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United Airlines to charge obese passengers for the extra space
United Airlines just announced their plans to charge obese passengers for the extra seat they take up on their planes. They are not the first airline to do this, and most likely won't be the last. That said, their definition of obese means that readers with a bit of a beer belly won't have to worry too much.
Only passengers who need more than one seat belt extender, or who can not sit in their seat with the arm rests down will have to pay.
That probably means less than half a percentage of their passengers. I'm a big guy myself, but I have no problem using the regular seatbelt, plus I can easily keep the armrests down without bothering the passenger next to me.
The extra charge will be for a second seat, and on aircraft without a spare seat, the "passenger of size" will have to wait for the next flight.
The new rules will be enforced by the gate agents, which is probably going to lead to nothing but trouble for the airline, and I suspect they will be in court with a large passenger defending this new rule pretty soon.
Their official policy can be found here.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bill Apr 15th 2009 6:55PM
One wonders if there will be a seat, with seat belts (and an extender), at every gate, in order to "test fit" passengers to determine if there will be an extra charge. This airline needs to get real -- this idea won't "fly". A couple lawsuit threats and this policy will go the way of free meals for cabin class passengers.
rachel.berg Apr 15th 2009 7:01PM
The seats are too small in the first place, and I agree with you that it's problematic to have gate agents being the enforcers. What are they going to do? Weigh and measure everyone who is getting on the plane?
Joe Apr 16th 2009 5:23AM
It's about time. Passengers that have paid for tickets should be able to fly as comfortably as possible. There is no reason why someone should be spilling over into my seat. Hey pal, you bought a seat, it's 19inches wide, you do the math. And I think it's fairly obvious when someone is not going to fit into the seat. The chairs at the gates are much wider than the chairs onboard. If a passenger has a problem sitting in the waiting area, he'll probably have a bigger problem once on board.
Shawn Apr 16th 2009 9:50AM
Damnit, Joe said exactly what I was going to say. I agree with United though - you pay for the space you are going to use.
It would be like renting a car to move your couch. The rental company sure won't give you a truck upgrade for free just because your couch won't fit in the car :)
Zach Apr 16th 2009 10:54AM
Awesome news! I am tried of being squished on a flight because the fella next to me had a hard time saying no to a second helping of dessert.
Nick Apr 16th 2009 12:46PM
I'm 300lbs. Even when I was smaller my shoulders are BROAD! (I played a lot of football) At first I was concerned with the rules but they make sense. Even at my heaviest (330+) I was still always able to fit a single seatbelt around me (let alone one with an extender). If you need more than one... you also need a second seat.
Some people have legitimate reasons for their size (hormone issues, etc.) but they are a severe minority. In those cases, perhaps there's a way to have the airline refund the money after proof of the disability was given.
Also whenever I fly, I try to upgrade to business class, simply because of the seat size. Even though I fit, I don't want to squeeze into a seat. If you're (the skinny person) uncomfortable, imagine the big guy/girl.
Chloe Apr 17th 2009 2:55PM
I think its discriminatory. Sure, UA says that their policy is to make all passengers more comfortable - but they are picking on obese people. I wrote about this on my blog at: http://genyblogger.com/2009/04/16/i-think-united-airlines-passengers-requiring-extra-space-is-discriminatory/
If they equally pick on smelly, sick and annoying people, then i will believe their rhetoric!
Alex Apr 17th 2009 4:14PM
How is it discriminatory? You pay for the amount of space you take up - plain and simple. Perhaps from a liberal point of view it could be considered unfair that a large person must pay more than a smaller person to fly in the same cabin, but I think it is even less fair to the poor soul who now has 2/3 of an airplane seat even though they paid for a whole one, beacuse of the obese person next to them.
I think Southwest has a great policy, how if the airplane isn't full and the seat would have been empty anyway, they refund the extra fare. But how can you justify a system where one person pays for a seat and gets to take up 1 1/3 of seat (could even be more!), and someone else pays the same fare and only gets 2/3 of a seat?
Pearl Apr 18th 2009 6:40AM
This is not a new thing! I worked for a major airline some years back. Big people, know If they can fit in the seats. If you have to have the flight attendant single you out of your seat to the Jet bridge to quietly tell you, you can not fit in your seat or need a extender seat belt It is not discrimination just fact. The rule of the airline has always been you pay for your ticket plus 1/2 additional fare. Or you have the option to purchase first class where the seats are bigger.
KayAt Apr 18th 2009 12:03PM
I'm your typical overweight older woman. Belly fat when my hips used to be the big problem. I might not have a problem with this except that having tested seatbelts on lots of airlines, they are NOT the same length. They do not bother lengthening seatbelts in wider seats of first class and that is where I have to use my seat belt extender the most. Depending on the make, Airbus seatbelts usually fit easily in coach. Older Boeing jets are fine but the new Boeing jets are skimping on the length of seatbelts. (I can put down the arm rests)
I hope the airlines have a standard size so a person would know whether or not they can fly on that airline.
By the way, how many of you would rather I sat next to you than a skirming 2 year old on the mother's lap?
Positivelydee Apr 19th 2009 4:14PM
I am not overweight but I am tall and the airlines simply don't make seating to accommodate anyone who is not "average" weight OR height - and THAT is discriminatory - let alone this policy.
Before we know it those of us who are tall and tend to unintentionally press our knees against the seat in front of us -- into the passengers back -- pretty soon we will have to pay for an extra seat!
Don't tell me to buy a seat in first class because there is more leg room... I refuse to pay 4X the amount so that I (and others) can be more comfortable. Unless - perhaps the airline wants to sell me a seat that fits for the same price as I would pay in coach? I doubt it.
Since this is all about "space" and others getting in our space... well then.. I don't think airlines should let the seats recline - for sure - the person is fully in my space then regardless of their weight/height.
As someone else previously posted... what about those people who - get in my psychological space -- you know... I am trying to read and the person next to me is listening to their iPod at a level that is so loud I can hear it quite clearly -- and the person who decides to work during the flight and he/she spreads out - and consistently gets in my space with their things? Like the obese person who "chooses" to be fat (and so should pay the price)... these people are choosing to be rude and inconsiderate -- and they too should pay the price.
See how easily this can get out of hand?
Oh -- and those really obese people that everyone is so worried about... the ones that need two seats or a couple of seatbelt extenders.... they don't ususally fly... they don't even go to the movies because the seats are not accommodating. Geesh.
Positivelydee Apr 19th 2009 4:14PM
I am not overweight but I am tall and the airlines simply don't make seating to accommodate anyone who is not "average" weight OR height - and THAT is discriminatory - let alone this policy.
Before we know it those of us who are tall and tend to unintentionally press our knees against the seat in front of us -- into the passengers back -- pretty soon we will have to pay for an extra seat!
Don't tell me to buy a seat in first class because there is more leg room... I refuse to pay 4X the amount so that I (and others) can be more comfortable. Unless - perhaps the airline wants to sell me a seat that fits for the same price as I would pay in coach? I doubt it.
Since this is all about "space" and others getting in our space... well then.. I don't think airlines should let the seats recline - for sure - the person is fully in my space then regardless of their weight/height.
As someone else previously posted... what about those people who - get in my psychological space -- you know... I am trying to read and the person next to me is listening to their iPod at a level that is so loud I can hear it quite clearly -- and the person who decides to work during the flight and he/she spreads out - and consistently gets in my space with their things? Like the obese person who "chooses" to be fat (and so should pay the price)... these people are choosing to be rude and inconsiderate -- and they too should pay the price.
See how easily this can get out of hand?
Oh -- and those really obese people that everyone is so worried about... the ones that need two seats or a couple of seatbelt extenders.... they don't ususally fly... they don't even go to the movies because the seats are not accommodating. Geesh.
Trina May 15th 2009 11:17PM
I agree with POSITIVELYDEE that most obese people do not fly. The seats are too narrow for these people to be comfortable.
This is a way for the airlines to blame the consumer so that they don't have to make a change themselves. The fact is that 60% of Americans are considered overweight right now. That is the majority, not the minority. There are many people that the airline seats don't fit nowadays, whether it is because the person is tall or large.
Instead of charging people for seats that are a tight fit for many, they should start to adjust the size of their seats in order to fit the new average size of society.