Purchasing 2 seats on an airplane

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jayjay12345654321
jayjay12345654321 Posts: 653 Member
in Motivation and Support
This photo and its story have been circulating the news. The website has some background program that runs on your PC, slowing it to a crawl, so I'm not attaching it in case it isn't safe. This is the photo taken by a passenger on a 4 hour flight from Perth to Sydney demanding a refund for being seated next to the large man in the aisle seat.

What are your feelings on this?

funny-airline-complaint.jpg
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Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,085 Member
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    This particular subject has been posted over and over on these forums.


    If you need two seats, pay for two seats. The airline should have flagged the over weight passenger and dealt with it discreetly long before he boarded.


    These type topics become heated and drive internet readership, that 's why they keep resurfacing. Airlines have dealt with this problem for over 20 years. Nothing new here. A good business treats all its customers respectfully. It's pretty much common sense, no?
  • Dragonslayer183
    Dragonslayer183 Posts: 70 Member
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    I feel bad for the big guy! It must have been tramatizing to be on that long ride, and people took pictures of him. Maybe this will be a wake up call to lose weight! He should have brought 2 or 3 seats for himself, although I understand how expensive it could be...

    On the other hand, I feel bad for the guy seated next to him. It must have been hard on that long flight.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
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    He looks so uncomfortable. I can't imagine seated that way even on a short flight. He should have paid for two seats. He's blocking the aisle.

    Is this a real photo..not some photoshopped picture?
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
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    Hands down this man needs to buy two seats. He physically takes up two seats' worth of space, so he should pay for that space. By squeezing into one seat, he is encroaching on the seat space that the man next to him paid good money for and isn't getting, as well as creating a pretty serious aisle hazard as passengers and flight attendants attempt to get past him. I highly doubt the beverage cart could make it past the gentleman, and that would affect everyone on board if they can't be served in a manner the airline is used to delivering.

    It isn't discrimination, it's a simple matter of volume displacement. You take up more space than a standard seat provides, you buy more space. Simple.

    edited for a few typos
  • curvygirl77
    curvygirl77 Posts: 769 Member
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    This particular subject has been posted over and over on these forums.


    If you need two seats, pay for two seats. The airline should have flagged the over weight passenger and dealt with it discreetly long before he boarded.


    These type topics become heated and drive internet readership, that 's why they keep resurfacing. Airlines have dealt with this problem for over 20 years. Nothing new here. A good business treats all its customers respectfully. It's pretty much common sense, no?

    ^^^^^agreed, I'm starting to think some people look for these types of stories to start a bashing session. ---I love how you pointed out that a good business treat all their customers with respect
  • zapinkleopard
    zapinkleopard Posts: 49
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    I imagine one day they will require people to provide their BMI when purchasing their ticket. This photo just looks like a safety hazard all the way around
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
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    Wow, look how much taller he is than everyone else, too. I'm sure his legs are cramped in there like pretzels. At any rate, due to his width he should have bought two seats or the airline should have pulled him aside before boarding. At least he bought an aisle seat, but that doesn't help much when the cart needs to get by.

    I don't have a lot of sympathy for the complaining passenger after reading the text of his letter, though: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2531797/Airline-passenger-complaint-having-sit-obese-man.html

    Edited to add - this can't be a photo of the actual passenger, since the letter states that they were seated in the emergency aisle.
  • Hartman1986
    Hartman1986 Posts: 45 Member
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    I imagine one day they will require people to provide their BMI when purchasing their ticket.

    Which would be yet another reason I avoid commercial aircraft.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    I don't think the photo is real. No airline attendants would let a flight take off with someone unable to buckle all the way.
  • DoingItMyOwnWay
    DoingItMyOwnWay Posts: 23
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    Is this real? I'd be surprised if this was allowed. Someone blocking the aisle like that is surely a safety hazard if the plane needed evacuation. And he surely couldn't wear a seat belt. I feel for the big guy more if this is real. That must have been uncomfortable and embarrassing for him.
  • JohnDowding
    JohnDowding Posts: 46 Member
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    Even at my size, 6'2'', most airplane seats are damm uncomfortable (esp. when the jerk in front in front of me reclines his seat into my knees). Economy Plus or 1st will usually work out.
  • Hauntinglyfit
    Hauntinglyfit Posts: 5,537 Member
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    There's different stories circulating online about this particular photo.

    I do believe the gentleman would've been more comfortable occupying 2 seats. He is however hanging onto the isle, not on the guy next to him, so i don't think that guy is entitled to a refund.

    As harsh as this might sound, weight is a big deal on a plane, extra weight makes the fuel cost go up (that's why you have a limit for luggage weight, and pay extra for a second piece), so...yes, 2 tickets should have been bought.
  • Hauntinglyfit
    Hauntinglyfit Posts: 5,537 Member
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    Even at my size, 6'2'', most airplane seats are damm uncomfortable (esp. when the jerk in front in front of me reclines his seat into my knees). Economy Plus or 1st will usually work out.

    I am sorry, but i am not a jerk for reclining my seat.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,300 Member
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    I am wondering if this is a doctored picture, just to inflame. So much can be done with digital photography.

    From what I hear seating is small even for a naturally small adult!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have no need to fly.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    He looks really uncomfortable, and it's definitely not safe for him or the other passengers for him to be riding like that. He's blocking the aisle and isn't wearing a seatbelt, but even if he had a seatbelt I doubt the seat could hold him in place in a crash.

    The airline should have made their policy about overweight passengers clear so he'd know to buy 2 seats, and should have dealt with him when he checked in & only claimed one seat. (OTOH, wouldn't that be considered an accomodation for a disability, so he wouldn't have to pay for it?)

    If he'd been overflowing the other way, taking over the middle seat so that passenger had nowhere to sit I would agree with at least refunding his ticket price, probably giving him an upgrade on his next (free) flight.
  • keeptehpeace
    keeptehpeace Posts: 189 Member
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    if you're too fat to fit in one seat, you should buy two seats for safety reasons AND to avoid pissing off the other customers, it's pretty simple.. if a mother boarded a plane with her baby, and tried to claim that she only needed one seat because she could squeeze them both in it wouldn't be allowed, because they wouldn't fit and it would be dangerous.
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
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    .. if a mother boarded a plane with her baby, and tried to claim that she only needed one seat because she could squeeze them both in it wouldn't be allowed, because they wouldn't fit and it would be dangerous.
    actually this is allowed and happens often.
  • DoingItMyOwnWay
    DoingItMyOwnWay Posts: 23
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    Yes, I've travelled with a lap baby. You still pay for them (less) and they give you a special seat belt for the baby that attaches to your own. Quite normal.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    There's different stories circulating online about this particular photo.

    I do believe the gentleman would've been more comfortable occupying 2 seats. He is however hanging onto the isle, not on the guy next to him, so i don't think that guy is entitled to a refund.

    As harsh as this might sound, weight is a big deal on a plane, extra weight makes the fuel cost go up (that's why you have a limit for luggage weight, and pay extra for a second piece), so...yes, 2 tickets should have been bought.

    ^ This. I agree with the above poster who said it should have been handled discretely, but weight is directly related to fuel consumption, and fuel costs are paramount when it comes to airline profit/loss. So, long story short, bad situation for all concerned.
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
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    My husband flys southwest weekly. This happens to him about 50% of the time. Once in a while it will be so bad he emails customer service and they throw some points our way - basically saying why did I pay for this other person to have half my seat....

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