Ludicrous Airline Practice???

[pilotjim]

Why is it that a....shall we say 'large' person, who literally cannot even fit into a single coach seat, can spill over into my girlfriend's seat to the point that she has to almost sit in my lap to avoid her neighbor's excess, can pay the exact same price for their airline ticket with no penalty of any kind, and yet when my gf's suitcase is 6 pounds overweight, we have to pay an extra 50 bucks.

*(true story) /rant

[dddrees]

Rants are fun, but what would you suggest?

[.brian.]

Originally Posted by dddrees

Rants are fun, but what would you suggest?

Make said person purchase 2 tickets? I have actually saw where someone did this on their own accord. I was sitting window and he was sitting isle. No one was in the middle. I made small talk saying "oh, that's nice, no one in the middle". He informed me that he always purchases 2 seats since he knows he is larger and doesn't want to inconvenience the person who would be next to him.

However, I would imagine implementing a structure to enforce that would be extremely difficult.

[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by pilotjim

Why is it that a....shall we say 'large' person, who literally cannot even fit into a single coach seat, can spill over into my girlfriend's seat to the point that she has to almost sit in my lap to avoid her neighbor's excess, can pay the exact same price for their airline ticket with no penalty of any kind, and yet when my gf's suitcase is 6 pounds overweight, we have to pay an extra 50 bucks.

*(true story) /rant

Amen to that. If the game is weight, then there ought to be rules. Put in your range of weight when you buy your ticket online, price adjusts accordingly, and then pay your penalty if you lied or get a deduction if you've fallen into a lower weight range since you purchased the ticket.

"It's not personal. It's just business."

[Abdullah71601]

Put a scale at the check in kiosk. And have a sizing jig near the gate. Weight upcharges above a standard weight. If the passenger can’t walk through the sizing jig without touching, upcharge for a second seat (or bump when full).

[tyler1980]

they charge for snacks now, so that should weed some of them out

[Blansky]

And it doesn’t help when seats are smaller now and people are bigger.

[dmash]

Originally Posted by .brian.

Make said person purchase 2 tickets? I have actually saw where someone did this on their own accord. I was sitting window and he was sitting isle. No one was in the middle. I made small talk saying "oh, that's nice, no one in the middle". He informed me that he always purchases 2 seats since he knows he is larger and doesn't want to inconvenience the person who would be next to him.

However, I would imagine implementing a structure to enforce that would be extremely difficult.

100% agree with this.

It's incredibly unfair when a person is allocated a seat with set dimensions, and another passenger GREATLY exceeds said dimensions resulting in you being punished.

You'd get a bunch of millennial whiners crying that it's 'being judgmental' or 'body shaming' and probably try to garner news coverage about any company who tried to implement this.......but the reality of the matter is that it's rude and absurd to make another individual uncomfortable for an entire flight.

Kudos for that guy you encountered being aware of this and having the decency/respect for other people to purchase another seat.

[pilotjim]

Originally Posted by dddrees

Rants are fun, but what would you suggest?

I guess I would suggest that if you can't fly without invading someone else's seat, you should be required to pay for a larger seat, say business/first class?

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by pilotjim

I guess I would suggest that if you can't fly without invading someone else's seat, you should be required to pay for a larger seat, say business/first class?

Except everyone is bigger than the new seating.

[codecow]

I'm a big dude, currently kind of fat but not like disgusting or anything. Naturally I'm big though I am 6'5" and have wide hips. I fly business or first.

[GoingPlaces]

Originally Posted by .brian.

Make said person purchase 2 tickets? I have actually saw where someone did this on their own accord. I was sitting window and he was sitting isle. No one was in the middle. I made small talk saying "oh, that's nice, no one in the middle". He informed me that he always purchases 2 seats since he knows he is larger and doesn't want to inconvenience the person who would be next to him.

However, I would imagine implementing a structure to enforce that would be extremely difficult.

This.

[beshannon]

Because the airlines are the only business that literally hates their source of revenue

[ArtNouveau]

Airlines/passengers are already supposed to require two seats for a large person, I think it's the enforcement that's lacking. I fly pretty regularly and can only recall seeing two people who had willingly paid for their double spread.

[dmhines]

Originally Posted by pilotjim

Why is it that a....shall we say 'large' person, who literally cannot even fit into a single coach seat, can spill over into my girlfriend's seat to the point that she has to almost sit in my lap to avoid her neighbor's excess, can pay the exact same price for their airline ticket with no penalty of any kind, and yet when my gf's suitcase is 6 pounds overweight, we have to pay an extra 50 bucks.

*(true story) /rant

100% agree !

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by ArtNouveau

Airlines/passengers are already supposed to require two seats for a large person, I think it's the enforcement that's lacking. I fly pretty regularly and can only recall seeing two people who had willingly paid for their double spread.

fun fact. Im tall, not fat and i couldn't get two seats because i didn't want a neighbor the one time i was considering flying economy in the past few years. Since i didn't need it, my seat would be filled with an overbooked passenger no matter if i paid or not. Thats what the reservations agent said. So i did business class with a crying infant. It was my one and only attempt to travel with my kids in the most age appropriate cabin.

[Brew]

Airlines pack us in like cattle. How about making the seats a bit wider, with more than a tissue of cushion? What size would you say should pay 2x?

[tudorbaja27]

Originally Posted by dmash

100% agree with this.

It's incredibly unfair when a person is allocated a seat with set dimensions, and another passenger GREATLY exceeds said dimensions resulting in you being punished.

You'd get a bunch of millennial whiners crying that it's 'being judgmental' or 'body shaming' and probably try to garner news coverage about any company who tried to implement this.......but the reality of the matter is that it's rude and absurd to make another individual uncomfortable for an entire flight.

Kudos for that guy you encountered being aware of this and having the decency/respect for other people to purchase another seat.

Agreed. I was recently on a cross-country, red-eye flight...and you guessed it, I think I stood more in the aisle than I sat down in my seat.

[crew]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

fun fact. Im tall, not fat and i couldn't get two seats because i didn't want a neighbor the one time i was considering flying economy in the past few years. Since i didn't need it, my seat would be filled with an overbooked passenger no matter if i paid or not. Thats what the reservations agent said. So i did business class with a crying infant. It was my one and only attempt to travel with my kids in the most age appropriate cabin.

I believe what you’re saying is probably true. So if the airline filled that seat would they give you a refund or would they pocket 2 fares for one seat?

[Rolex addict]

You will be glad to know that the seats on American’s new planes are two inches narrower. Now isn’t that more better?

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by crew

I believe what you’re saying is probably true. So if the airline filled that seat would they give you a refund or would they pocket 2 fares for one seat?

i have no idea. They lost me at "can't guarantee" the seat. Im assuming they would refund but i wasn't going to plan a trip around that.

[uscmatt99]

What about people who smell, be it body odor or cigarette smoke. They bother me more than an oversized passenger and their effects go further than their seat neighbor. Should they buy three rows of seats and bring an air purifier aboard? Should there be a special section for stinky people? And who gets to do the screening for that? How about that guy with the laptop who takes up both armrests the whole flight and spreads his legs into my leg space because of all the crap he jammed under the seat in front of him because he refuses to check his carryon to make room for the laptop bag? There are a million ways to get annoyed while flying. Drawing the line would be tough.

[Zakalwe]

Meh.

The porker next to you is already liable to die younger than you (10 years for BMI > 35), have a poorer quality of life whilst still alive and is more likely to be depressed. Sure none of that is your problem, but in the grand scheme of things, is making your lives slightly less uncomfortable for a few hours a year worth making such a person even more miserable? (Or more likely, pricing them out of a holiday, thus also making them more miserable).

The definition of a first world problem.

[dmash]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

Meh.

The porker next to you is already liable to die younger than you (10 years for BMI > 35), have a poorer quality of life whilst still alive and is more likely to be depressed. Sure none of that is your problem, but in the grand scheme of things, is making your lives slightly less uncomfortable for a few hours a year worth making such a person even more miserable? (Or more likely, pricing them out of a holiday, thus also making them more miserable).

The definition of a first world problem.

[Syed117]

It's not just about an obese person.

What if the mountain from game of thrones is next to you? That guy needs two seats.

[dmash]

Originally Posted by Syed117

It's not just about an obese person.

What if the mountain from game of thrones is next to you? That guy needs two seats.

I'd let him take up as much room as he required, even if it meant me sitting in the floor. I'd be more concerned with my eyeballs staying intact.

[GradyPhilpott]

I remember when air travel was tolerable.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

i have no idea. They lost me at "can't guarantee" the seat. Im assuming they would refund but i wasn't going to plan a trip around that.

I booked a second adjacent seat on a long flight for an “instrument”. I think they presumed it was a cello or something, because I got both boarding passes and strapped my backpack into the spare seat. It was the only “empty” seat on the flight.

[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

Meh.

The porker next to you is already liable to die younger than you (10 years for BMI > 35), have a poorer quality of life whilst still alive and is more likely to be depressed. Sure none of that is your problem, but in the grand scheme of things, is making your lives slightly less uncomfortable for a few hours a year worth making such a person even more miserable? (Or more likely, pricing them out of a holiday, thus also making them more miserable).

The definition of a first world problem.

On the flip coin, I don't impede anyone else. Why should we have to accept their few hours and everyone else's few hours of discomfort into our lives? Why not be like the gentleman described above and take ownership of your own inconvenience to others?

My family and the friends I choose get to inconvenience me and discomfort me, and I'm good with it. Strangers on a plane? It's already uncomfortable enough without that. And it's my free time and hard earned money, so no, I don't think I'll swallow it because they're already suffering internally, as you describe. I think some have stopped suffering and don't care. At that point, I'm not sympathetic to their apathy.

Sorry if that's a bit harsh. But it's my truth.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

Meh.

The porker next to you is already liable to die younger than you (10 years for BMI > 35), have a poorer quality of life whilst still alive and is more likely to be depressed. Sure none of that is your problem, but in the grand scheme of things, is making your lives slightly less uncomfortable for a few hours a year worth making such a person even more miserable? (Or more likely, pricing them out of a holiday, thus also making them more miserable).

The definition of a first world problem.

This is definately not a first world problem. It transcends all classes. Take the red eye out of the Phillipines or India and you’ll see the laborors suffering in the same system. Nobody likes it, but hating your customers has ascended to an art form at most airlines.