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Some airlines make people who can't fit into a single seat buy two tickets.

by mannerheim 5y ago

soheil 5y ago
Which airlines? Any in the US?
- hn_throwaway_99 5y ago
  Pretty sure all of them do. Here is United's policy: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/special-needs/extra-seating.html https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/special-needs/ex...
  - soheil 5y ago
    Interesting how nowhere in there it mentions the words overweight or fat.
    - mannerheim 5y ago
      That would be a rather rude way of putting things; generally you want to avoid insulting your customers.
      - hulitu 5y ago
        But you want to use any aspect of them to rip them off. Hello Sir, unfortunately we do have small seats so you will have to book also another free seat in the back of the plane and the seat next to it and because you need to seat down also the 2 seats in front of you. Thank for flying XXX Airlanes.
        542354234235 5y ago
        Anyone could choose to pay to fly in big roomy seats. It’s called business and first class. People do not want to do that, which is why people not only keep buying tickets in economy, but buy tickets on budget airlines that are even more cramped, less comfortable, and have less amenities. You are renting space on the plane for the duration of your trip. If you want more space, you are free to purchase it. If you deliberately chose to purchase a seat you know does not fit your needs, then attempt to steal space from the person next to you, then you are the bad guy. Not the airline. If you think you deserve to be gifted free additional space you did not pay for, then you are the bad guy.
    - junon 5y ago
      Because not all large people are overweight or fat.
    - spoonjim 5y ago
      It’s nothing to do with being overweight... it’s about whether your person impinges upon the seat real estate of the paying customer sitting next to you. If you were as dense as a bowling ball but the size of Ruth Bader Ginsburg they would certainly need to burn more fuel for you but that’s not what the upcharge is for.
      - soheil 5y ago
        You create a fictional world to make your narrative fit. People generally have the same density. It's odd to assume some people could be as dense as a balloon and some as a bowling ball, all the while ignoring that weight is by and large the determining factor when it comes to impinging upon the seat real estate of those sitting next to you.
        bagacrap 5y ago
        people most certainly don't have the same density. If your body fat is <10% you will not easily float in water, whereas if you're 30%+ you're basically an inner tube. However that is beside OP's point. Someone like Lebron James is not overweight but it's entirely possible he would need to buy two tickets.
        spoonjim 5y ago
        I’m not saying that the two aren’t closely correlated... I’m saying that the policy isn’t there to punish fat people, it’s to protect the experience of the other people on the plane. A person shouldn’t pay full price for a ticket and then lose some of their already minimal real estate to another passenger.
hellbannedguy 5y ago
Some crazy airline made Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, etc.) buy two seats. He was hopping mad, and I don't blame him. He said he was he not spilling over into the next seat. (If airlines want to embarrass people, they need to do it in a tactful way. Like before buying the ticket. For instance, if your waist is over--whatever 50 inches, you need to buy two, but not on the plane in front of everyone. Airline have to go back catering to their custmers. Taking a flight seems just awful these days.)
- coderintherye 5y ago
  There's no way to verify that prior to them being there in person. If you did it at ordering time people would just lie. Likewise, luggage is weighed at the airport, rather than what someone claims the weight is.
- hn_throwaway_99 5y ago
  Story is here: https://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/15/kevin.smith.southwest/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/15/kevin.smith.so... Now, I don't know the whole story of how the communication with Smith went down, but I 100% agree with the policy: If you can't lower the arm rest, you need to buy another seat. Also, your suggestion "Like before buying the ticket" doesn't make sense. How is the airline to know someone is large enough to buy require 2 seats before they board? I remember when this story came out, and there was plenty of backlash against Smith for going on his tirade, and some of it from other overweight people basically along the lines of "I know I'm overweight, and I know I have to deal with it by buying a second seat".

Some airlines make people who can't fit into a single seat buy two tickets.

soheil 5y ago

Which airlines? Any in the US?

hn_throwaway_99 5y ago
Pretty sure all of them do. Here is United's policy: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/special-needs/extra-seating.html https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/special-needs/ex...
- soheil 5y ago
  Interesting how nowhere in there it mentions the words overweight or fat.
  - mannerheim 5y ago
    That would be a rather rude way of putting things; generally you want to avoid insulting your customers.
    - hulitu 5y ago
      But you want to use any aspect of them to rip them off. Hello Sir, unfortunately we do have small seats so you will have to book also another free seat in the back of the plane and the seat next to it and because you need to seat down also the 2 seats in front of you. Thank for flying XXX Airlanes.
      - 542354234235 5y ago
        Anyone could choose to pay to fly in big roomy seats. It’s called business and first class. People do not want to do that, which is why people not only keep buying tickets in economy, but buy tickets on budget airlines that are even more cramped, less comfortable, and have less amenities. You are renting space on the plane for the duration of your trip. If you want more space, you are free to purchase it. If you deliberately chose to purchase a seat you know does not fit your needs, then attempt to steal space from the person next to you, then you are the bad guy. Not the airline. If you think you deserve to be gifted free additional space you did not pay for, then you are the bad guy.
  - junon 5y ago
    Because not all large people are overweight or fat.
  - spoonjim 5y ago
    It’s nothing to do with being overweight... it’s about whether your person impinges upon the seat real estate of the paying customer sitting next to you. If you were as dense as a bowling ball but the size of Ruth Bader Ginsburg they would certainly need to burn more fuel for you but that’s not what the upcharge is for.
    - soheil 5y ago
      You create a fictional world to make your narrative fit. People generally have the same density. It's odd to assume some people could be as dense as a balloon and some as a bowling ball, all the while ignoring that weight is by and large the determining factor when it comes to impinging upon the seat real estate of those sitting next to you.
      - bagacrap 5y ago
        people most certainly don't have the same density. If your body fat is <10% you will not easily float in water, whereas if you're 30%+ you're basically an inner tube. However that is beside OP's point. Someone like Lebron James is not overweight but it's entirely possible he would need to buy two tickets.
      - spoonjim 5y ago
        I’m not saying that the two aren’t closely correlated... I’m saying that the policy isn’t there to punish fat people, it’s to protect the experience of the other people on the plane. A person shouldn’t pay full price for a ticket and then lose some of their already minimal real estate to another passenger.

hellbannedguy 5y ago

Some crazy airline made Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, etc.) buy two seats. He was hopping mad, and I don't blame him. He said he was he not spilling over into the next seat. (If airlines want to embarrass people, they need to do it in a tactful way. Like before buying the ticket. For instance, if your waist is over--whatever 50 inches, you need to buy two, but not on the plane in front of everyone. Airline have to go back catering to their custmers. Taking a flight seems just awful these days.)

coderintherye 5y ago
There's no way to verify that prior to them being there in person. If you did it at ordering time people would just lie. Likewise, luggage is weighed at the airport, rather than what someone claims the weight is.
hn_throwaway_99 5y ago
Story is here: https://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/15/kevin.smith.southwest/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/15/kevin.smith.so... Now, I don't know the whole story of how the communication with Smith went down, but I 100% agree with the policy: If you can't lower the arm rest, you need to buy another seat. Also, your suggestion "Like before buying the ticket" doesn't make sense. How is the airline to know someone is large enough to buy require 2 seats before they board? I remember when this story came out, and there was plenty of backlash against Smith for going on his tirade, and some of it from other overweight people basically along the lines of "I know I'm overweight, and I know I have to deal with it by buying a second seat".