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Overweight man barred from flight, misses uncle's funeral
Okamoni Fa flies a lot, and says that despite weighing 400 pounds he's never had to buy a second seat like some overweight passengers.Until, that is, he really needed to get somewhere fast.
The San Jose man bought a last-minute ticket from Southwest Airlines to attend his uncle's funeral, but when he arrived at the ticket counter the agent looked at him and told him he needed to buy a second seat. The problem was, the flight was fully booked, and apparently there were no alternative flights. That left Mr. Fa stranded and he missed the funeral.
There's been a lot of debate about the policy of charging overweight passengers for a second seat. Southwest says that if a passenger can't put down the armrests without encroaching on their neighbors' space then they need to buy another seat. If the flight isn't oversold, Southwest says they refund the extra charge.
In this case, Southwest has said they will refund Mr. Fa for the one seat he did buy, but wasn't allowed to use.
That's cold comfort for him. He wasn't able to join his family in their time of mourning and must now be wondering what the ticket agent will say the next time he tries to board a plane.
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Filed under: North America, United States, Airlines, News
Reader Comments (Page 23 of 23)
robert Dec 10th 2009 11:27PM
we cant discrimate. we have got to fight for our freedoms.
VickiB110 Dec 10th 2009 11:34PM
Overweight people are handicapped people????? What is the world coming to, I'm going to have a box of Hostess Cup Cakes, sleep all day, not go to work ever again, gain lots of weight, watch Springer in between naps and then apply for social security disability benefits so I can continue this lifestyle and so can my children and their children and so on and so on..... Here's a thought, get up early and start walking, eat healthier and lose some weight. Check out Walmart, even "real" handicapped and disabled people can still maintain jobs and not live entirely off the government.
Dave Dec 10th 2009 11:59PM
Geez, when will people quit pulling the descrimination card. Black people were born black, a lot of handicapped people also born that way, and if not, likely had no choice in the matter. First let me start by confessing Im what most consider to be "fat" 5'6 230, pot belly. However, I only require 1 seat on an airplane comfortably and definately do not protrude into the seats around me. That being said, It is not a "handicap" to weight 400+! You once weighed 300 and obviously felt that there was nothing wrong with this, and you had no problem. It was everyone else, you were a perfect example of health. Guess what? You were NOT and choose to gain more weight rather than go see a doctor and say "hey doc I can't control my weight, I have high blood pressure, I can't walk around the grocery store (thank god they have those scooters for us who can't manage to walk while we gather our glutious provisions for the week), I stink and am probably diabetic. You chose this! I repeat it is not a handicap in most cases! You should not get to park in handicapped parking, infact you should have to park farther than anyone and walk to the door. I agree with all of the ideas. Have people sit in a "demo" chair, if you don't fit you have to sit in the "fat" section of the plane which is hopefully sound an smell proof from the other passengers so we don't have to smell that rancid odor that comes from beneeth your folds or hear you snore so loud it causes the person next to you to require earplugs to even think straight. If this is a problem for you LOOSE SOME Fu**IN weight MILLIONS do it every year!
Fred Savage Dec 13th 2009 9:59PM
Ok honestly, before I blow my brains out because I'm sick of the "you wouldn't.... if a pro football player sat there...." arguments.
How many celebrities and/or professional football players do you know who are currently pulling in over 10.6 million dollars annually? First think about that, and secondly how many of them do you know for a fact fly coach?
If your answer to the first question is zero, which for most of you I assume is the case, then allow me to stimulate your imagination. Nobody pulling in that kind of money will choose the economy class over 1st class or their private jet. And I assure you that people who are the 'haves' rarely if ever associate with the 'have nots' unless in a charity scenario.
Thus, no I would not give a professional football player (presumably a lineman) a hard time about taking up two seats in coach because he wouldn't be there. He'd be on his own private or team jet recieveing complimentary steroids and blowjobs every time the refreshment or hot towel cart goes by.
Find a new counter-argument!
D. Weber Dec 11th 2009 6:58AM
this isn't just an airline issue. i am a smoker and i'm sick of being singled out as being unhealthy, endangering other peoples health and being unfairly and overly taxed. Look at the figures, for every ONE of your tax dollars (medicare) that is spent on dealing with a smoking related health issue, TEN are spent on an obesity related issue. I say slap a 25-50% tax on fast food and junk food (as was done with tobacco). Many people quit smoking because it simply became too expensive.
libbygarcia Dec 11th 2009 8:24AM
Perhaps the Airlines should accommodate larger passengers on seperate planes with seats available to seat them safely. We all know there planes that can be restructured to do this. The airlines sure charge enough and NOW without food they can use that money to do just this.
jvjerman Dec 11th 2009 9:07AM
Enough of this! There should be no discussion on it -- The news media needs to let fat flyers knoiw that Amtrak has no seating or weight restrictions.
sbj Feb 15th 2010 12:02PM
I've been crowded by tall people on flights as well. And people who just have poor personal space boundaries and take up the armrests and have a huge bad that doesn't fit under the seat. Fat people are easy targets and they are hiding behind policies that are inconsistent.
Kit Harvard Feb 15th 2010 7:25PM
It is the responsibility of the passenger to book an unoccupied second seat if he/she cannot fit into the standard 17" seat space. I fly 4-6 times a month, half of those are international.
I can fit into one seat, but at 6'5" and 340 it is tight, so as a courtesy to my fellow travellers I buy a second seat. Many times, at least half, I am asked by the airline to give up my second seat for: passengers that can't sit in their assigned seat for whatever reason; crew members deadheading back to homebase; women that have had a fight with their boyfriend...and so on.
On a crowded flight, fully booked, that extra space of mine becomes very prime real estate. Only once did I say no - and that time I was told by the cabin crew that the seat was required for the safety of the flight, so you can imagine that I never said no again. By the way, never once was I reimbursed for the expense of the seat when it was comandeered.
It works both ways folks. Have some compassion for the big folks.
Aaron Jun 24th 2010 5:15PM
Jeez, you people are all ***holes. I've been in flights stuck with overweight people; was i happy? no. Did I complain? no. I just shut up and got over it. Wasn't as bad as I thought it be honestly. But still, I'd rather be stuck with an overweight person than one of YOU guys. Jerks
A K Sep 6th 2010 11:34AM
How dare you voice such bigotry toward larger people? If you voiced this bigotry toward other groups, complaints would be smeared all over the front of The New York Times!
We live in an unempathic, bigoted society that fosters prejudice toward large people.
Many of them have real genetic and complicated hormonal problems with becoming and staying thin. Who is anyone to treat them worse than animals?
unkown May 12th 2011 2:46PM
people in this comment page have no sould whatsoever you people are doucheclowns i have no hope for humanity.
unknown May 12th 2011 2:46PM
THIS IS WAY I HAVE NO HOPE FOR HUMANITY YOU PEOPLE ARE DOUCHECLOWNS GO FUCK YOURSELFS ASSHOLES
mamaf0x46 Dec 23rd 2011 2:45AM
Did this man not know how big he was before he boarded the flight? This has been a rule for a while. Why should his weight be our problem?