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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 3 of 23)
Pam Nov 25th 2009 7:36AM
Actually I am a size 18 and I fit just fine and with the armrest down.. my daughter whose in a wheelchair is a size 15-16 and she fits fine too in the Southwest seats.
Debra Nov 25th 2009 8:01AM
I'm a size 14-16 and 6' tall and I don't ever have a problem putting the armrests down, but would love to have a flight where my knees don't hit the seat in front of me!
Kathy Nov 25th 2009 8:41AM
come on I am also a size 12 and have no problem fitting in the airplane seats comfortably.
Jodi Nov 25th 2009 9:39AM
I'm also a size 12, and fit perfectly fine in the seats. There are no problems with the belt, arm rests, or folding down the tray. I'm fine, with room to adjust if necessary.
Antonia Nov 25th 2009 1:28PM
Actually, "Lisa", I too wear a size 10/12 and guess what? For small/med/lrg clothing, a medium fits with lots of room left over. I am 5'8" tall, and a size 8 (even when I looked anorexic) simply won't go across my shoulders and is way short. On a plane, I have lots of room left over in the seat to slide side to side...But don't ask me to share it!!!!
If you're 5 ' tall, a size 12 may be a biggie, but size isn't always about girth, so don't assume size a size 12 person is oversized in any way.
...And keep your fat rump off my seat!
Linda Nov 25th 2009 4:00PM
Hey, everyone...I'm certainly not skinny...about a 12-14; and I have no problem fitting into the seats. For those of you who are complaining that the airlines need larger seats and more leg room...HELLO! That would mean you would be paying a lot more! Just pay for first class, or shut up! And, yes, a 400 lb man needs to pay for 2 seats. If it's a "glandular problem," it's the SALIVA GLAND!
nilo Nov 25th 2009 6:30AM
that was not nice of you to put it that way calling the man a fat slob what if someone called you names you wouldnlt feel good about it don;t do or say things to a person what you wouldn't like for yourself.
Paul Nov 25th 2009 6:29AM
lose some weight ....not fair to fault airlines or make others suffer for your inability to control your weight... people stating how horrible....get a grip....others should suffer for this guy?.....what if 200 of these guys got on the plane and it was overweight and you went down
anomie Nov 25th 2009 6:44AM
Where is the compassion for this man's loss? He was going to a funeral. All of us could be a little kinder in a situation like this. That said, why do infants fly free? If a car seat is required for an automobile, then shouldn't a safety seat be required for flight? What about the guy who is 6'4" and extends his legs into the aisle? What about the business woman who brings a large purse, her laptop, a carryon bag the size of Georgia, and a garment bag which ends up hogging all the overhead compartment space and takes her ten minutes to sit down, holding up everyone behind her. I've flown with all of them, including the unescorted child going to see his divorced parent. The child is served food he can't cut up, a drink ready to spill, and he is terrified. Who takes care of him? The passenger seated next to him. Me. Why pick on the fat guy? Because society tolerates it. Fat people are still fair game. Are they any more annoying than any other of these passengers?
a passenger Nov 25th 2009 7:19AM
If you fly even a couple times a year, you know that people fly Southwest for the low cost.... this guy didn't choose Southwest because it was the only flight going to the funeral, he flew it for the price. And he had to know that weight would be an issue on Southwest because it's been all over the news for years. My guess is he thought he'd get away with it, and it didn't happen. Now he can happily sue Southwest, become famous, go on Good Morning America and get rewarded in many ways for missing an uncle's funeral.
Hilary Nov 25th 2009 9:14AM
Thank God for people like you. I was beginning to think there weren't any compassionate people left in this country. Clearly, the problem is with the airline's and their financial goals. How much more can we make on each flight if we pack them together like sardines? I am a 6 ft. tall woman who always has to request the emergency exit seats in order to be a little comfortable. Do you know how hard it is to get your carry on from under the seat in front of you, when the person in front of you is lounging with the back rest down? I feel as if they are sitting right in my lap and of course my long legs don't help. I would pay more for a flight that was actually comfortable and allowed me just a little bit of my own space. As a side note, no one deserves the insults that this man has been given. Everyone has some kind of issue in which they overindulge. Eating, smoking, drinking, gambling, drugging, etc. I'm sure all of you do one or the other. Should you pay more for a seat on an airline because you can't control your gambling habits? The airlines should make sure that people are flying comfortably...all types of people.
Regular passenger Nov 25th 2009 9:41AM
It is heartbreaking that he had to miss his uncle's funeral, and unlucky that there were not extra available seats.
However, him being an *obese* man, not just overweight but quite obese (400 lbs), he should have known that there was no way he would be able to fit in a normal sized seat. Did he expect to be able to take up 2 seats and not have to pay for the second? I do agree with TOLL094, there should be extra large seats for overweight passengers. However that hasn't happened yet.
Those other types (unattended child, annoying woman) are awful, but unfortunately, even though I desperately wish you could, you can't ban annoying people from flying or have any way to KNOW they will be annoying on the flight.
This guy KNEW he was large. No matter how nice, pleasant, or apologetic an overweight person is, it is a terrible inconvenience to say the least for the passengers seated next to them. Maybe Southwest is partially to blame for not making it clear when ordering tickets that if you are larger than the a specified seat size that you will need to buy a second seat? Who knows. Please folks, be healthy!
Juacline Nov 25th 2009 12:23PM
I read about this problem in my business class. The airlines switched to having seats required for infants to increase their chance of living should there be a crash and make the overall journey safer. However, because of the extra cost, parents decided to drive to their destinations instead of fly. This was A) bad for business and B) bad for babies because one is more likely to be killed in a car accident than from an airplane accident.
TOLL094 Dec 24th 2009 7:01AM
WHY TAKE A SIMPLE APPROACH? AIRLINE SHOULD PROVIDE LARGER SEATS FOR OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE AND CHARGETHEM ACCORDINGLY.
anomie Nov 25th 2009 6:56AM
Brilliant. Also should have aisles with extra leg room for tall people.
Midnite Nov 25th 2009 7:06AM
I AGREE WITH YOU 100%
David Nov 25th 2009 6:47AM
I think the charge was right. I've sat next to these tub's of lard and couldn't even use the armrest cause they were using it and rolling over. I don't want to have contact with these people.
Lets have a little space for ourselves on an airplane, else let them buy their own space.
David
Teri Nov 25th 2009 6:53AM
While it sounds awful, I have been in the place of someone sitting next to a passenger who truly needed to buy two seats and I have to agree with the airline's policy. As I was sitting next to a man who weighed more than 350 pounds, I was mortified to realize that the armrest I was leaning my elbow on as I read a book was moving, and looked down to see that it wasn't the armrest at all--it was his tummy fat that was spilling into my seat! I ended up flying for four hours trying not to move on that side of my seat, because he truly needed more space and was taking mine--as if the seats in coach aren't already small enough! So as awful as it sounds, you do have to also consider the comfort of your other paying passengers.
K Nov 25th 2009 6:55AM
Lisa - yes, a size 12 can fit comfortably in an airline seat. My normal size is a 10-12. That is as small as I can go, my fit size not a 'fat' size'. I look fine, no love handles, back fat, etc. And I have flown frequently with no impact on others. I suppose a size 12 sounds big to someone who I assume is a small single digit size but it is not. Maybe a 22 or larger might start to impact seatmates but not a 12.
Not commenting on the drama in Melissa's post, not my issue, just the assumption that a 12 is huge..
Kay Nov 30th 2009 1:28AM
I bet you have a big beaker nose!