyone would be inefficient. It would be similar to people getting carded at a bar- you wont get carded if you look like you're 70, but if you look like your under 30 you will get carded. If you look like you're obese and wont fit into a seat and wont be able to put the armrest down, and you hadn't bought these bigger seats.... well...

MrsLillyG · August 2013

Also if a size 0 girl was putting her leg in my seat I would tell her to move it. And I don't think they can make the seats much larger unless they elminated a column of seats with would probably increase the price significantly.

thisismynickname2 · August 2013

I'm chiming in as my fiance works for a major airline. A lot of people here have voiced great points. I'm petite and once a fairly average man looked at me and said, "Whew! A small seat companion!" and proceeded to spend the flight with his left leg in my leg space. Sigh.

My fiance was thinking that perhaps some old seats could be placed by the ticketing/check-in area, kind of like for the upside-down rides at amusement parks. If a passenger sat in a seat and wasn't comfortable, they could be encouraged to upgrade to "economy plus". United definitely does this (and it's not too much money to upgrade) and I'm not sure about others, but several rows of economy have significantly more leg room. This is great for tall people (and probably pregnant women too). If there were some wider seats that could likewise be "held" for upgrades combined with a "comfort check" maybe something could work out.... But yes, it's just all around awkward.

staar987 · August 2013

Comfort Check may be the wrong phrase. I don't find any airline seat comfortable. But it is a good start. However, it would also require some level of awkwardness to tell people they should see if they can comfortably sit in that seat. Plus it would require airlines to bring back more employees to actually interface with all customers. The last 4 or 5 times I've flown, I have been required to check in via kiosk because they have no other option. I think that it may help to do something similar if they can come up with a way to work it in without seeming weird. Maybe put a regular size seat next to a larger seat and push upgrades that way. Customers always have the option to deny though.

I haven't looked at United's economy plus because they always want me to have 4 layovers to get where I'm going. I know American has something like Main Cabin Extra on only some flights and costs $30+ more per seat(on the flights I have seen it on.) My main issue is that these seats (like exit row seats) generally sell out first so that people that are tall and need the leg room can't get them. I kid you not, I was on a flight that we couldn't reserve those seats because they were already booked and a midget was sitting in one of them.

Clearly airlines have lots of issues. I don't think anyone is denying that. It is unfortunate that when planning a vacation you are resigned to the fact that you are going to be uncomfortable on your flying days.

RedJacks25 · August 2013

I'm considered average size. I barely fit in my seat. I would be pissed if someone told me I had to pay more because the airline makes their seats too small for average people.

sarahsaturday2701 · August 2013

I believe most airlines have a policy that if a person doesn't "fit" in their seat with the arm rest down they have to purchase two, so if it was really an issue you could always discreetly find a flight attendant and ask them to move your seat. Usually if I get to my seat first I just put the arm rest down immediately to make sure I have my seat to myself.

lovesclimbing · August 2013

I think that people these days just need to be courteous to others. If you are too large to fit in one seat, you need to buy another one. If I paid for my seat, I fully expect to get my full seat and not have someone else taking up part of it. If (general) you are taking part of my seat, you should pay me for it.

Airlines need to have a way to enforce the rules about buying an extra seat, but unfortunately, it's hard to do that without making people feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.

I am an "average" sized 5'4" female. And I have had overweight people take over part of my seat. On one occasion, I could not put the armrest down after the lady sat down. Next time that happens, I'm going to ask to be re-seated.

APDSS22 · August 2013

They don't even enforce the one bag, one personal item rule. They kept announcing it the last time I flew while I was still in the airport and the lady in front of me had 6 bags. Didn't even duck her head in shame.

+misslisa · September 2013

You know what rule I really want airlines to enforce? The carry-on size rule. Those mother-effing gigantic wheelie bags crammed to the brim are DANGEROUS in overhead bins. They're nearly dropped when stowed, barely fit, usually dropped when taken back down (or, at least, dropped far enough that they nearly clock someone before the bag is low enough for the owner to gain control of it), and would constitute a serious hazard if the overhead bins popped open during mid-air events. They're heavy and unyielding. Ugh.

If they're too big to carry down the aisle like a normal person, they're too damned big for the overhead bin. Get those things into cargo.

MrsRadke · September 2013

I hate being touched by people I don't know. In some situations I fake that I am getting over a bug and use that as my excuse to not shake hands. "don't want to get anyone sick!" and when someones leg is touching mine I feel violated and anxious and all sorts of awful things. I don't think it's fair that I have to feel awful throughout a flight because someone else gets more than their share. I think a long term solution is to offer bigger seats at an added cost, similar to the added legroom you can get today. It is always available on the flights I take.

airlines and large people

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