How airlines deal with 'customers of size'

Forcing "passengers of size" to purchase a second seat would be a discriminatory practice, and should not be permitted, unless the passenger is so large that they cannot fit into a single seat.. NOT all overweight people are that way because of overindulgence in food, though that seems to be what most people think. (BTW, I am not an obese or overweight person.) They have enough difficulties in their lives because of their size, and are looked down on by some.
Let's not have the airlines doubling the cost of their fares because of their size. If they can fit into a single seat, that's all they should have to pay for.

I think that "people of size" need to be more considerate of their fellow passengers. It all stems from the "me me me" society of today - people talking loudly on cell phones, not realizing it disturbs others, parents letting their kids run amok, etc. "People of size" need to think about those around them, and how it affects them. Just because they *can* buy one seat doesn't mean they *should*.

As someone who has on more than one occassion been crammed into the corner of the seat that I purchased by others who were "spilling" over into my seat, I not only think that they should purchase an extra seat - I INSIST ON IT.

On recent DELTA flight I took from Atlanta to Denver, I had the pleasure of being squeezed against the window sitting next to 6'4ish, 300+ lb man who smelled of sweat. It was in fact summer and for those of you who don't know, it gets DAMN hot in Atlanta in the summer. He was actually sitting in his seat, spilling over into my seat and sweating on me!!!!! My subtle complaint to the stewardess was ignored.

I won't be subtle next time.

To Moe...its not discriminatory but its only fair. Make them purchase the extra seat. You obviously has not experienced being squeezed by a "passenger of size". And I hope you do in the future so you know what it means when the armrest had to go up and when a third of your seat is occupied by your seatmate.

Have you ever been on a plane flight when a "person of size" squeezes through the aisle to get to the seat next to you? Obese people should be made to buy two seats automatically when they arrive at the airport. Being stuck on a long flight with an "overflowing person" [to put it politely] sitting next to you is not a fun experience. Extremely "FAT" people should buy 2 or 3 seats if they are unwilling to purchase the extra room needed to accomodate their girth they should be denied boarding. Greyhound or amtrak can get them where they are going.

Would the airlines consider offering discounts to those who are under weight? Wishful thinking I suppose...

It really sucks to be stuck next to someone overflowing into you. I'd like to be able to use just a small part of the arm rest without being pushed over by someone's sweaty lovehandles.

I have no problem with the personal decisions people make for themselves, but if you're going to be overweight on an airplane, be considerate and please buy two seats.

If I have to sit next to the fat a** and they encroach into the space that I bought and paid for. They should be responsible to pay to me for the loss for my space. Their rights stop at the edge of their seat or their half of the armrest.

If the armrest has to be raised due to their girth, then it becames a SAFETY issue. I will not sit next to them and the airline is required to move either them or me.

Try sitting next to one of these people for a 20+ hour international flight. Saying sorry does not work. They can have all the rights they want inside the limits of their seat. Just like I have my rights inside mine.

Face it, anyone and everything behind the pilot is just cargo. You purchase the room for your seat and a set size for carry-on. Everything else carries a extra charge by the airline, why should oversize people be exempt?

Most airlines just ignore the problem and let the passengers deal with it. I was on a US Air flight a few weeks ago. Both people in the exit aisle next to the window needed seat belt extenders. I'm pretty sure the guy in my row couldn't belt in with the seat belt extender because he kept his jacket draped over his midsection the entire flight. I'm sure the flight attendants knew, but just didn't want to deal with it. I'm pretty sure neither of these guys could fit through a window exit in an emergency. I don't think the airlines will do anything until we have an emergency and people die because they were stuck behind a fat ass who couldn't get out the emergency exit.

I am flying to North Carolina via AA on Thursday. I'm a bit worried reading this as I am overweight. Not because I'm a "pig" but because of PCOS (a hormonal embalance, which one in ten women have, that I was just diagnosed with early last month)...I already know what people think of me. I don't need to make that worse by being forced to sit in 'two seats'. For people to be refering to people who are overweight as "fat ass" is not funny or cute. You don't know why people are overweight. The condition I have makes it almost impossible for some people to lose weight. A bit more compassion would be nice.

I'm not saying anyone should have to deal with my fat invading their personal space, but I shouldn't have to deal with mean glares because people think that I don't take care of myself.

Airlines don't make people pay extra for their screaming children distrubing other people (which I find far more annoying than being stuck next to an overweight person).

I am not a small person but I can sit in one seat. I flew to Hawaii sitting next to a person who took up all of his seat and about a one third of mine. I had to lay on my wife the entire flight. It was the most uncomfortable flight I had ever been on. I did not feel it was right, I paid for a whole seat to use not a portion of one. He paid same price, but used a good portion of mine. It was so uncomfortable I stood most of the flight. Why should I be cheated out of what I paid full fare for because of another persons size.

Personally, I've been stuck between two "clinically obese" folks on several flights, where I could barely move because they were each encroaching several inches into my seat on either side. I think it's wrong that they get more room than I do, for the same price, just because they take up more space. I think they should have to pay for an additional seat. Maybe the airlines could arrange the seating so that two "clinically obese" people could share the middle seat, and each pay half of the additional fare.

And honestly, can we just go back to calling them "fat" again? I'm so sick of this political correct BS. I know, I know, some of them have medical issues that cause them to gain a ridiculous amount of weight, but the vast majority are just people who don't control their diet, lead sedentary lifestyles, and generally allow themselves to become fat.

I have compassion towards those with weight issues. However, I have also been one of those who has had to endure flights lasting over 6 hours, where I was sandwiched in between 2 generously sized individuals, who could not help but to overflow into my space. It also happened to be a red-eye flight, non-stop, and they were snoring away, with me tucked unmovable between them, miserable, holding in my bathroom, and praying for this nightmare to be over. I agree that those with obvious challenges, need special remedies, although, I do not feel it's fair for me to have to pay for that, and I don't feel other than normal courtesies of travel that I should have had to come off of that flight needing special remedies myself. If the airlines cannot come up with standard policies to handle these type of situations, then the FAA should. It's hard to believe that with the amount of years our world has had flight travel, and now with the cost of fuel, etc., that someone, anyone with a brain in this industry, cannot figure out a way to accommodate passengers of all sizes.

It must be "National Euphemism Week" in the USA again.

The pathetically-PC term of "people of size", after this week , will hopefully revert to the correct "People Who Cannot Fit in a Single Airline Seat Without Compromsing Their Neighbors' Comfort".

See...if we just called it what it is the following would happen:

1. The use of the inflammatory "fat" or "fattie" would disappear.
2. The defensiveness and invocation of "new medical diagnoses" by the "weight challenged" among us, would also disappear.
3. The airlines - ever wishing to be "non-confrontational" to ANYONE willing to pay for a ticket, would have the political cover to universally employ the FAA rule requiring people who can't do the belt thing WITH extenders to be refused the right to fly.

As an aside, United, the only domestic carrier (it seems) with "no policy whatsoever" is further proof of the incompetent management of Glenn Tilton and warrants a trip by all of you to www.GlennTilton.com

Many people buy their airline tickets on-line. With that in mind, there should be a box to click that says, "Does passenger weigh over 250 pounds?" If the potential passenger clicks yes, then a new window should pop up stating what that airline's policy for overweight people is. Thus, if the airline's policy states that the overweight passenger must buy a second seat, this situation can be taken care of before the customer arrives at the airport, thus eliminating any sort of embarrasing situation. This idea would also incorporate Nicole418460's suggestion that "Maybe the airlines could arrange the seating so that two "clinically obese" people could share the middle seat, and each pay half of the additional fare."

On a side note, the problem really isn't "is the person too big", the problem is "the seats are too small". Objects should conform to meet our needs, not the reverse. New airplanes should be built with more room to accomodate a populace that is heavier and taller than they were 30 years ago.

For the past three months, I took two flights a week in and out of the Atlanta airport. Most of the traveling public does not have weight issues, but I, too, have been stuck next to "people of size" whose girth was so large, the seat armrest would only go to a position of 45 degrees (and I kept it there to preserve a little space for myself).

While some people genuinely have hormonal issues, many "people of size" choose not to diet or exercise. These people who deliberately choose an unhealthy lifestyle should pay more if they take up more than one seat.

Remember the TV commercial where they order "double blubber" and "badonkadonkbutt" at a fast food restaurant? That's what these people do - why should I pay for their poor health choices?

This is so unnerving! Instead of blaming fat people for this problem, let's place the blame where it's due -- on the airlines. Whether a passenger is fat, thin, tall or short, they are still passengers. About 1/3 of Americans are overweight, a demographic the airlines know well, yet seat sizes are being made smaller. Instead of embarrasing a fat person and making them buy two seats, how about having larger seats available at a higher price? If a fat person is overflowing into your seat it is the fault of the airline, not your fellow passenger. And, for those of you who use derogatory terms for these people, and make assumptions of which you know nothing, shame on you. Being thin does not make you superior to other human beings.

"For people to be refering to people who are overweight as "fat ass" is not funny or cute"

It's not meant to be funny or cute. It's the truth. 41% of people who are overweight or obese think their weight is "just right". Medical conditions may cause a few pounds weight gain but if your ass is spilling over in my seat, you're in serious denial about the cause of your obesity.

"The condition I have makes it almost impossible for some people to lose weight"

If you keep telling yourself that, I believe you are right. You will not lose weight. Others with PCOS, thyroid disease, etc. choose to count calories and become more active.

It is not just overweight passengers that spill over into their fellow passengers' space. Their "largess" spills forward as well as to the side. But lets not forget that TALL passengers also have frames that spill over into their neighbors' space. Having sat (trapped) between two such persons who also spread out their newspapers in front of my face and ignored my pleas and prevented me from reaching the attendant call button, I can assure you that weight is not the only "size issue." Being diminutive does not give my neighbor(s) the right to the space for which I paid. Too wide or too tall: its your problem, don't try to make it mine. The airlines are picking on the last group for which it is "socially acceptable" to discriminate and condescend and they are not looking at the entire problem. If you are too wide because of your height, you are no different than the one that is too wide because of girth.

For all those who think it is discriminatory to make people buy two seats or a business class seat when they don't fit into one coach seat:
1. If you go to landsend.com you will see that ladies clothes are one price for misses sizes and another price for plus sizes. It takes more fabric, so this makes sense ...... or would you call it discriminatory?
2. If you go to avis.com you will see that compact cars are cheaper than midsize cars. Larger cars cost more so it makes sens .... or would you call it discriminatory?
3. It costs more to get a supersize meal at McDonalds. Makes sense since it is more food ..... or would you call it discriminatory?
I don't see how you can say it is discriminatory to ask someone who cannot fit into a coach seat to buy two or them or a business or first class seat that they can fit into. The extra annoying part is that the extra room they get by overflowing into the next seat is actually taking space that someone else paid for.
Also - this arguement that some fat people are fat because of a medical problem - so what. Nobody cares why they are fat. It's not relevent. They can either fit in the seat or they can't. What's it matter how they got too big for the seat. If you somehow convinced me that you are fat and eat only 1000 calories a day, you could have my sympathy, but not half my seat!

Of course great big obese people who take up more than their share of the one seat they have paid for should be forced to buy TWO seats. Face it! Why should an innocent person seated next to them be crowded and shoved to the side by the fat person's fat ass and body bulk? The fact is---the fat person does not fit in the one seat, and people should start suing THEM for crowding them out of their own seat that they paid for!!

All the obese, big fat people out there know exactly how large they are, and need to be realistic. Too bad if it hurts their feelings! It's no different then if I buy one seat on an airplane, and throw my legs over the seat next to me---illegally occupying that extra seat for free. Not only should they have to buy two seats, they should have to stand their fat asses on a scale and get weighed! Anyone weighing over 275 lbs. should be charged for excess weight. Geez, if you have three or four big fat obese people on the plane, it might lose power and crash!

I am obese. I have flown on a plane where I did purchase two seats. (My thought is they need to make the seat more comfortable with the arm rest up.) It never entered my mind to buy only one seat. I personally wanted to be as comfortable as possible. You may ask the agent at the counter if you can fit into one seat or not then you would be able to get a refund. I needed the seat belt extender. I couldn't afford the more expensive seating and don't know that it would be any more comfortable. I certainly wouldn't want someone lying back in my lap to get more room because they were tall but what can they do? I believe the gentleman in front of me appreciated the fact I had two seats since I was sitting on the window seat he didn't have to worry about putting his seat back. It seems people don't want to be comfortable or even expect it, I do. I understand and certainly wouldn't like the crying baby, drunk, or extremely affectionate people next to me either (I'm sure there are others you've been with on planes also).

I have to say the clue would be if one seat belt, with an extension, just buy two seats. What is the big deal. If you are a large person most people will recognize that as a fact. If you are not concerned about your own comfort consider the person sitting next to you. The space allotted is not roomy and designed at best for an average sized person. One size rarely fits all.

I feel victimized by all the rights given to "oversized" people. I was actually injured on a flight by having my right shoulder pinned beneath an oversized person for hours. She was unapologetic as was United Airlines. When I asked for the same consideration to buy an upgrade to business at the same price that was offered to this oversized person, since she refused to pay to upgrade, I was denied that upgrade. At "meal time" she was so large my tray could not be put down. I had to hold my food on my lap to eat. United's "no policy" means buyer be ware if you are seated next to an oversized person who takes up your space or worst yet causes you injury or puts you at a safety risk by not being able to exit a plane in an emergency, you get to deal with the problem, not United.