GrayAnderson

This is wonderful in theory, but you have plenty of cases of accounting departments (or indeed, government agency rules) which effectively bar those traveling on the relevant dime from doing so. In some cases this is penny wise and pound foolish (it's not unheard of for a single seat in F to be less expensive than two seats in Y). To be fair, there's also some ADA-related wiggle room on most policies (e.g. someone well over 6' who is also "all legs" might be able to get a waiver to get an extra legroom seat) but it's also not unheard-of for those rules to be "hard-and-fast-unless-you-want-to-sue".

nrr

I've flown on a few BA inter Europe/GB flts. The FC seats have the same width as Y, but instead of 3 abreast, the middle seat is blocked. So if you spill over your seat you don't intrude into the adjacent pax's space...but if you are BIG you are still uncomfortably seated.

Grog

Is this your way of now telling me my opinions are wrong? Your opinion is noted. ^

gumbleby

Apart from the expense, my biggest issue when booking 2 seats is the need to call the airline. Many times airline offices are closed outside office hours, secured credit card systems are only available for online transactions, there's a surcharge for reservations via telephone,...

My preferred solution would be a 50% surcharge for having a guaranteed free seat next to you (50% because the seat can be shared between 2 passengers - people over that size would have trouble even getting into the cabin). Legroom should also be sufficient to accommodate taller passengers. An extra luggage allowance (for our extra sized attire) would also be welcome. No need to supersize the meals ;-).

My opinion on why most airlines don't offer practical solutions for supersized passengers is that this might eat into their first and business class profits. Also, obesity is less prevalent outside the US.

The issue of supersized passengers won't ever get universally resolved without government intervention. It doesn't matter which country - if airlines have to offer a reasonable solution for one country where they wish to sell tickets, they might as well offer it everywhere.

MSPeconomist

If the bigger seats are free, I want one. Maybe I can add padding inside my clothing before boarding in order to make it look like I really need that extra space. OTOH, if there's an upcharge for the bigger seats, it will be the same problem: people who need them and should be required to purchase them will refuse to do so and GAs/FAs will be reluctant to embarrass them by insisting.

MSPeconomist

Maybe part of the solution would be to make it easy for anyone to purchase an EXTRASEAT on airline websites and also when using OLTAs. The airline could even have a box stating seat dimensions when one starts to search for flights as well as a brief statement of policy (and those who need the extra but don't purchase it in advance IMO should be forced to pay the full fare for a walk up ticket on the day of departure, typically a FULL Y fare). Currently even someone wanting to pay for the extra space in coach must know that's it possible and then must call the airline, talk to an agent or supervisor who knows how to do ticket the extra seat correctly, and then watch seat assignments to make sure that the seats stay together. Most passengers wouldn't know that the extra seat purchase is possible of how to do it.

wandering_fred

The only ones who should really know how (and when) to purchase an "extra seat" are the ones who can not fit into the existing standard seat. Maybe the seat belt extenders should be available only on the payment of $25........... and a note in the PNR.

Happy wandering

Fred

reamworks

I think charging for seat belt extenders (and somehow prevent people from using their own) is a good solution. If each extender was, say, $100, then they could have a row of wide seats (one less seat in the row) and recoup the lost cost of pulling two seats out of the plane.

diver858

The lawsuit will hopefully force AA (and the US airline industry in general) to train gate and cabin staff on tactful but effective methods in dealing with this issue - ideally before boarding, but definitely before takeoff. Also expect legal to add tactful POS language, with an accept button to the reservation process.
Once social media has a few examples of POS passengers being removed from an otherwise full flight, they will get the message, plan accordingly.

FWAAA

Reasonable idea. Very few POS actually need two main cabin seats; for many of them, 1.5 seats would be perfect. Wouldn't be a bad idea for airlines to reserve a couple of rows on each flight for POS to pay 1.5 times their fare. For that, the armrests go up, and two POS can share a block of three seats, probably comfortably. If there aren't enough POS on the flight to use up the reserved seats, ordinary passengers could then be assigned those seats.

leungy18

That'd be a pretty costly and inefficient solution. You're essentially forcing airlines to block out a few seats because of the possibility that one of the passengers might be oversized.

Airlines should allow passengers, during purchase, the option to purchase a second adjacent seat to the same passenger, whether it's for POS, someone who wants that extra space, or a musician that needs to put an expensive instrument. No discounts, nothing. Pay double.

Under the current system, POS should just pony up for J/F. If you need more space, you should pay for it. I'm sure there are lots of people who are well over 6' who have to spend more every time they fly because Y simply isn't an option. Why should we have to accommodate them? Fly F. Or go private.

wolf72

This lawsuit could be a game changer in how the courts rule what is acceptable and what is not acceptable as far as comfort, care and what is fair for paying customers.

rufflesinc

You didn't and can't do anything about being tall. Please don't conflate being tall and being of large size.

DataPlumber

That's defiantly magical thinking or should is say, "pie in the sky." (Cough...cough) But I'll bet you it goes nowhere.

+1
As a traveler of height, I find the comparison offensive.

FWAAA

No, it need not be costly or inefficient. Allow POS to buy the 1.5 seats when they make their bookings and allow them to self-assign the seats. Block the seats from early seat assignments unless someone has paid the 1.5 fare. If no POS check in for the flight (or not very many), then the gate agent assigns the remaining seats (all three of them in each block) to ordinary passengers who were too cheap to pay for better main cabin seats. That allows late-identifying POS to pay the additional 50% fare at the gate, if necessary, and gain access to the 1.5 size seats.