Obese airline passenger

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Leeraar
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Obese airline passenger

Post by Leeraar »

I apologize in advance if this post offends anyone.

This afternoon I was on a small regional jet, a CRJ200, in an aisle seat. I am of reasonably normal size for my height, 6 ft 2 in and 200 lbs. Flying in these aircraft is not comfortable for me at the best of times.

The passenger next to me was grossly obese. His flesh spilled over the armrest into my space. His shoulders were so wide that I could not sit back in my seat. I spent the entire flight crouched forward and leaning to the left, into the aisle.

I did not say anything, not wanting to embarrass him or possibly cause a confrontation. I feel I did not get the space I had paid for. To add insult to injury, the plane was well-booked ahead of time, so I paid nearly twice the usual amount for that route (DTW-PIA).

Has anyone ever encountered this? How should I complain? What can I expect?

Thank you,

L.
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tibbitts
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by tibbitts »

Leeraar wrote:I apologize in advance if this post offends anyone.

This afternoon I was on a small regional jet, a CRJ200, in an aisle seat. I am of reasonably normal size for my height, 6 ft 2 in and 200 lbs. Flying in these aircraft is not comfortable for me at the best of times.

The passenger next to me was grossly obese. His flesh spilled over the armrest into my space. His shoulders were so wide that I could not sit back in my seat. I spent the entire flight crouched forward and leaning to the left, into the aisle.

I did not say anything, not wanting to embarrass him or possibly cause a confrontation. I feel I did not get the space I had paid for. To add insult to injury, the plane was well-booked ahead of time, so I paid nearly twice the usual amount for that route (DTW-PIA).

Has anyone ever encountered this? How should I complain? What can I expect?

Thank you,

L.
I think it's a risk we all take when we fly. Possibly the airline would have accommodated you by a no-penalty change to a later flight, where you could have tried your luck again. I"m not sure the problem is unique to regional jets, but if you feel you'd do better with large aircraft, you could look for them and maybe sacrifice schedule for aircraft type.

I'd expect nothing for compensation unless possibly you're somebody special to the airline.
stlutz
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by stlutz »

What is the policy of your airline? If the airline did not follow its policy, you should complain and see what you get.

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Leeraar
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Leeraar »

Large aircraft do not fly to Peoria. Large people apparently do.

I heard about a far east airline which weighs the passenger plus baggage to determine the price. Right now, that sounds like a very good idea to me. This guy should have bought two seats.

Looked at the Delta policy. It says nothing about the victim in the adjoining seat. In fact, even if the armrest cannot be put down, supersize passengers are good to go.

L.
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jbuzolich
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by jbuzolich »

I'm a large man, but fit OK in a coach seat on many aircraft and have no way of fitting acceptably in a window seat on a crj. You pay for a ticket to get somewhere safely, not for a defined box of interior space. Assuming you got there safely then you got what you paid for. Most people suffer in some fashion or another on any flight.
DireWolf
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by DireWolf »

I request to be moved to first class when this happens. Unfortunately this will continue to be a problem until airlines start charging these people for 2 seats.
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whaleknives
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by whaleknives »

It's a bigger problem than comfort; the FAA assumes 190 (summer) to 195 (winter) pounds as the average weight of men for weight and balance calculations, with women and children less.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Gill »

jbuzolich wrote:I'm a large man, but fit OK in a coach seat on many aircraft and have no way of fitting acceptably in a window seat on a crj. You pay for a ticket to get somewhere safely, not for a defined box of interior space. Assuming you got there safely then you got what you paid for. Most people suffer in some fashion or another on any flight.
Interesting theory :annoyed
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by tibbitts »

DireWolf wrote:I request to be moved to first class when this happens. Unfortunately this will continue to be a problem until airlines start charging these people for 2 seats.
The odds of an ordinary passenger being moved to first class due to an oversized seat companion are nearly zero.

First class on a CRJ?
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by DireWolf »

tibbitts wrote: The odds of an ordinary passenger being moved to first class due to an oversized seat companion are nearly zero.

I've been moved twice to first class for this reason. The first time the flight attendant was going to move the obese passenger to first class, so I demanded that I go to first class since I'm not the one causing the problem. She agreed. The second time I didn't even have to ask.
Last edited by DireWolf on Sun Sep 28, 2014 6:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

DireWolf wrote:I request to be moved to first class when this happens. Unfortunately this will continue to be a problem until airlines start charging these people for 2 seats.
+1 Flying in such conditions without buying two seats for oneself is like deliberately pouring your drink into the adjacent passenger's lap and saying, well nothing is perfect.
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dm200
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by dm200 »

One of the many "discomforts" of air travel these days, as more seats are squeezed into planes - at the same time the average person is heavier.

You know you are "old" when you remember that flying was once a normally pleasant experience!
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celia
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by celia »

jbuzolich wrote:. . . You pay for a ticket to get somewhere safely, not for a defined box of interior space. Assuming you got there safely then you got what you paid for. Most people suffer in some fashion or another on any flight.
+1
This is what I've also heard. The airfare is an agreement to get you from A to B within a certain time window. It does not guarantee you'll get food (you like), a pillow, a seatmate who doesn't get sick, a smooth ride, or a quiet (non-kid??) atmosphere.

The other party probably felt worse about it than you did. Your lack of starting a commotion was appreciated.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by adamthesmythe »

> Looked at the Delta policy.

Interesting that at least some of the airlines have official policies. Looking at those on the link, there is a persuasive reason for flying American and United rather than Delta.

Disagree with one comment above- I DO pay for a specified amount of space, namely one seat.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by crowd79 »

This is a thread that belongs in the FlyerTalk forums :)
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by tibbitts »

Leeraar wrote:Large aircraft do not fly to Peoria. Large people apparently do.

I heard about a far east airline which weighs the passenger plus baggage to determine the price. Right now, that sounds like a very good idea to me. This guy should have bought two seats.

Looked at the Delta policy. It says nothing about the victim in the adjoining seat. In fact, even if the armrest cannot be put down, supersize passengers are good to go.

L.
But you can fly to Chicago from Detroit on a large aircraft, and then improvise for the 150mi or so to Peoria. Or, it's only about 450mi to just drive the entire distance instead of flying. Usually I fly for distances of about 500mi or less, partly depending on the type of traffic between the locations.
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in_reality
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by in_reality »

celia wrote:
jbuzolich wrote:. . . You pay for a ticket to get somewhere safely, not for a defined box of interior space. Assuming you got there safely then you got what you paid for. Most people suffer in some fashion or another on any flight.
+1
This is what I've also heard. The airfare is an agreement to get you from A to B within a certain time window. It does not guarantee you'll get food (you like), a pillow, a seatmate who doesn't get sick, a smooth ride, or a quiet (non-kid??) atmosphere.

The other party probably felt worse about it than you did. Your lack of starting a commotion was appreciated.
So when lunch comes and I am really hungry because I didn't eat breakfast, I can reach over and eat yours!!! Nice. I want you on the plane next to me! No complaints ... you got from A to B!

I think obese people should apologize as a matter of politeness.

In fairness, to obese people though, my obnoxious conversation is probably worse. I do my best to keep it to a minimum but I don't know -- it's like it has a life of it's own. Luckily I don't drink or it'd be that much worse. It's not like I really say anything offensive but ... I just know lots of people are socially more constrained than I. It's clear from the glares...

Anyway, I have to tolerate others because in an intolerant society most likely I'd be one of the first to go.
Last edited by in_reality on Sun Sep 28, 2014 7:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
jjbiv
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by jjbiv »

Were there any open seats on the aircraft to which you could have moved for comfort's sake? I would write to Delta without asking for compensation to advise them of the situation.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by livesoft »

This hasn't happened to me yet, but thanks for the tips in this thread.
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Rich in Michigan
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Rich in Michigan »

jbuzolich wrote:I'm a large man, but fit OK in a coach seat on many aircraft and have no way of fitting acceptably in a window seat on a crj. You pay for a ticket to get somewhere safely, not for a defined box of interior space. Assuming you got there safely then you got what you paid for. Most people suffer in some fashion or another on any flight.
I don't agree with this at all. Sounds like you just made up your own rules. I pay for a seat on a flight. That includes both the seat and the back rest. As we generally paid the same fare, you did not pay for your seat and part of mine, end of story.

Most people suffer in some fashion? Perhaps, but there is a difference between impersonal airline service and having a seat mate intrude on the seat I paid for.

Let me say that I am certainly sympathetic to large passengers trying to fit into narrow seats. I am 6' 190, which is not particularly large but even I feel cramped in standard seats. That being said my sympathy does not extend to having less than the seat I paid for so that you can be comfortable. That may sound cold but I don't set the seat widths, the airlines do.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Wolkenspiel »

in_reality wrote: So when lunch comes and I am really hungry because I didn't eat breakfast, I can reach over and eat yours!!! Nice. I want you on the plane next to me! No complaints ... you got from A to B!
Well, I once sat next to a guy about twice my size on a transatlantic flight. First thing he did after sitting down was raise the armrest - "more space for both of us". Yeah, 1 1/2 seats for you, 1/2 a seat for me. He then happily took my meal when I declined, fell asleep immediately after finishing both meals and started snoring, while I was stewing in my 1/2 seat. I was young and dumb at the time, would not happen to me again.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by stlutz »

One time I was on a flight to Detroit with a bunch of WWF guys on it. One of them had the middle seat next to me. Needless to say, he stood in the aisle for most of the flight. I also wondered if George Contanza was the one making their travel arragements.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by bengal22 »

I think the bottom line is that the airlines, trying to survive, squeeze as many people into airplanes as they can. Unless you are abnormally small, it is hard to be comfortable in coach. I am 6'4", not because I eat two meals on an airplane but because of genetics, and I always have issues when the person in front of me wants to recline. Unfortunately, the airlines have put the onus on the passenger to defend his turf. The person in front thinks that he buys the right to recline; I think I buy the right to not have my knees crushed. Who is to say, how fat is too fat. I guess when it spills over into your space. But the root cause is that the airlines want to maximize profit and if you want to pay more you can have: first class, extended leg room, etc. Or you can protect your turf in no frill coach. and yes I too spend a lot of time on flights standing back at the coffee station.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by tainted-meat »

I'm not a big guy by any stretch of the imagination and even I feel cramped on flights. Being a commercial passenger stinks anymore.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by neurosphere »

This is a thread which is likely to get locked. There is really no good answer, and there are dozens of different opinions. My wife any I have VERY different opinions on what the correct course of action is on a plane when we are seated next to a passenger of size and which makes our flight more uncomfortable than it needs to be.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Cosmo »

Flying is already a very stressful event for nearly everyone. Here is what it comes down to: Why should someone's obesity problem (whether medical or otherwise) also become my problem? Since this post is not actionable and will just serve to irritate folks on both sides, probably time to shut er down...

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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by in_reality »

bengal22 wrote:Unfortunately, the airlines have put the onus on the passenger to defend his turf. The person in front thinks that he buys the right to recline; I think I buy the right to not have my knees crushed.


Around here proper manners is to ask before reclining (easier and less awkward to do from an isle seat where you can just lean out and look back). My child has better manners than I do sometimes...
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by richard »

crowd79 wrote:This is a thread that belongs in the FlyerTalk forums :)
It already there. Many many times :-)
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by FedGuy »

Wolkenspiel wrote:I was young and dumb at the time, would not happen to me again.
What would you do differently today?
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Dutch »

celia wrote:
jbuzolich wrote:. . . You pay for a ticket to get somewhere safely, not for a defined box of interior space. Assuming you got there safely then you got what you paid for. Most people suffer in some fashion or another on any flight.
+1
This is what I've also heard. The airfare is an agreement to get you from A to B within a certain time window. It does not guarantee you'll get food (you like), a pillow, a seatmate who doesn't get sick, a smooth ride, or a quiet (non-kid??) atmosphere.

The other party probably felt worse about it than you did. Your lack of starting a commotion was appreciated.
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Leeraar
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Leeraar »

tibbitts wrote:
Leeraar wrote:Large aircraft do not fly to Peoria. Large people apparently do.

I heard about a far east airline which weighs the passenger plus baggage to determine the price. Right now, that sounds like a very good idea to me. This guy should have bought two seats.

Looked at the Delta policy. It says nothing about the victim in the adjoining seat. In fact, even if the armrest cannot be put down, supersize passengers are good to go.

L.
But you can fly to Chicago from Detroit on a large aircraft, and then improvise for the 150mi or so to Peoria. Or, it's only about 450mi to just drive the entire distance instead of flying. Usually I fly for distances of about 500mi or less, partly depending on the type of traffic between the locations.
Yes, I could.

So, I should take four hours with a plane change rather than a direct one-hour flight so the fatsos can have my space?

I actually drove from Peoria to Detroit last Friday after my flight was cancelled due to the O'Hare arson.

I think the Delta policy is quite reasonable. Note that it puts the onus for accommodation and compromise on the large passenger. I think Delta screwed up here. Note that I am talking about a 350-lb behemoth, not just a sort of large person.

And, I was in row 1 of the CRJ. No visibility to seats behind me. These flights are usually full.

The spin that it's kind of my fault is interesting.

L.
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Leeraar
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Leeraar »

Cosmo wrote:Flying is already a very stressful event for nearly everyone. Here is what it comes down to: Why should someone's obesity problem (whether medical or otherwise) also become my problem? Since this post is not actionable and will just serve to irritate folks on both sides, probably time to shut er down...

Cosmo
I disagree. I am looking for advice on how to complain and what compensation to seek. Very much a personal consumer (financial) issue.

L.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by The Wizard »

I think the word FATSOS may be unnecessarily derogatory...
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by ab80 »

Don't know if there's much you can do. Try to fly at less popular times to get an open row? Drive? I've only gone one place by plane in the past couple years partly because of this. I remember one time a very obese woman sat next to me and asked the flight attendant for a seatbelt expander. I had never heard of such a thing.

When reading the OP, I'm reminded of Jack Nicholson's character leaning over to Adam Sandler in Anger Management and saying "you're on my side of the armrest; we're not going to have problems, are we?" Probably not the best approach IRL though. :mrgreen:

It is annoying though... probably 85%+ of the time I've flown, I've been right next to a morbidly obese person.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Wolkenspiel »

FedGuy wrote:
Wolkenspiel wrote:I was young and dumb at the time, would not happen to me again.
What would you do differently today?
First, the armrest stays down. Second, talk to a flight attendant about a different/better seat. Third, not fly economy or if it cant be avoided, a't least sit in an exit row seat (fixed, high armrests)
mwm158
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by mwm158 »

If you want to be comfortable on an airplane, buy a first class ticket. Stop blaming fat people for being fat, that isn't a solution. The airlines can come up with a solution, but have obviously determined it is not worth implementing. Tell them how bad your experience was and get a discount on your next flight. They're the ones you should be angry at.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by DonCamillo »

I used to be able to get some kind of compensation from airlines for in-flight problems. It has not happened for years, now. There is no longer much opportunity to obtain relief from the airlines for problems. There are just too many problems these days for the airlines to be able to respond to the complaints effectively.

Usually, a problem like this has to be dealt with at the time of the flight. I would just stand in the aisle before takeoff and tell the stewardess that I cannot sit down because there is already someone in my seat.

I have been trapped beside a grossly obese passenger before. Now, I usually travel with my wife and try to book seats together where this cannot happen. We just took two twelve hour flights paying for economy plus in a row that was two seats abreast. I am considering flying business class from now on. In inflation adjusted dollars, business class today costs about the same as economy did when I started flying.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by john94549 »

Happened to me on a flight from Maui to SFO. I basically stood in the back for four and a half hours.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by northernisland »

OP, a quick search shows the obesity rate in Peoria is 30%, so good luck avoiding this on future flights. It also shows that under 5% of the population is 6'2 or taller, so maybe the airlines should move seats closer and charge exceptionally tall passengers a higher rate.

[OT comments removed by admin LadyGeek]
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by sambb »

jbuzolich wrote:I'm a large man, but fit OK in a coach seat on many aircraft and have no way of fitting acceptably in a window seat on a crj. You pay for a ticket to get somewhere safely, not for a defined box of interior space. Assuming you got there safely then you got what you paid for. Most people suffer in some fashion or another on any flight.

Disagree and it can be a safety issue. If you are unable to fit in one seat, please buy two or alert the airlines. Please don't steal space from other passengers. Other passenger did not get their financial value from their ticket. I would ask for compensation.

I found this policy,don't know if it is current, but AA has a policy. I would just search it.
Last edited by sambb on Sun Sep 28, 2014 9:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dutch
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Dutch »

northernisland wrote:It also shows that under 5% of the population is 6'2 or taller, so maybe the airlines should move seats closer and charge exceptionally tall passengers a higher rate.
Huh? :?
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by rjbraun »

Leeraar wrote:
Cosmo wrote:Flying is already a very stressful event for nearly everyone. Here is what it comes down to: Why should someone's obesity problem (whether medical or otherwise) also become my problem? Since this post is not actionable and will just serve to irritate folks on both sides, probably time to shut er down...

Cosmo
I disagree. I am looking for advice on how to complain and what compensation to seek. Very much a personal consumer (financial) issue.

L.
Well, to summarize where things stand so far, I guess one takeaway going forward would be to ask a flight attendant to be moved to another seat, ideally one at least as good as what you already have. I mean, to go from a front row aisle seat to a middle seat in the back row hardly seems like reasonable accommodation on the part of the carrier. And, of course, ask for for a first-class seat, why not try!

As to your current situation, how about writing the carrier and basically outlining the predicament you were in, ask what you can expect in the future, in the event you fly them again and what can they offer you now, in light of the poor in-flight experience you experienced?
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by William4u »

Same thing happened to me, except the obese passenger apologized profusely in advance when he got to his row. I felt bad for him, and I told him not to worry. He was a working class guy, and couldn't afford two seats. My grandmother would say to "offer it up,"if you understand that idiom.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by prunicki »

A sidebar to this discussion: A colleague states the way to solve obesity issue is to make it socially unacceptable, like smoking.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by canga »

I'm not sure if it is an airline policy or FAA safety regulation, but I watched a flight attendant move an obese person out of an exit row. The flight attendent proclaimed that those requiring a seatbelt extender were not permitted to sit in exit rows.

For your next flight you should try to reserve the exit row, as long as there's no exit row behind you so you can still lean back.

If I were in your situation I would have requested to be moved to another seat or to business or first class.
anonforthis
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by anonforthis »

Should I get a discount for being tiny? I sat in front of a very tall passenger once and it wasn't fun.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by Mudpuppy »

There is an action that could be taken, unfortunately, it is too late for that action. As already mentioned, when confronted with such situations in the future, complain to a flight attendant and see if you can get another seat.

You can try sending a complaint to the airline now. I doubt you will get any compensation from sending a complaint. However, no harm will come from sending the complaint, so go ahead and complain if you feel like doing so.
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by topper1296 »

Dutch wrote:
northernisland wrote:It also shows that under 5% of the population is 6'2 or taller, so maybe the airlines should move seats closer and charge exceptionally tall passengers a higher rate.
Huh? :?
double huh?

Most obese people can lose weight through diet and/or exercise. What options are there for a tall person to get shorter?
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Re: Obese airline passenger

Post by stan1 »

Southwest has a very fair policy, but it is not very consumer friendly and my guess is many people who could use it do not. It requires the "customer of size" to book (and pay for) two or three seats in advance -- with reimbursement for the extra seats after the flight.

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer- ... STOMER-COS
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