CO used to be the only airline I flew that never asked the exit row passengers about sitting there. However, for over a year now, they've asked on every flight that I've not been upgraded on.

As for whether the window plug gets tossed out or set inside on the seats, I've noticed it varies by airline and aircraft type. I've been on some airlines where the 733/735 safety cards showed the plug being placed on the seats. On others, they show it being turned around and thrown out.

And yes, I've seen two extremely obese passengers in the exit row, both of whom needed seat belt extenders, and the flight attendant said nothing about it. This was on a Chautauqua ERJ, and they were seated in 12B/C. I was in 12A and was very surprised the flight attendant didn't move them, because there was no way either one of them was getting through the window exit.

As to the window plug. I have been through the FAA course in OKC and tossed it once along withthe smoke evac slide lab and training there. They said, and it was Air Force policy when I flew as an Air Weapons Officer to keep the plug inside as they were more afraid of it becoming a hazard outside the airplane. Now granted on the old 707 E-3 I flew on we only had up to mid 30s max of people on board so the policy with an airliner could be different.

Obese people should not be allowed to sit there IMO. There are actually several types of incidents that are survivable as long as folks can get evac'ed. Think smoke.

Ciao,
FH

The American with Disabilities Act prohibits people to discriminate against a person of size. Most of the time, fat will give anyway and the people behind him/her will probably be helpful in pushing that person out. I would rather an obese person who can actually open the window rather than an elderly person who may break a hip in the process. I wouldn't worry too much because numerous testing is performed by CAMI (Civil Aerospace Medical Institute) for the FAA. Studies regarding passenger and crew safety and accidents are researched thoroughly before making new decisions or changing old policies

Don't you think the ADA probably prohibits unreasonable or arbitrary discrimination because of size.

The choice is not between the elderly and infirm and the corpulent and immobile. There are other candidates for exit row seating.

That's nice, but the ADA does not apply to air travel. The Air Carrier Access Act applies.

While the Air Carrier Access Act may apply to air travel as well, the ADA also applies to public transportation. Here is an excerpt from their official website:

The Title II regulation defines a physical impairment as any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: Neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs, respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, genitourinary, hemic and lymphatic, skin, and endocrine.

...However, at some point, obesity itself may be considered an impairment. While the point at which this occurs must be considered on a case-by-case basis, it is generally accepted that morbid obesity, which is defined as body weight 100% over normal weight, is an impairment. In addition, an obese
individual may have a related physiological disorder, such as hypertension or a thyroid disorder, that either causes or is caused by obesity. These physiological disorders are, by definition, impairments. ...

As you can see, morbid obesity is an impairment. As the FA on duty, I am to ensure that all persons in an exit row meet certain criteria. While it may be hard to believe that an obese person can perform these functions, I cannot discriminate if that person tells me he can open the exit. Furthermore, an obese person with no other existing conditions (ie. use of cane or wheelchair) does meet exit row seating criteria. Although I may empathize with you, these standards are implemented by the FAA, CAL, and other organizations.

But for the ADA public transportation does not include aircraft:

"Specified public transportation" is defined by �301(10) as "transportation by bus, rail, or any other conveyance (other than by aircraft) that provides the general public with general or special service (including charter service) on a regular and continuing basis."

Are you saying they try to squeeze morbidly obese people through an emergency exit to see if the fat will 'rearrange' itself as to make them fit?
(think Goldfinger....)
Sounds like torture to me!

i agree...but, maybe 48 hours before flight time (i.e., 24 hours before online check-in) silvers should be able to book exit rows. at that point, many of the golds and silvers will have been upgraded (thereby opening exit row seats). and, i do believe silvers should have some exit row availability before non-elites.

Reminds me of another thing-I've been flying the same route but different weekdays for the last few months, regularly upgraded. There is an obese woman (not morbidly so) who sits in business class-

she doesn't wear her seatbelt--seen her a few times, doesn't buckle up, and the Flight attendants don't say anything. I never remember any medical exemption in the FARs for the seat belt requirement...

Please note that these comments are made somewhat "tongue in cheek"....

Isn't part of the responsibility of sitting in the exit row to not only open the door, but to also stay behind and assist other passengers exiting through the emergency exit? Doesn't then the fact that the oversize pax can or cannot fit throught the exit become irrelevant?

More seriously: as a frequent occupant of 9A/12A in the barbie jets, I wonder of myself would I actually hang back and help, or would I be first out the exit in an "every man for himself" attitude. I am sure the nature of the emergency would probably make the decision for me.

not if the other pax can't get past him/her.

Even a skinny person would be in the way if they stayed there.

Yes, I thought of that. I was strictly making the assumption that the obese passanger would be last off per the exit row rules.

A few years CAL was sued because we failed to comply with the ADA in terms of passengers with disabilities. Even though there has not been a case yet where we have discriminated against a person of size, we do not want to open the door to this issue. The fact remains that some persons of size may fall under the ADA. Although at this juncture I cannot find any instances where a person of size has been discriminated against at CAL, I assure you that if we did discriminate we would find a lawsuit on our hands...I do not want to be that person who instigated the lawsuit. The issue is not necessarily a person of size, but the person of size who also has a "hidden" disability, that would be covered under the ADA.
We teach a module during our initial training that covers this topic to make new FAs aware of this issue. Our module is built around the ADA and the DOT. Since we experience so many different issues in our line of work, it is important to train our people to be aware of varying disabilities and be sensitive to persons needs so that we do not have another lawsuit.