Refund for obese person taking up half my seat?
May 16, 2011, 1:30 pm
#1
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Refund for obese person taking up half my seat?
I'm trying not to be insensitive here.. but yesterday on ATL-BWI, I was in exit row "C" and flying with standby upgrade since I had a non SM flying partner with me who was sitting across the aisle. I think I made it to 3rd on the upgrade at gate list.
During boarding this HUGE male comes squeezing down the aisle and informs me that he is in "B". I get up and he sits down and I look at my seat and half of it is gone.. I'm not kidding. This guy had to be pushing 400 lbs. Then a woman comes to sit by the window in A and she is also appalled at the seating arrangement. I spent the entire flight hanging out into the aisle because I basically lost half my seat.
Would it be wrong to complain about this?
During boarding this HUGE male comes squeezing down the aisle and informs me that he is in "B". I get up and he sits down and I look at my seat and half of it is gone.. I'm not kidding. This guy had to be pushing 400 lbs. Then a woman comes to sit by the window in A and she is also appalled at the seating arrangement. I spent the entire flight hanging out into the aisle because I basically lost half my seat.
Would it be wrong to complain about this?
May 16, 2011, 1:31 pm
#2
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You should have notified the flight attendant immediately.
May 16, 2011, 1:32 pm
#3
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Did you talk with the flight attendant about the problem?
Personally I'd complain. While it may be "insensitive" to the PC folk, the fact is you paid for a seat, not standing room only. While airlines are trying to avoid dealing with these issues, it is something they need to address before passengers get on board and situations like this come up.
Personally I'd complain. While it may be "insensitive" to the PC folk, the fact is you paid for a seat, not standing room only. While airlines are trying to avoid dealing with these issues, it is something they need to address before passengers get on board and situations like this come up.
May 16, 2011, 1:36 pm
#4
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Did you bring it to the FA attention??
All but 1 flight had open seats in Y...
All but 1 flight had open seats in Y...
May 16, 2011, 1:37 pm
#5
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Nothing insensitive here. You paid for your patch of the aircraft and didn't get it. Moreover, it's a serious safety issue if you can't physically sit straight up in your seat with the seatback protecting you. You should have quietly complained and asked the FA to notify the Captain while the cabin door was still open should take care of it. You aren't judging anybody else, you are simply asking that you be flown in the safety and comfort which the carrier contracted to do.
May 16, 2011, 1:45 pm
#6
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Yeah, I'd agree that you're out of luck now . The way to handle it is to discreetly talk to an FA or GA before the door closes.
May 16, 2011, 1:45 pm
#7
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I agree. If you said something, the situation may have been resolved onboard. If it wasn't, then you'd have every right to complain. If you didn't say anything, you should just let it go.
I've been in your situation. But I've also witnessed passengers protest sitting next to overweight passengers who clearly fit comfortably into their seats.
FWIW, when top-tier FF call to complain, most airlines document and notate each call. The more you complain, the less compensation you'll receive when a severe situation arises. And let's be realistic: you're not going to get a refund; at best, just some miles tossed your way.
I've been in your situation. But I've also witnessed passengers protest sitting next to overweight passengers who clearly fit comfortably into their seats.
FWIW, when top-tier FF call to complain, most airlines document and notate each call. The more you complain, the less compensation you'll receive when a severe situation arises. And let's be realistic: you're not going to get a refund; at best, just some miles tossed your way.
May 16, 2011, 1:53 pm
#8
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I have also been in the situation, full flight, no other option. It is just a brutal experience and has left me with praying when I see someone like this walking down the isle "please, please, please don't let that be my seat mate".
Not to hijack the thread, but I cannot believe who they allow in exit rows, I see people that NO WAY could assist the FA's or operate the door. As long as they can answer yes to the FA inquiry about sitting there, they stay.
Another option would have been to answer "no" to sitting in the exit row. Don't know what would happen if they could not find someone to trade seats with you. Does anybody know if you answered "no" and they could not find someone to switch, do they deplane you?
Not to hijack the thread, but I cannot believe who they allow in exit rows, I see people that NO WAY could assist the FA's or operate the door. As long as they can answer yes to the FA inquiry about sitting there, they stay.
Another option would have been to answer "no" to sitting in the exit row. Don't know what would happen if they could not find someone to trade seats with you. Does anybody know if you answered "no" and they could not find someone to switch, do they deplane you?
May 16, 2011, 1:56 pm
#9
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I'm trying not to be insensitive here.. but yesterday on ATL-BWI, I was in exit row "C" and flying with standby upgrade since I had a non SM flying partner with me who was sitting across the aisle. I think I made it to 3rd on the upgrade at gate list.
During boarding this HUGE male comes squeezing down the aisle and informs me that he is in "B". I get up and he sits down and I look at my seat and half of it is gone.. I'm not kidding. This guy had to be pushing 400 lbs. Then a woman comes to sit by the window in A and she is also appalled at the seating arrangement. I spent the entire flight hanging out into the aisle because I basically lost half my seat.
Would it be wrong to complain about this?
During boarding this HUGE male comes squeezing down the aisle and informs me that he is in "B". I get up and he sits down and I look at my seat and half of it is gone.. I'm not kidding. This guy had to be pushing 400 lbs. Then a woman comes to sit by the window in A and she is also appalled at the seating arrangement. I spent the entire flight hanging out into the aisle because I basically lost half my seat.
Would it be wrong to complain about this?
May 16, 2011, 1:57 pm
#10
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With regards to safety, I think there should be a size limit for pax sitting in over wing exit rows. Clearly someone 400 lbs would have a difficult time exiting through a small door....and I can only imagine what your view would have been had there been a problem....whew!
May 16, 2011, 2:04 pm
#11
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With regards to safety, I think there should be a size limit for pax sitting in over wing exit rows. Clearly someone 400 lbs would have a difficult time exiting through a small door....and I can only imagine what your view would have been had there been a problem....whew!
May 16, 2011, 2:05 pm
#12
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I'm not kidding. This guy had to be pushing 400 lbs. Then a woman comes to sit by the window in A and she is also appalled at the seating arrangement. I spent the entire flight hanging out into the aisle because I basically lost half my seat.
Would it be wrong to complain about this?
Was this 6:35 flight, BWI-ATL? Noticed a similar guy brought in on a wheel chair, definitely should have complained then or if you wanted to be discreet, gotten up to use the bathroom and talked to a FA. I would still call or send an email to, SkyMiles is pretty good about customer satisfaction, you paid for the seat.
May 16, 2011, 2:06 pm
#13
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I have also been in the situation, full flight, no other option. It is just a brutal experience and has left me with praying when I see someone like this walking down the isle "please, please, please don't let that be my seat mate".
Not to hijack the thread, but I cannot believe who they allow in exit rows, I see people that NO WAY could assist the FA's or operate the door. As long as they can answer yes to the FA inquiry about sitting there, they stay.
Another option would have been to answer "no" to sitting in the exit row. Don't know what would happen if they could not find someone to trade seats with you. Does anybody know if you answered "no" and they could not find someone to switch, do they deplane you?
Not to hijack the thread, but I cannot believe who they allow in exit rows, I see people that NO WAY could assist the FA's or operate the door. As long as they can answer yes to the FA inquiry about sitting there, they stay.
Another option would have been to answer "no" to sitting in the exit row. Don't know what would happen if they could not find someone to trade seats with you. Does anybody know if you answered "no" and they could not find someone to switch, do they deplane you?
I've posted this before, but here it is again: how to handle POS in your seat.
May 16, 2011, 2:10 pm
#14
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Yeah, feel your pain, but the time to deal with this is is to deal with it politely on the plane. You can complain, but the people you will complain to are online, were not there, and have no idea what you dealt with. If the plane was full, and there was not a single other available seat, I understand that would be tough since there would be nowhere to move you. But, once again, failing that, on the plane is the place to fix this. Just a quick question about this to others; if you are on a plane and faced with this situation, where you basically do not have a seat to sit in because of the situation the OP was in, is there anyway to make this an IDB since you do not have the seat you paid for? Not trying to be a jerk or get something I'm not entitled to, but if you paid for a seat, you should get it. And to the MODS, I know a lot of these type threads get closed, but we are not rehashing the same stuff here, and perhaps we can let this one go on awhile. I am particularly interested in the IDB scenario and if the OP refused to take his/her seat because there was in essence no seat to sit in. Thanks.
May 16, 2011, 2:20 pm
#15
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With regards to safety, I think there should be a size limit for pax sitting in over wing exit rows. Clearly someone 400 lbs would have a difficult time exiting through a small door....and I can only imagine what your view would have been had there been a problem....whew!
Now here are some questions: Was an extender needed? Were you able to keep the armrests down between yourself and the person of size? If no and yes, the OP has less of an argument.