Oct 8, 2015, 2:43 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
"Passenger of Size" (PoS) also sometimes referred to "Customer of Size" (CoS)
Both acronyms are in FT Glossary
Both acronyms are in FT Glossary
Customers requiring extra seating
A customer flying in the economy cabin who is not able to safely and comfortably fit in a single seat is required to purchase an additional seat for each leg of their itinerary. The second seat may be purchased for the same fare as the original seat, provided it is purchased at the same time. A customer who does not purchase an extra seat in advance may be required to do so on the day of departure for the fare level available on the day of departure. The customer may instead choose to purchase a ticket for United First®, United Business® or United BusinessFirst®, or elect to pay for an upgrade to a premium cabin if there is availability to do so. United Airlines is not required to provide additional seats or upgrades free of charge.
A customer is required to purchase an additional seat or upgrade if they do not meet one of the following criteria:
The customer must be able to properly attach, buckle and wear the seat belt, with one extension if necessary, whenever the seatbelt sign is illuminated or as instructed by a crew member.*
The customer must be able to remain seated with the seat armrest(s) down for the entirety of the flight.
The customer must not significantly encroach upon the adjacent seating space. See our seat maps.
United will not board a customer who declines to purchase a ticket for an additional seat or upgrade for each leg of their itinerary when required.
*The average length of the seatbelt extension is approximately 25 inches. As the seat designs on our aircraft vary, it is possible that the seatbelt extension presented on your flight provides less than 25 inches of additional coverage. Regardless of the actual additional length the extension provides, if you do not meet the first criteria listed above when using the extension provided on your flight, it will be necessary for you to purchase an additional seat or an upgrade, where available.
Additional procedures
The additional seat must be available without downgrading or unseating another customer. If an additional seat is not available on the flight for which the customer is confirmed, he or she is required to rebook on the next United flight with seats available for accommodation. United will waive penalties or fees that may otherwise apply to this change.
If the customer is away from his or her home and must rebook for a flight for the following day, amenities including applicable meals and hotel accommodations for one night will be provided as appropriate. When the customer is able to rebook for a later flight on the same day as originally scheduled, amenities will not be provided.
A customer flying in the economy cabin who is not able to safely and comfortably fit in a single seat is required to purchase an additional seat for each leg of their itinerary. The second seat may be purchased for the same fare as the original seat, provided it is purchased at the same time. A customer who does not purchase an extra seat in advance may be required to do so on the day of departure for the fare level available on the day of departure. The customer may instead choose to purchase a ticket for United First®, United Business® or United BusinessFirst®, or elect to pay for an upgrade to a premium cabin if there is availability to do so. United Airlines is not required to provide additional seats or upgrades free of charge.
A customer is required to purchase an additional seat or upgrade if they do not meet one of the following criteria:
The customer must be able to properly attach, buckle and wear the seat belt, with one extension if necessary, whenever the seatbelt sign is illuminated or as instructed by a crew member.*
The customer must be able to remain seated with the seat armrest(s) down for the entirety of the flight.
The customer must not significantly encroach upon the adjacent seating space. See our seat maps.
United will not board a customer who declines to purchase a ticket for an additional seat or upgrade for each leg of their itinerary when required.
*The average length of the seatbelt extension is approximately 25 inches. As the seat designs on our aircraft vary, it is possible that the seatbelt extension presented on your flight provides less than 25 inches of additional coverage. Regardless of the actual additional length the extension provides, if you do not meet the first criteria listed above when using the extension provided on your flight, it will be necessary for you to purchase an additional seat or an upgrade, where available.
Additional procedures
The additional seat must be available without downgrading or unseating another customer. If an additional seat is not available on the flight for which the customer is confirmed, he or she is required to rebook on the next United flight with seats available for accommodation. United will waive penalties or fees that may otherwise apply to this change.
If the customer is away from his or her home and must rebook for a flight for the following day, amenities including applicable meals and hotel accommodations for one night will be provided as appropriate. When the customer is able to rebook for a later flight on the same day as originally scheduled, amenities will not be provided.
"Passenger of Size" (PoS) - What's the policy, experiences, issues, ...[Consolidated]
Jan 31, 2019, 2:58 pm
#331
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Geneva and on an airlane
Programs: life ritz platinum, SA hon circle, Eastern Executive Traveler, Delta Flying Colonel, AA Admiral VIP
Posts: 117
She was not too rude - just telling her feelings until they started calling her a ...... Who cares if he was an elite. United should have followed their rules and made them buy the extra seat
Jan 31, 2019, 3:52 pm
#332
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 294
I agree. She may not have been fake polite and nice, but she was totally justified in being annoyed. I would be too. And to boot her off the flight was adding insult to injury.
Jan 31, 2019, 6:29 pm
#334
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 1,581
The middle pax flipped out but look at the size of the two pax traveling together, who knew full well what they were doing by taking window and aisle. Wow, that's a disaster waiting to happen for anyone who was assigned the middle seat. While I don't condone the woman who got booted off the plane, that's not right. Those pax should not be flying in back without the extra seat. And by sharing the middle, they don't even need to buy two. I'm not really interested in what happened after that.
Jan 31, 2019, 11:10 pm
#335
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,866
I blame the gate agent and flight crew. I would have politely documented the situation and walked off the aircraft.
Last edited by BF263533; Jan 31, 2019 at 11:25 pm
Jan 31, 2019, 11:51 pm
#336
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
As most are these days.
I was mildly on the side of the POS'ers until I saw their full pictures in one of the news articles. I don't know that the woman is oversize, I would guess not. But the gentleman is easily 375-400 lbs, and could have been easily evaluated at the gate for his non-compliant size. .
I was mildly on the side of the POS'ers until I saw their full pictures in one of the news articles. I don't know that the woman is oversize, I would guess not. But the gentleman is easily 375-400 lbs, and could have been easily evaluated at the gate for his non-compliant size. .
Feb 1, 2019, 12:06 am
#337
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM
Posts: 6,355
The woman taking the video mightn't consider herself a PoS, and thus not offer anything.
It would be interesting to know what exactly happened before the video started. Something tells me, this whole situation was triggered by something that happened off-camera beforehand.
Feb 1, 2019, 12:21 am
#338
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
Programs: UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Plat, Marriott Premiere Plat, SPG Plat, Priority Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,712
Really could stop right there. The problem being "enforcement" never happens. By pretty much anybody except apparently Southwest.
So far as I can tell, and I'll admit living in DFW United is not my most probable airline so maybe I missed it, the airline has said nothing. Which might be better than some breathy PR quote and a chorus of corporate happy songs, but they are passing on a really good, even obligatory, chance to clarify the issue. Either enforce, or ignore by plan and get a handle early on seats to be blocked.
So far as I can tell, and I'll admit living in DFW United is not my most probable airline so maybe I missed it, the airline has said nothing. Which might be better than some breathy PR quote and a chorus of corporate happy songs, but they are passing on a really good, even obligatory, chance to clarify the issue. Either enforce, or ignore by plan and get a handle early on seats to be blocked.
Feb 1, 2019, 12:54 am
#339
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,866
Tort of Battery
At common law, battery is the tort of intentionally and voluntarily bringing about an unconsented harmful or offensive contact with a person or to something closely associated with them. Unlike assault, in which the fear of imminent contact may support a civil claim, battery involves an actual contact.
Feb 1, 2019, 6:40 am
#340
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Geneva and on an airlane
Programs: life ritz platinum, SA hon circle, Eastern Executive Traveler, Delta Flying Colonel, AA Admiral VIP
Posts: 117
Not only that but he raised the "Im black" for everbody to notice when he started calling her a ...... The FA had the right to kick her off if she felt she was causing a problem (it is only in her judgement) but she should kicked the two big guys of too
Feb 1, 2019, 9:21 am
#341
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,417
Load factors have though -- when your LF is around 70% you're pretty much only in a middle seat when your row is your traveling party. At 90+% that's very different.
Feb 2, 2019, 9:26 am
#344
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 294
I hope people realize that > 30% of passengers won't pass the can-you-stay-within-your-seat test. That's a consequence not only of our poor dietary habits, but also shrinking seats.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 2, 2019 at 10:48 am Reason: removed OMNI content
Feb 2, 2019, 4:59 pm
#345
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,417
The seat width on a mainline narrowbody has been more or less the same since 1958, except for the rare 5-across configurations. In terms of fitting into the seat width, it's pax size that has changed.