United: Oversized flyers can’t spill over, must buy 2 seats
Sunday, April 19th, 2009
United: Oversized flyers can’t spill over, must buy 2 seats
As one who flies United, likes window seats, and has been crushed by numerous overweight people on cross country flights, I have to say I support United’s attempt to deal with this. Their first solution may not be the right one but it’s important that they’re attempting to deal with it.
It’s tough enough to fly coach these days on full planes but if someone who is seriously overweight gets the seat next to you and has to put the armrests up to be comfortable, what does that mean for your comfort?
I don’t want to humiliate or make life difficult for folks who are overweight but all of us have to be able to sit comfortably together and it would seem to me that it’s up to the airline to find a way to make life bearable for all of us.
Interesting article, but the language people use in the comments to that article is scary. Why is it always that internauts need to make a point by hitting on others. That’s the end of useful exchange and discussion. Your post shows that one can address the topic without resorting to abuse. I like your conclusion. It hints at the fact that it is not just the size of the passengers that is the issue. If you consider how seats are made smaller and smaller and more and more rows are fit into aircraft the problem is quite a bit more complex. Maybe in a few decades we will have a 3rd and 4th class in airplanes and the 4th classers will ride in airplanes standing just so that the tickets can be cheap. Back to 19th century travel conditions :-)
David: Thanks, well, I know this is a touchy topic and one could substitute someone with a physical disability that included spasticity for someone overweight and have the same kind of issue. It is both a physical and social design issue and both sides of it have to be sensitive. What I can’t stand is the assumption that the person with special needs always trumps the other folks. Universal design cuts both ways; I should be able to fly across the country as comfortable as I can be in the seat I paid for and the person who is overweight should be able to be seated in such a way that they are comfortable an not humiliated.
By the way, I just scanned that comment thread. It’s not uncommon for people to make those kinds of snide remarks in threads, they’re either young or stupid or both.
Does this also mean that thin, underweight people get their tickets half-price?
Ricki, Yeah, and people with big hair have to pay more, people with shaved heads less, etc. Ugh.
Hey Richard,
Good post, I’d heard about this last week. Personally I could not agree more. If someone happens to be overweight, it is not my fault, and I do not expect my journey comfort, or for that matter safety to be impacted.
As you say though, it is very much down to aircraft design and being accessible for all. However, airlines are a business, and yes, generally, if you WANT a big seat, you pay – think business or first. If you NEED a big seat, well, I think you should also pay.
It is a touchy subject, and one problematic part of the PC world, which usually annoys me intently!
Cheers!
Let me be clear – PC = Politically Correct (and not Mac vs PC for once!).
Maybe the newer aircrafts can be fitted with a new section with seats that are 1.5 times the width of an Economy seat, and be named EX (Economy-X), with pricing 1.5 times that of a regular Economy seat. And maybe a wider aisle, too.
Great idea Chet. Of course, with fewer planes that are more full, it will be hard for them to do this until the world economy picks up.