Comments on: Hey, where’s my airline seat? http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/ The travel troubleshooter. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:46:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: cosmos http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/comment-page-1/#comment-31852 cosmos Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:24:39 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/#comment-31852 People come in all shapes and sizes. Men can be taller and more broad shouldered and women wider hipped with bigger bottoms. Asian people are usually tiny and make western people of any size feel obese. The economy seats on airlines are all the same size....small, so obviously they are not going to be comfortable for a lot of people. I often wonder how a football team fits onto a plane. Do they fly business? It is a real issue when you are uncomfortable for hours on end but hating each other is not the answer. Thin people smugly say that their seat is comfortable because they are not fat but they still like to be in first class in a bigger seat. Everybody likes to be as comfortable as possible and if they can afford it they buy the best seat. If you cannot afford it you go cattle class and put up with all that entails. You say you pay for the seat but really it is a seat on a flight to a destination. The airline doesn't say what size the seat is just that it is a seat. You could be seated on a milk crate or a wooden bench! I personally don't like the cramped conditions no matter who I am next to but I put up with it as best I can and spend my time watching movies and looking forward to my exciting holiday in an exotic location at the end of my flight. No pain, no gain. Chill out everyone and enjoy what you can in life. It is too short to be complaining all the time. Travel is uncomfortable for all but the rich so be happy with what you have and think yoursleves lucky you don't have to spend 10 hours on a public bus in India(just to go a few hundred kilometeres) being tangled up in several stranger's body parts,with chooks and pigs, heat, sweat, fumes, jolting, vomiting, no toilet etc etc. Be grateful for the fact that you can afford to fly and get over yourselves. People come in all shapes and sizes. Men can be taller and more broad shouldered and women wider hipped with bigger bottoms. Asian people are usually tiny and make western people of any size feel obese. The economy seats on airlines are all the same size….small, so obviously they are not going to be comfortable for a lot of people. I often wonder how a football team fits onto a plane. Do they fly business? It is a real issue when you are uncomfortable for hours on end but hating each other is not the answer. Thin people smugly say that their seat is comfortable because they are not fat but they still like to be in first class in a bigger seat. Everybody likes to be as comfortable as possible and if they can afford it they buy the best seat. If you cannot afford it you go cattle class and put up with all that entails. You say you pay for the seat but really it is a seat on a flight to a destination. The airline doesn’t say what size the seat is just that it is a seat. You could be seated on a milk crate or a wooden bench! I personally don’t like the cramped conditions no matter who I am next to but I put up with it as best I can and spend my time watching movies and looking forward to my exciting holiday in an exotic location at the end of my flight. No pain, no gain. Chill out everyone and enjoy what you can in life. It is too short to be complaining all the time. Travel is uncomfortable for all but the rich so be happy with what you have and think yoursleves lucky you don’t have to spend 10 hours on a public bus in India(just to go a few hundred kilometeres) being tangled up in several stranger’s body parts,with chooks and pigs, heat, sweat, fumes, jolting, vomiting, no toilet etc etc. Be grateful for the fact that you can afford to fly and get over yourselves.

]]> By: Elaine Ignots http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/comment-page-1/#comment-30529 Elaine Ignots Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:17:10 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/#comment-30529 I'm sorry, but if you need a seatbelt extender (Robert, 12 Feb 08) then some part of your body extends into the next person's seat. You are deluding yourself if you think it doesn't, because I've sat next to people like you. And yes, some people are overweight by genetics (mostly) but if that is so, you know it, and you should know that you won't fit in 1 seat. I’m sorry, but if you need a seatbelt extender (Robert, 12 Feb 08) then some part of your body extends into the next person’s seat. You are deluding yourself if you think it doesn’t, because I’ve sat next to people like you. And yes, some people are overweight by genetics (mostly) but if that is so, you know it, and you should know that you won’t fit in 1 seat.

]]> By: Toni http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/comment-page-1/#comment-26801 Toni Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:48:27 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/#comment-26801 Another person tracking these incidents -- with obese people blocking egress and exits -- is jodi.l.baker@faa.gov. I've communicated with a guy at the FAA safety hotline who indicated to me that the issue of overweight people in the exit row who couldn't FIT through the door they're manning is being studied by the FAA due to an overwhelming number of complaints made by airlines, airline employees and passengers who notice the problem. This is a very real and serious issue. If the obese define themselves as handicapped, then they can't sit there because they're handicapped. If they don't define themselves that way, then they can't sit there because they can't actually FIT through the door, even if they can get it open. Also, if they use a seatbelt extender, the extender dangles into the exit after they've gotten up (again, if they CAN get through the door) and it becomes a tripping hazard in the exit for all the passengers who follow them. Some FAs/airlines define the seatbelt extender as an "assistive device" and it can't be used in the exit row for that reason.. Another person tracking these incidents — with obese people blocking egress and exits — is jodi.l.baker@faa.gov.

I’ve communicated with a guy at the FAA safety hotline who indicated to me that the issue of overweight people in the exit row who couldn’t FIT through the door they’re manning is being studied by the FAA due to an overwhelming number of complaints made by airlines, airline employees and passengers who notice the problem. This is a very real and serious issue. If the obese define themselves as handicapped, then they can’t sit there because they’re handicapped. If they don’t define themselves that way, then they can’t sit there because they can’t actually FIT through the door, even if they can get it open. Also, if they use a seatbelt extender, the extender dangles into the exit after they’ve gotten up (again, if they CAN get through the door) and it becomes a tripping hazard in the exit for all the passengers who follow them. Some FAs/airlines define the seatbelt extender as an “assistive device” and it can’t be used in the exit row for that reason..

]]> By: Toni http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/comment-page-1/#comment-26799 Toni Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:40:37 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/#comment-26799 Sorry, that's john.cox@faa.gov. Sorry, that’s john.cox@faa.gov.

]]> By: Toni http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/comment-page-1/#comment-26798 Toni Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:40:11 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/#comment-26798 This is a safety issue that the FAA is investigating. Email john.com@faa.gov with your own personal story of an obese person either blocking your egress or seated in an exit row. They should not be doing either. And I admire all the folks who want to give the fatties a pass based on a note from a doctor or whatnot (although we've seen where the "doctor's note" has gotten us in terms of bogus Emotional Service Animals). SOME (not many) of the obese are obese through no fault of their own (not many). But if an obese person goes to a Honda dealer, and has the money to buy a Civic but can't FIT into the Civic, does that person get to purchase an Odyssey (into which they DO fit) for the price of the Civic? No. Not even if they have a doctor's note saying that their obesity is not their fault. It doesn't matter WHY you need two seats. If you need two, you should be required to buy two. SW's policy is MORE than generous in that they will refund you the cost of the second seat if the flight isn't full. That's more than they should have to do, in my opinion. This is a safety issue that the FAA is investigating. Email john.com@faa.gov with your own personal story of an obese person either blocking your egress or seated in an exit row. They should not be doing either.
And I admire all the folks who want to give the fatties a pass based on a note from a doctor or whatnot (although we’ve seen where the “doctor’s note” has gotten us in terms of bogus Emotional Service Animals). SOME (not many) of the obese are obese through no fault of their own (not many). But if an obese person goes to a Honda dealer, and has the money to buy a Civic but can’t FIT into the Civic, does that person get to purchase an Odyssey (into which they DO fit) for the price of the Civic? No. Not even if they have a doctor’s note saying that their obesity is not their fault. It doesn’t matter WHY you need two seats. If you need two, you should be required to buy two. SW’s policy is MORE than generous in that they will refund you the cost of the second seat if the flight isn’t full. That’s more than they should have to do, in my opinion.

]]> By: Cindy http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/comment-page-1/#comment-18855 Cindy Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:06:44 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/#comment-18855 This is always a hot topic, isn't it? I've been lucky and never been squashed into a seat the way some have but I have always had a question: Safety? What about Safety" Seriously...If you are in a window seat and a "person of size" is in the middle or aisle seat and is wedged in, with a seat extender.... there is a very good chance that in the event of an emergency you in the window seat will NOT be able to exit the plane and survive. How in the world is this ok with the FAA etc? I don't get it. I don't have any answers; folks who are obese have every right to travel the same as the rest of us ~ but I don't want to be trapped (or have anyone trapped) and unable to exit in an emergency due to fears of insulting someone. This is always a hot topic, isn’t it? I’ve been lucky and never been squashed into a seat the way some have but I have always had a question:

Safety? What about Safety” Seriously…If you are in a window seat and a “person of size” is in the middle or aisle seat and is wedged in, with a seat extender…. there is a very good chance that in the event of an emergency you in the window seat will NOT be able to exit the plane and survive.

How in the world is this ok with the FAA etc? I don’t get it.

I don’t have any answers; folks who are obese have every right to travel the same as the rest of us ~ but I don’t want to be trapped (or have anyone trapped) and unable to exit in an emergency due to fears of insulting someone.

]]> By: Chris http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/comment-page-1/#comment-18823 Chris Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:58:42 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/#comment-18823 Now look at it this way too - if a tall person won't let me recline, and I am paying for my seat space and my reclining space, shouldn't that person pay for my space (or at least a part of it) in that instance as well? Do we charge more for tall people who prefer not to have someone recline into them and less for the passengers who agree not to recline? At what point do we draw the line? Now look at it this way too – if a tall person won’t let me recline, and I am paying for my seat space and my reclining space, shouldn’t that person pay for my space (or at least a part of it) in that instance as well? Do we charge more for tall people who prefer not to have someone recline into them and less for the passengers who agree not to recline?
At what point do we draw the line?

]]> By: Tom http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/comment-page-1/#comment-15204 Tom Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:38:53 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/#comment-15204 I realize he posted some time ago, but to Art Johnson -- 6' 230 pounds is obese. To get to normal weight, you need to exercise down to 180 pounds. I realize he posted some time ago, but to Art Johnson — 6′ 230 pounds is obese. To get to normal weight, you need to exercise down to 180 pounds.

]]> By: JP http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/comment-page-1/#comment-14608 JP Fri, 19 Sep 2008 01:04:12 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/#comment-14608 One of the reasons I asked to change jobs was that I was tired of the whole flying scene...the various indignities, including having to give up seat space to large passengers. Several participants in this forum like the Southwest policy of requiring a large person to buy a second seat at the gate. I agree, but nowadays, planes are completely full. What if there are no second seats available for purchase? Then what? Deny the heavy person boarding and force them to miss their flight? One of the reasons I asked to change jobs was that I was tired of the whole flying scene…the various indignities, including having to give up seat space to large passengers. Several participants in this forum like the Southwest policy of requiring a large person to buy a second seat at the gate. I agree, but nowadays, planes are completely full. What if there are no second seats available for purchase? Then what? Deny the heavy person boarding and force them to miss their flight?

]]> By: Mary Cartwright http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/comment-page-1/#comment-12749 Mary Cartwright Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:14:35 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-airline-seat/#comment-12749 I was recently on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Columbus, OH. I was seated in the middle seat in the emergency exit row. My husband was on one side and another gentleman on the other. All of us were small to average size, yet the seat felt very small. The arm rests were fixed. When I compared seat sizes using my hand-width I found it was definitely smaller. In addition, the seat cushion seemed to be about half the thickness. This was a relatively short flight but there was a long ground hold so by the time we got off my elbows were bruised and my tail bone was sore. Should passengers be paying full fares for these seats? I was recently on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Columbus, OH. I was seated in the middle seat in the emergency exit row. My husband was on one side and another gentleman on the other. All of us were small to average size, yet the seat felt very small. The arm rests were fixed. When I compared seat sizes using my hand-width I found it was definitely smaller. In addition, the seat cushion seemed to be about half the thickness. This was a relatively short flight but there was a long ground hold so by the time we got off my elbows were bruised and my tail bone was sore. Should passengers be paying full fares for these seats?

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