Should XL Passengers have to Purchase Two Seats?

[EZEtoGRU]

Another instance of a normal sized passenger being severely inconvenienced due to being seated next to an XL passenger. In the end, the normal sized person sat in a "jump seat" (flight attendant seat). According to the article, only Southwest has an official policy on XL passengers where they have to purchase two seats. Should other airlines follow? I think so. What do you think?

 

Since many clients and escorts travel alot, I felt this was a relevant topic for many of us.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/sns-201112221800--tms--traveltrctntt-c20111227dec27,0,5987792.story

[ErieBear]

I am a big guy. Last time I flew (in March) I had to get a 2nd seat on the way home. Not sure why they didn't make me on the way there. It was humiliating and awful. I was having a very rough day, had just gotten over a full scale anxiety attack after being molested by TSA (yes, they were nice about it). And got to the gate only to be told I needed two seats. I came pretty damn close to bursting out in tears.

 

Right now, I am visiting Los Angeles. I am here to visit a place to help me lose weight. I bought 2 tickets for the trip. It made the trip more comfortable for those around me, but it sure as hell didn't make the trip more comfortable for me. There's no way around it. Being fat helps. And quite frankly, society doesn't really know how to help fat people. The doctors' recommendation is only for bariatric surgery, which scares the hell out of me. I've been working with trainers, etc and it has not helped. Now, I'm working with a shrink who specializes in weight issues and found a better gym. And I'm hoping that this trip will give me a launching to a better life.

 

btw, I only fly Southwest. Won't fly anyone else and they are extremely compassionate and nice.

[+ azdr0710]

keep your "eyes on the prize", Erie....good luck to you

[jjkrkwood]

If the passengers XL cock CANT fit in one seat, then Of course he should purchase 2 seats, and I will be more than willing to PAY for it !

[instudiocity]

Southwest only requires you to buy the second seat on sold out flights and will refund the seat of the flight isn't sold out. Be sure to check your passenger rights.

 

And yes, it's damned uncomfortable to be seated next to a person of size, shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh. I've even considered buying a second seat for myself simply to be comfortable.

[+ deej]

It's even worse being the guy in the middle seat, stuck like a cork between two people of size. I would've got off that flight before it took off if it hadn't been a "must go" trip.

 

There was a time when people of size could gamble on having the seat next to them empty, but flights are fuller these days. Times change. If you overflow your allotted space you need to be buying an extra seat. <shrug>

[jimboivyo]

they should charge passengers per pound considering it's all about the weight/gas ratio on commercial jets.

 

if you're fat, own up and buy another seat. for most people, being fat was a choice they made through bad habit. Why should everyone else suffer for it?

[jjkrkwood]

With no disrepect to plus-sized individuals, but if their presence on the flight will cause discomfort or inconvenience to their regular sized seat-mates, who have also paid Full price for their seats, then the PS individual bares the brunt and should be made to purchase an additional seat to create space and make everyone more comfortable. Its unfortunate and costly, but necessary, and only Fair..

[gcursor]

Even more worse

 

It's even more worse when you follow some of the gay porn stars on TWITTER (and I'm sure others do it as well) talk about fat people sitting next to them or that are on the plane making all sorts of demeaning comments about their size, etc.

gcursor

 

It's even worse being the guy in the middle seat, stuck like a cork between two people of size. I would've got off that flight before it took off if it hadn't been a "must go" trip.

 

There was a time when people of size could gamble on having the seat next to them empty, but flights are fuller these days. Times change. If you overflow your allotted space you need to be buying an extra seat. <shrug>

[Luv2play]

This is more than a comfort issue. As Americans are getting fatter every decade, the airline industry, and I mean the manufacturers, are not taking into account how fat the average American is today. These issues are critical in load factors when considering the airworthiness of planes.

 

Already we have seen fatal crashes involving small aircraft when these load factors hadn't been properly calculated on actual weight versus theoretical weight. I am referring to a crash that occured several years ago over Lake Eire. After that crash, I believe they did up the average weight of passenger but in my view, not by enough. If I saw a lot of fat people getting on a small plane, I would wait for the next flight.

 

How this works for the bigger airliners, I don't know. I know they have a large margin of error built in but is it large enough? A 300 pound person is about twice what our fathers and grandfathers weighed. Many of our planes were designed 30/40 years ago. I remember taking my first flight on a 747 in the 70's. That's 40 years ago. And it was on the drawing board for a good decade before it ever flew.

[EZEtoGRU]

I agree with the majority concensus here that XL folks should be obliged to purchase two seats. Yes it would be difficult to draw the line as to what weight or body size is acceptable and what isn't, but something needs to be done. The epidemic of obesity is mostly a unique American phenomenon. Go to Europe or Latin America, you don't see nearly the number of obese people. It is something our country has to come to terms with.

 

About 15 years ago, I boarded an overnight flight from Miami to Buenos Aires to take my window seat in economy. A few minutes later, an enormous man is coming down the aisle and plops down in the aisle seat next to me. In addition to the weight, he smelled really bad. I immediately got up and went to the front of the plane to speak with the flight attendant indicating that a huge smelly man just sat next to me and there was no way I would be making the trip to Buenos Aires (9 hours) in my currently assigned seat. She casually walks to my row to look and then back to the front of the plane and tells me "I see what you mean, give me a minute". Five minutes before departure a new boarding pass for business class is given to me (which I did not request or expect), and I happily made my way up to the next cabin. Sometimes it really does help to be an elite member of the frequent flyer program.

[Guest Merlin]

Another instance of a normal sized passenger being severely inconvenienced due to being seated next to an XL passenger. In the end, the normal sized person sat in a "jump seat" (flight attendant seat). According to the article, only Southwest has an official policy on XL passengers where they have to purchase two seats. Should other airlines follow? I think so. What do you think?

 

Since many clients and escorts travel alot, I felt this was a relevant topic for many of us.

Yes

http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/sns-201112221800--tms--traveltrctntt-c20111227dec27,0,5987792.story

yes

[RockHard]

Work that body.

 

they should charge passengers per pound considering it's all about the weight/gas ratio on commercial jets.

 

I'm not opposed to this as long as the airlines would provide larger seats in coach to accommodate larger patrons who pay a premium price for their weight.

 

Right now, I am visiting Los Angeles. I am here to visit a place to help me lose weight.

 

Good to hear. Thank goodness you didn't move there. L.A. is not a kind place for obese people.

 

I bought 2 tickets for the trip.

 

Wouldn't business class be near the same money? Nobody cares how big you are in business. They just assume your fat-cat status gives you cred.

 

I've been working with trainers, etc and it has not helped.

 

At the beginning, the effects of exercise do not show much. In fact, it is common to gain weight while working with trainers because muscle mass weighs more than fat. IMO, exercise becomes more crucial after you dropped some weight first. If I were you, I would put the trainer on hold.

 

Simple cardio will provide enough boost without building muscle mass. You can burn a lot of calories by working up a sweat. Cardio is also good for blood pressure. You don't need a trainer each and every time you walk around the block, use a treadmill, a stairmaster, or an elliptical machine.

 

Your diet is the true key to dropping poundage. I know several obese gay men who swear by Weight Watchers. But they insist you have to count calories and points, weigh portions, and go every week to get weighed in and sit through a meeting. Both guys I know lost about 50 pounds in 6 months. I think that's amazing progress, considering how long it takes to gain 50 pounds.

 

I also hear the diet for pre-diabetic patients is great for dropping pounds. Simply Google low-glycemic index foods and create a strict regimen for yourself. People who drop sugar from their diet, meaning all foods that the body digests as sugar, claim to obtain quick weight loss results. It's worth some research.

 

Determination and motivation are also key. If you can sustain these, you will eventually WIN!

[jjkrkwood]

Lest not forget that similar situations occur when you go to the theatre, and have an oversized person spilling over into your space, and you have to sit thru a 3 hour performance because you cannot change your seat (unless there are empty seats and mgt approves it)..

 

These inconveniences are commonplace these days. You cant often sit comfortably on a bus or subway if plus sized people next to you are inhabiting part of YOUR space. Perhaps american society needs to make accommodations for SEAT SIZE as was said in this thread, as it seems

American bodies are getting bigger, but the seats they sit in ARE NOT.

 

However, I remember one occassion where a HUGE bodybuilder type sat down next to me an a bus that was fully packed, but for some reason I didnt mind THAT as much.... Everything is perspective I suppose.

[KMEM]

The manufacturers have little to do with it. The airlines themselves are the ones who dictate how many seats, what the seat pitch is and how else the cabin is arranged, such as the galleys, pottys, etc.

 

These issues are not as critical as you seem to think they might be. Passengers make up a very small part of the actual weight of an airliner, especially the larger ones, by larger, I mean the aircraft, not the passenger.

 

Waiting for another flight because of seeing large passengers is NOT the right criterium for this decision. I have often said that one day I will see pilots on an airliner that I know personally and will not fly on that aircraft but that is not really my opinion. I have a lot of faith in the "system".

 

What you can really do to limit your chances for a "bad flight" is to NOT fly when there is bad weather forecast for your destination. I completely realize this is impractical but nonetheless, it is my "best" advice.

 

Best regards,

 

KMEM

[adriano46]

My 2 cents here ill match other comments.

 

I always sit on the aisle -- and make sure I have earlier boarding etc... (I fly enough to have a high rating on many airlines as a good customer). Still, on a recent flight from Seattle to NYC, I was in my coach aisle seat and the guy in the wondow was a beheamouth (and I am XL but not XXXL) and I felt so bad for the guy in the middle seat -- who was a slim Latin American fellow in his 20's. The window guy was sweating profusely (so thank God I did not have that touching my left arm), and I tried as much as possible to allow the guy in the middle seat "into my space" by asking if he wanted the armrest between us raised (he did), and I slid over a bit to give him more leg room on my side (and he was a nice enough looking guy that this did not bother me in the least).

 

I do feel the airline industry has to begin making seats that FIT the customers. These absolutely full bucket trip flights from NYC to Las Vegas for instance, seem to pack in more XXXL sized passengers than most flights -- and often the seats are permanently damaged due to the heavy weight.

 

I also agree that when someone is height/weight challenged to such a point that they spill over to the seat next to them, definately they should buy a second seat.

[+ Charlie]

Most airlines have a measuring device for carry-on baggage: if it doesn't fit, you can't take it on the plane. Although I would not suggest a similar device for every passenger at check-in, which would be unnecessarily embarassing, I think the principle should be the same. There should be a warning issued with the ticket that if you appear to exceed certain dimensions (different for different seat classes) at check-in, you will be asked to step aside and be weighed/measured, and if you are too big, your ticket is void, or you must purchase a second seat or an upgrade, subject to availability. Passengers know how big they are long before they get to the airport, and should be able to see that this is appropriate.

 

Unfortunately, seatmates who are too heavy are not the only ones who can make a flight uncomfortable. A very long-legged person beyond you can make it difficult to lower your seatback. A noisy child or screaming baby, or one who keeps squirming or kicking your seat back, with a parent who won't control him, can escalate into an unpleasant scene. The person who has too much to drink, or who brings aboard strong-smelling food, or wears too much perfume, or who falls asleep against you, or who takes a window seat but wants to get up every 20 minutes, or who needs to constantly talk loudly to her friends in the seats in front or behind you--well, I'm sure you can think of your own examples. They can't easily be prevented beforehand, but the oversized seatmate can be.

[Bosguy]

I identify with this issue because I weighed 60+ more pounds than I weigh now and I was uncomfortable so I can imagine how the people sitting in the same aisle as me felt.

 

That being said, on my last flight from Boston to Dallas (a full flight), I sat on the aisle and this plus sized man sat in the middle. I spent the whole flight hanging onto the arm rest--I might as well as sat in the aisle. So, yes the airlines have to address this issue--we're all paying the same for our seats so we all deserve equal comfort.

 

However, while they're addressing this comfort issue, they should be addressing screaming, out of control kids running all over with no parental supervision. What's good for the goose is good for the gander!

 

Boston Bill

[+ purplekow]

I ), I sat on the aisle and this plus sized man sat in the middle. I spent the whole flight hanging onto the arm rest--I might as well as sat in the aisle. So, yes the airlines have to address this issue--we're all paying the same for our seats so we all deserve equal comfort.

 

However, while they're addressing this comfort issue, they should be addressing screaming, out of control kids running all over with no parental supervision. What's good for the goose is good for the gander!

 

Boston Bill

First of all we are not all paying the same amount for our seats. The rules and regulations regarding ticket pricings is ridiculous and most flights have many people on it who have paid different rates depending on where the flight originated and how long ago the ticket was purchased. Recently I checked into a flight that originated in Atlantic City and then travelled to Philadelphia before heading west. The ticket from Atlantic City with the stop over in Philadelphia was cheaper than the flight from Philadelphia. Clearly demand plays a role in ticket pricing. And airlines charge ridiculous prices for same day purchases as they are just as content to let a flight go off with an empty seat rather than a discounted filled one.

 

Apparently the airlines are quite happy packing people in like sardines in a can because they make more money that way. Perhaps the airlines, knowing full well that a certain percentage of their patrons will need oversized seats, should modify their seating arrangements to allow for the comfort of all their passengers, not just the ones who fit the cookie cutter mold.

This is a service industy after all. Since all seats are not equally priced anyway, I believe a financial adjustment arrangement could be made. I also think that thin people should pay less. Skinny bitches don't get enough benefits as far as I am concerned.

 

How many here want "fat guys" to pay more their escorts?

[lrbigdicktaker]

Yes, I think we should pay more for seats, but not double. If they made a row of seats in the back of the plane about the same size as the business class, that would work for me. I don't need to bored the plane first (everyone leaves at the same time), I don't need to be serviced first (everyone eventually gets served), I'm not is a hurry to get off the plane (whats a couple of minutes); however, if they just added a few inches to the seat, it would be perfect, and I'd be willing to pay more for proportional space.

 

How about an isle for anorexic people?

[Lookin]

She only had access to about one-third of her economy-class seat for the duration of the flight.

 

 

So says the woman quoted in the article. However, Wikipedia says the average width of a cabin seat is 17" - 18". That means she had 6" max to sit in.

 

Well, of course, her pelvis would have cracked in two. So I think she may have been exaggerating her burden just a tad. http://www.maleescortreview.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

 

Every day we get plenty of opportunities to accommodate others, just as they get plenty of opportunities to accommodate us. I scootched over for someone on my last flight, and somebody told me not to worry about climbing over them to use the restroom. It all works out.

 

Charging someone an extra $500 because they're too big for the airline's more crowded seats seems kind of punitive to me. What if someone can't get to a HooBoy Dinner because of it?

 

So I'd vote no on the price surcharge. http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg149/autumn59/thumbsdown.gif

[gallahadesquire]

A couple of observations:

 

1. If you compare a business seat with two coach seats, there's not that much difference in price.

2. I agree with the idea of 2 - 2 seating in part of the coach sections, RESERVED for the large-in-body persons. No sneaking in at 5'10, 150#.

3. I went on a helicopter ride in Alaska in 2007. The operator said "if you weight more than 250#, we charge you for an extra seat." I did, but they didn't. I must have some muscle hidden somewhere!

4. Someone on this thread said how hard it is to lose weight. I went from 260 to 220 and back to 260 in side of eight months. However there were serio9us medical conditions involved. Details in PM,

if anyone is interested.

 

Overall, though, my biggest gripe is legroom. Midwest Express was "all business seating", 2-2 through the plane, but the seat pitch was 32". Didn't quite make it.

 

American, years ago, took out (lemme count ...), took a few rows out of Coach, and distributed them throughout the cabin. Two rows = 60" pitch. Divided by thirty rows, that's an additional 2" legroom.

At a cost of 12 tickets. Go figure why they got rid of it.

[Toulouse]

For everyone's safety and comfort, XL passengers should have to purchase two seats.

[gallahadesquire]

For everyone's safety and comfort, XL passengers should have to purchase two seats.

 

In my hospital, we have "normal" chairs for normal people and "XL" chairs for XL people. The XL chairs are frequently populated by those teens who think that Public Display of Affection is a Good Thing. [Maybe it is, but it's amazing what you can contract in a hospital.] No one seems to complain either way.

 

But whoever said it is right: the Root Cause for the issue is American Obesity. Let's get a handle on that, too, whilst we're at it?

[justaguy]

I agree with the majority on this one. The XXL person needs to pay for an extra seat. I've been in the person in the seat next to him (in my case it was a her), and it wasn't a pleaseant flight.