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What do you do when the passenger is quite overweight?

What do you do when the passenger is quite overweight?

Old Mar 20, 2019, 11:59 am
  #76  
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I'd recommend to everyone that you bring a portable ruler with you next time you fly. That way, you can promptly measure any encroachment.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 12:41 pm
  #77  
 
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This has happened to me on a few situations and the person did their best to bot invade my space. I had one lady who was so funny and obviously had faced this situation many times. I would have enjoyed her in any situation. How we handle it creates the context for the rest of the flight. I am not into body shaming anyone and I do not know their story...but we all have one.
Airlines would do us all a favor if they had a row or two designed with larger seats that accommodate people who have girth. Not saying they have to charge more - not my call but it would/ could create a desire for those who need more room to fly and be loyal to that airline.
I will see the good in people, regardless of their size.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 1:06 pm
  #78  
 
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Originally Posted by nk15
Who wrote the ACAA, I am guessing airline lobbyists? It should be revised. The underlying condition for someone's size or body type should not matter either, that's also judgmental, discriminatory, and inappropriate. It is what it is, we don't need investigations or classifications to how or why (for transportation rights purposes).
Feel free, but I doubt that you're going to get much sympathy from what most often stems from personal choices.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 1:35 pm
  #79  
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Originally Posted by IADCAflyer
Feel free, but I doubt that you're going to get much sympathy from what most often stems from personal choices.
It doesn't matter, body shape and size is to a significant extend out of people's control and likely complex and multifactorial (genetics, medical, lack of access to right food, SES, rearing, advertising, etc.). This is access to basic transportation and should not be conditional and discriminatory. At the same time there has to be better public policy to prevent and address the obesity issue more systemically.

Last edited by nk15; Mar 20, 2019 at 1:41 pm
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 1:45 pm
  #80  
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Originally Posted by nk15
It doesn't matter, body shape and size is to a significant extend out of people's control and likely complex and multifactorial (genetics, medical, access to right food, SES, rearing, etc.). This is access to basic transportation and should not be conditional and discriminatory. At the same time there has to be better policy to prevent and address the obesity issue more systemically.
If the airline decides to offer oversized seats at a price, you can buy them. If not, and you need the space afforded by two standardly narrow seats, you should buy them. Nothing in American law says airline passengers fatter, or taller, than the cabin's equipment can standardly accommodate, should be given extra space at no charge.
In fact, airline business practice being as it is, seeing the size of the American population in general, it shouldn't surprise anyone if they made the seats yet narrower (16") and demand that two seats be purchased if required. Just another ancillary profit point. AA's stated rule seems like a first move in this direction.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 2:25 pm
  #81  
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Originally Posted by rickg523
If the airline decides to offer oversized seats at a price, you can buy them. If not, and you need the space afforded by two standardly narrow seats, you should buy them. Nothing in American law says airline passengers fatter, or taller, than the cabin's equipment can standardly accommodate, should be given extra space at no charge.
In fact, airline business practice being as it is, seeing the size of the American population in general, it shouldn't surprise anyone if they made the seats yet narrower (16") and demand that two seats be purchased if required. Just another ancillary profit point. AA's stated rule seems like a first move in this direction.
You are missing the point, both the obesity epidemic and the narrowing airline seats are the side effects and results of the same capitalism system being unchecked and going off the rails. If the trends continue and we go with the attitude expressed above, in 5 years obesity will be at 50% of the population and airline seats will be 15 inches wide, and so on. The system is broken and needs to be fixed. Doug if he had his way there will be only one airline and would make all seats 10 inches wide and ask everybody to buy two, because that's what unregulated capitalism does.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 2:28 pm
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Originally Posted by geminidreams
I used to be big (peaked at 140 kg now a svelt 88kg) but always selected an aisle seat and tried to lean aisle side as much as possible. I never had anyone complain.
That's how I handle it as a COS, and I don't buy BE fares so I make sure I'm in an aisle seat. On a last minute flight with window or aisle only I set up an expertflyer alert. Luckily with elite status I don't have to pay for a preferred aisle seat.

Southwest refunds the second seat if purchased in advance which is awesome.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 3:30 pm
  #83  
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Originally Posted by nk15
You are missing the point, both the obesity epidemic and the narrowing airline seats are the side effects and results of the same capitalism system being unchecked and going off the rails. If the trends continue and we go with the attitude expressed above, in 5 years obesity will be at 50% of the population and airline seats will be 15 inches wide, and so on. The system is broken and needs to be fixed. Doug if he had his way there will be only one airline and would make all seats 10 inches wide and ask everybody to buy two, because that's what unregulated capitalism does.
The point of this thread is not the broader issues of unregulated capitalism or unregulated caloric consumption by Passengers of Size.

The question is what do you do when the passenger beside you is quite overweight and spills in to your seat. Anything else is just excusing POS for thinking their size, self-inflicted or not, entitles them to take up someone's else's space.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 3:39 pm
  #84  
 
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Its very simple, if someone overflows into your seat then you let the FA come up with an acceptable solution.
Having once in the past, when I was much younger, accepted the situation on a 10 hour flight and arrived at the other end with a bad back because Ive had no room to move and being forced to sit at an angle, I wont accept it ever again. Even if that means I have to wait 24 hours for the next flight.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 3:53 pm
  #85  
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The only answer is to have the POS reseated but thats rarely practical. One could tell the FA or the GA this is unacceptable but chances are you will be waiting standby then crammed in a crummy middle seat in the way back. The POS will sit in his/her original seat while your sweating a standby list.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 4:05 pm
  #86  
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The problem is that people are "cheap" It is no different than having a lap child next to you. Said lap child interferes with your safety. Do you ..... to "mom" about it?
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 4:21 pm
  #87  
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Originally Posted by Asknorm
Airlines would do us all a favor if they had a row or two designed with larger seats that accommodate people who have girth. Not saying they have to charge more - not my call but it would/ could create a desire for those who need more room to fly and be loyal to that airline.
I will see the good in people, regardless of their size.
We call this Premium Select / Premium Economy / Etc.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 4:24 pm
  #88  
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From safety perspective, POS should by default have window seats. In the event of an evacuation, should a POS be seated in middle or aisle, it is not fair (or justifiably unfair) to those sitting in the window/middle to have to circumnavigate the POS to evacuate. I say this as someone whose husband is a POS. I make him get window, i take middle, and the lucky folk in the aisle dont realize how easily i could have swapped to two and make them deal with a foreign POS. (I, personally, dont mind my POS intruding, lol).
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 4:39 pm
  #89  
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Originally Posted by nk15
You are missing the point, both the obesity epidemic and the narrowing airline seats are the side effects and results of the same capitalism system being unchecked and going off the rails. If the trends continue and we go with the attitude expressed above, in 5 years obesity will be at 50% of the population and airline seats will be 15 inches wide, and so on. The system is broken and needs to be fixed. Doug if he had his way there will be only one airline and would make all seats 10 inches wide and ask everybody to buy two, because that's what unregulated capitalism does.
Badenoch is correct. The part of my response beyond my concurrence with the notion that people should simply be asked to pay for the space they occupy regardless of their physical condition, was beyond this thread's topic.
But in fact, my off-topic point was exactly the same as yours.
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Old Mar 20, 2019, 4:57 pm
  #90  
 
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Im not a frequent flyer and have had a similar situation happen to me on AirAsia. I felt bad for the person next to me, seeing the seats on the flight were real small. I just sucked it up for 7 hours and pledged to myself not todo long flights in low cost economy.

I think allot of passengers that dont fly allot are unaware that seat width can vary so much (I did).

Im of small frame and also was shocked on the seat width in economy when on Hawaiian Airlines. Not much wiggle room for someone with a size 30 waist. Also the pitch for my small legs was crazy.

This coming trip as a now married man and the first time my wife is going to the US. I ensured all seats booked were in the premium cabins, to avoid these issues and so we can minimise some travel stress.

Its a complex issue as Im sure allot of these larger travellers may not have the funds for two seats, premium seats or unaware how bad the squeeze will be..

The other factor is work travel, large stature is not usually in the policy to fly in anything but one economy seat. Even if it is Im sure its very embarrassing for someone of large stature to request a better seating arrangement.

My take is if its really bad see if you can swap seats, otherwise suck it up, accept and realise it will eventually be over.

When your funds can minimise/avoid the situation then do so.
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