rotating14 From United States of America, joined Jan 2012, 378 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 1728 times:
Hello all. Forgive me if this has been discussed in other forum's but I ran across this article and couldn't help but look beyond the obvious. Yes passengers of size impact the yield on a flight as described in the article but my question is could this catch on and be uniform?? Thoughts??
NWAROOSTER From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 849 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 1693 times:
Airlines in the past have charged people of size for two seats, especially if the airline could sell the second seat to another passenger. Coach seats are about 16 inches wide and it does not take much to fill one up. This may become a problem for the heavier passenger. They can always buy a first class seat as they are wider. Flying is an elective choice and the choices offered the larger passenger may become less accommodating, unless they want to pay for more space.
francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3196 posts, RR: 10 Reply 2, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 1622 times:
The danger is that overweight people are an ever increasing portion of airlines' customers. Tighten the rules too much and you'll lose clients.
It's quite reasonable to charge for an extra seat when the flight is full to compensate for lost revenue and to let it slide and arrange for an empty seat next to the pax when it isn't.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
PHX787 From Japan, joined Mar 2012, 4981 posts, RR: 14 Reply 3, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 1603 times:
Quoting NWAROOSTER (Reply 1): Airlines in the past have charged people of size for two seats, especially if the airline could sell the second seat to another passenger.
There have been some cases where an obese passenger more or less "failed" to report that he/she is obese, and IIRC a US flight from PHX - DTW earlier this year was an example of this: the flight was full and the obese passenger bought one seat but took 2 seats; the man whose seat was taken had to stand up for most of the flight (I'm not sure how he was allowed to do this.)
IMO the protocol should be that if an obese passenger can't fit in one seat they need to pay for 2 seats or pay for first class. If the flight is full and that passenger didn't pay for 2 seats, I think he should be kicked off the flight for the sake of the passenger and re-booked.
Asiaflyer From Singapore, joined May 2007, 1019 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1521 times:
Quoting PHX787 (Reply 3): I don't know how airlines could "build bigger" for the obese. It's a problem (especially in the USA) and shouldn't be accommodated as such.
Wasn't there a thread here not very long ago about Airbus offering wider aisle seats to airlines in A320s, by making other seats and aisle slightly narrower? This to accommodate obese passengers.
canadianpylon From Canada, joined May 2003, 274 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1521 times:
Quoting PHX787 (Reply 3): I don't know how airlines could "build bigger" for the obese. It's a problem (especially in the USA) and shouldn't be accommodated as such.
Ya have to be careful, because in some countries obesity is considered a disability. From here 'The Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for disabled people - including the severely obese - to be entitled to a free extra seat on domestic flights after refusing to consider an appeal by Air Canada and WestJet.'
Quoting NWAROOSTER (Reply 1): Coach seats are about 16 inches wide and it does not take much to fill one up.
This could explain why Embraer Jets are so popular with flyers, as they have 18.5 inch coach seats.
Skydrol From Canada, joined Oct 2003, 860 posts, RR: 11 Reply 6, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1427 times:
Quoting PHX787 (Reply 3): I don't know how airlines could "build bigger" for the obese. It's a problem (especially in the USA) and shouldn't be accommodated as such.
I have no problem with the 16 inches or so between the armrests in economy class. I can sit with both armrests down with about an inch of extra space. Not spacious, but acceptable.
What I find is terribly lacking is shoulder space! At 23 inches from shoulder to shoulder, I cannot fit within the width of an economy class seatback - a middle seat is out of the question, I either have to lean forward or twist diagonally to fit between two others, terribly uncomfortable on a longer flight. I usually sit in the aisle seat, but if there is another passenger in the middle seat, one of my shoulders/arms is in the aisle and gets hit by every passing passenger, flight attendant and beverage cart. I do not like middle seats, and I do not like to crowd someone who is stuck in one with my arm, elbow or shoulder.
Flighty From United States of America, joined Apr 2007, 7451 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1383 times:
Quoting canadianpylon (Reply 5): because in some countries obesity is considered a disability. From here 'The Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for disabled people - including the severely obese - to be entitled to a free extra seat on domestic flights after refusing to consider an appeal by Air Canada and WestJet.'
Obesity is absolutely not a disability. It is an addiction, a disease. But, I am not a medical doctor or anything, so... would alcoholics be treated with similar compassion while drunk?
RamblinMan From United States of America, joined Oct 2010, 1081 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (1 year 2 months 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 1255 times:
Medical condition, disability, whatever... as far as I know I am not entitled to a free business class seat whenever my herniated disk is acting up. And the 6'5'' guy isn't automatically entitled to an exit row, or a free upgrade at the rental car counter when he discovers he cannot fit into an economy car. I bet every last one of us has some sort of physical or personality trait that requires extra expenditure...that's the way life is. If you take up 2 seats, buy 2 damn seats.
WestJet747 From Canada, joined Aug 2011, 1273 posts, RR: 7 Reply 9, posted (1 year 2 months 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1233 times:
Quoting Flighty (Reply 7): would alcoholics be treated with similar compassion while drunk?
This is exactly what I was about to suggest! If I'm an alcoholic who will go into withdrawal on a 5 hour domestic leg, should I be given free booze? I didn't think so. Airlines shouldn't have to pay because Canadians and Americans have no self-control and take no responsibility for their health, then bitch when faced with the consequence as such.
Quoting canadianpylon (Reply 5): According to the Canadian government, it is critical to operation of our country, and therefor should never be allowed to have a strike or lockout.
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