Overweight? United Airlines may charge you
 

Big Charges

I have been that person in the next seat, I didn't complain, but it was very annoying to sit there with some of the person next to me spilling into my seat. It was pretty gross. I'm not sure what other solution there is.

I swear they have made the seats smaller. I know they have jammed them in so they can have more seats on the plane...even little me felt like I was packed in like a sardine. The seats were so close together that I could not lean forward enough to reach my purse on the floor at my feet. Im 5'1'' and 110 pounds. A 300 pounder wouldnt even be able to slide into the seat.

I flew with a cow orker to Las Vegas for conference one year. She had to get one seatbelt extender. I can't imagine how you could fit into the seat in the first place if you needed two. She was, I don't know...400 and something pounds. She wasn't even slightly apprehensive about asking for the extender: she had been large all her life.

Anyway, I thought they already charged for two seats if you take up two seats: what has changed?

I don't think a 300 pounder is what this affects. But I'd like to get an idea of exactly how large you have to be to have an issue with this.

Is weight really the issue? I can't believe that. So what if they buy two seats - can't sit in both of them at the same time ... can they?

Well yeah...if they leave the armrest up between the two seats, and get a seatbelt extender, or two.

I'm confused: what do you think the issue is? The rules are pretty clear.

I'm effectively a 300 pounder. i was probably over 300 when I flew to TX 2 yrs ago, and it was torture. I didn't spill into my neighbor's seat, but was glad it was a smaller person.

On the 5 hour flight to AZ on the way to Cabo last fall, I was prolly 295 and got stuck in between to full sized (225-245lb?) men. That sucked bad.

I cannot imagine what someone 350+ goes through when they fly. If I was that big, I guess I'd try out first class.

I sat next to one of those people on a Disney bus last week. Resulted in my having to sit with my own rump right on the hump between two seats; not a comfy ride at all.

I think it's fine that they are charging more for someone that big. Why should a smaller person have to suffer because the person next to them is too big for their seat? Just give them two seats, then the problem goes away. Unless of course they are so huge they take up 3 seats. :eek:

How tall are you Jim? If you are anywhere near 300 you are carrying it exceedingly well in your pictures.

I fully support the change by the Airlines.

I'd support it if they hadn't been slowly making the seats smaller to fit more in.
Its a good idea, but if people were paying what we should (for a three hour jorney £15 - $22.50) you'd be able to afford two seats easily.
Although, as I fly with my family normaly, if one of us is taking up too much space you are going to know about it. Usualy for a few weeks.

Heehee, Teapot. In my family, a good ribbing will last us years! :)

6'2" OF PURE MUSCLE

and fat

(290lbs last weigh in)

Jim, we've met and I still don't believe it. I would have guessed more like 250 max. I think Jinx has you on a "special" scale.

keep in mind that my head weighs about 70 lbs alone.

yeh, all those brains I suppose...

How did you arrive by that number? I'd love to fly that cheaply but I don't believe any airline would survive the first month before folding.

my 3 hour journey - CHEAPEST rate is about $400.00 US

Well, I was able to get $180 for my round trip ticket from Indy to Tucson and back. Thats about $15 per hour of air travel.

Is this true? I wouldn't have a hard time believing it, except last time we flew the seat on one of the flights still had ash trays in the arm rests. The seats seemed like the same size (wayyy to fucking small) as the other flights.

Even as an obese person myself, I agree with the idea that if you take up two seats, or increase the weight of an aircraft significantly, you should be charged more.

The Pay As You Go system which now extends to paying to use the toilet however, I disagree with. You can help how much you weigh - hard as it is and underlying problems there may be, it is possible. You cannot control how much you need to use the toilet - beyond fasting for 12 hours prior to the flight.

Restaurants with only one toilet (ie a unisex toilet for the whole restaurant) never used to be able to get an alcohol licence. Instead they encouraged customers to bring their own alcohol and only served soft drinks. It caught on, and many Indian restaurants work on this basis - it's a much cheaper alternative all round. Shame the aircraft won't allow that. You could keep a whole family contented with a six pack of Walkers crisps and a bottle of duty free Baileys.

Not that that matters to me of course. Not any more. I just resent having bodily needs charged for.

I want to be able to buy the third seat in a group of 3, when I'm flying with a significant other on a long flight. Obese or not, that gives you the room of a first-class seat at a fraction of the price.

You're able to do it, as long as it's not a full flight to begin with--buy three tickets with a third fictitious name. Fictitious name never checks in, so the seat is empty. Unless the flight is full, then someone on standby will get it. But I haven't been on a full flight in a long time.

Could really skinny people get a half priced ticket if they share a seat?

Why would you need to use a fictitious name? Just tell them you want the extra room. I imagine they would be fine with that.

If you bought the ticket over the phone you'd probably be fine. Now that I think about it, I know a guy who routinely buys an extra seat for his cello because he's not willing to check it, so they obviously have some sort of designation for that sort of thing. But buying the ticket online, I'd personally be afraid to risk it. Airline security doesn't leave a lot of leeway anymore, and there are a lot of TAA employees with a rent-a-cop complex who might think the same name on two seats was somehow suspicious.

Some european airlines managed to get by on that before the recession. As the whole mess is because of the bankers, I stand by the rate as it was, is what it should be.

Do anorexics only have to pay half a fare?

Only if they share.

But they'll charge fat people even if the plane has spare seats.

Ha.

I have been on flights that will let you upgrade to first class for only $50 more if when they arent sold. But that is only right before boarding.

Delta Airlines decided they will not follow suit claiming it wasn't worth "upsetting their loyal passengers."

Sounds like torture to me.

I'd say the policy is a bit unfair, but why should people suffer being jammed in between 2 fatties?

By that policy, assholes should be charged more.

Wouldn't that be sweet?

Impossible to implement though.

You can tell an asshole he's an asshole and to stfu.

You don't wanna tell the two pigs "jeezy petes, does the simple act of sitting cause you to sweat profusely and breath out of your mouth in wheezes like you just ran a marathon? You might want to rethink your lifestyle."

Because that would just be mean.

and if the asshole SsTFU then the rest of your flight may be ok. You cannot tell the overweight person to she a couple hundred pounds in a few minutes.

The real problem is when you encounter a morbidly obese asshole. Then you got issues.

Exactly, and if the first asshole doesn't STFU, you can fill out some forms, in triplicate, outlining the steps you took to procure said shut-uppedness and you may have some sort of recourse, even if asshole won't comply.

Then you could use your outline about having procured the shut-upedness to write a do it yourself manual called "How to get an asshole to shut up." Because it is such a difficult task, everyone would buy it (even assholes themselves!) and you would become rich and famous!

Holy moly, Jim, your head has gained 30 lbs since I joined the cellar. Put that thing on a diet, stat!


Sure you can. Ever heard of a scalpel? Bwahahahaaaaa!