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Obese passenger forces neighbor on US Airways flight to stand for 7 hours
Arthur Berkowitz, a passenger on US Airways Flight 901 from Anchorage to Philadelphia, had no other choice but to stand up during his seven hour flight. It seems the next seat over was occupied by a passenger so overweight that it was impossible for Berkowitz to stay in his seat. Now, Berkowitz is speaking out about the ordeal."I didn't fly from Alaska to Philadelphia on Flight 901," Berkowitz told consumer advocate Chris Elliott, "I stood."
The neighboring 400-pound man's body spilled over into Berkowitz's personal space so much that he was forced to stand for most of the 7 hour flight, and he couldn't use his seat belt during takeoff and landing.
"His size required both armrests to be raised up and allowed for his body to cover half of my seat." said Berkowitz.
US Airways apologized for the incident and said in a statement "Our intention is to offer the best travel experience possible. The details you have provided indicate that we have failed to meet our intentions." US Air offered Berkowitz a $200 voucher in compensation.
In a poll on Elliott's consumer watchdog site, 96% (over 17,000 votes) thought that US Airways did not offer Berkowitz enough compensation. We agree.
[Image credit: AP]
Filed under: North America, United States, Airlines, Airline Reviews, Travel Security
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 61)
Andre Nov 23rd 2011 7:36PM
I just popped a letter off to customer.relations@usairways.com
I just read about the passenger who had to stand the whole way on a flight from Alaska to the east coast because of an obese passenger.
While I understand that it was impossible for anyone to have been prepared for such an issue with an obese person having to have affected the convenience of another customer, I know there really was not much for your crew to do about the situation. (I am assuming the plane was booked solid)
What I find very distasteful is your lack of appreciation for the severity of the situation as demonstrated by the pawltry compensation you offered to this poor passenger.
We are not talking about a delayed, or cancelled flight that would warrant what you would consider to be "fair compensation." I know you probably have your policies to give such low amounts for compensation; which really is just giving SOMETHING to appease an angry customer to bring their issue to a close, but for special situations - like this, being offered to him what you did is truly poor Customer Service on your part!
Considering the state of companies & the economy these days, some companies are now understanding that the best way for them to stay competitive and make money is all in giving EXCELLENT Customer Service. It is not just about low prices for quality items or service, it is HOW they handle a customer who ends up having a legitimate issue or problem.
If I had been that man, not only would I have turned down your idea of a "fair compensation" I would have promptly looked for a good attorney to sue you, and with no settlement to keep it from going to court!!!
THE BEST customer service you could have given him was giving a voucher for the FULL PRICE of his fare for a future flight; whether it was a one way or roundtrip. THAT would have been the most fair and decent thing to have done! Plus, you would have, in Mr Berkowitz's eyes, shown that you really DO care about your customers, and not only would you not have lost a customer who would have considered using you exclusively for all his travel needs, but by word of mouth, you might have gained new customers who would have swayed in your direction just because of the idea that above other airlines, you demonstrate that level of customer service that puts them ahead of your perceived greed rather than their best interest.
I have had the pleasure, and displeasure of working in customer service for some major companies, and I Know what I am talking about! Policies are fine, but THEY CAN BE BROKEN in some small extrordinary circumstances - like this one!!!
You companies just don't get it, and continue in your own little unflexible, boxed way of operating. You do not have to change your policies, but you can change your management in charge of customer service!! And if you think this incident went unnoticed by other passengers who were appalled, and can see themselves in Mr. Berkowitz's shoes, there you have more potential future loss! Any business will tell you that one of the most powerful tools for attracting, and retaining customers is WORD-OF-MOUTH!
In a nutshell, this man got screwed, and when seeking satisfaction, you basically screwed him again, but this time with a little soft background music. So get off the stick, offer this guy full compensation with an apology, and in the future do the right thing, and not wait to do it until you get a black eye from bad PR, and loss of future customers!!!
Yours,
Andre Vaughn
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gavin Nov 23rd 2011 10:55PM
it is pretty simple, if you cannot reasonably fit in one seat, you need to buy two.
maybe I read it wrong, but the person unable to use the seatbelt was the not obese guy... there are always extenders on the planes, they use them in the safety demo nobody watches... you can use all three if you need them, clipped one to the next...
the person not belted probably did not mention it to the flight attendants, or they would have made sure to resolve it.
at least that is my experience, they do a walk through and make sure the seats are all upright, trays up and locked, seatbelts on, luggage tucked up under the seat in front, etc etc... I fly all the time, and have been heavy enough to require an extender in the past... but never have been so big as to make the person next to me uncomfortable... thank god I have my food thing handled, it is embarrassing as heck to have to ask for the extender... some of the comments here are pretty nasty about obesity... nobody who is obese wants to be, and it is a matter of responsibility about what you put in your mouth, but it is also a very tough habit to break and the hateful stuff is more about the person making the comments... in my opinion...
if you want to talk about bad airlines, try a flight on spirit airlines, they have the worst complaint history with the FAA of any american airline, the next closest has less than half the number... it is a nightmare.... there is a great facebook page names spirit sucks... amazing what that airline does...
Robin Nov 23rd 2011 4:44PM
OMG! Why didn't the attendance do anything! If there had been a crash he would have had no protection! This is a safety issue!
josh Nov 23rd 2011 5:11PM
If it had been a crash.. It wouldn't have mattered if he was seated or standing...
Helene Nov 23rd 2011 5:33PM
I'm with you. OMG is right, the flight should not have taken off with a person standing.
BallisticaMax Nov 23rd 2011 5:51PM
Protection...? Do you actually imagine that a seatbelt will offer "protection" when you hit the ground at 500 MPH ? Do you realize that the crash "position", head down against the forward seatback is to insure that your neck is broken resulting in instant death. A dead passenger costs the airline considerable less than one which they have to defend against in court, bad PR, and paying for life-support for years.
Johnny B. Good Nov 23rd 2011 6:23PM
If there was a crash. I believe the problem would be solved.
Wendy Nov 23rd 2011 4:31PM
How could US Airways safety regulations as well as FAA's allowed a passenger to stand on take-off and landing? Why was he and not the obese passenger required to "take the hit?" Did the obese passenger pay for 2 seats? If not, then he should have been asked to deplane before takeoff. The gentleman who stood should have his entire ticket price refunded as well as a free ticket to anywhere he flies next time.
seekeroftruth1966 Nov 23rd 2011 5:36PM
Katie: From 1 obese person to another, there are reasons we are obese and we need to address those issues, so that we can live a healthy life. I have no medical condition or medications that make me gain weight. I have childhood abuse issues where mine stem from, and I'm dealing with it. I can try to get healthy, but you can't tell me that obese people don't make their choices. 34% of the US adult population is obese and 17% of the children are obese. It's not medical for everyone. It's called overeating and not exercising. Staying in front of the TV all day long or playing video games, instead of riding your bike, taking a walk....No one says be sedentary. You make that choice, and what you put in your mouth. No one else. People just want a cop out to blame someone else for their problems, because it's easier that dealing with the problem.
red young Nov 23rd 2011 6:04PM
As the spouse of a retired airline empoyee I can honestly say that I don't buy half of what mr. Berkowitz is trying to claim here. Frankly I think the man is making a spurious claim to get something for nothing. And most of the comments I've read here are essentially clueless. The only ones even halfway on the mark are the ones about FAA rules. Firstly the ticket agent or boarding agent should have required the heavy weight gentleman to buy two seats. Secondly, airlines used to have seatbelt extensions for exactly this type of purpose. PerhapsU. S. Air did not have any on board in which case the flight attenents should have requested one be brought on board from the maintenance department. Thirdly, no flight attendant is going to jeopardize their job by allowing a passenger to stand for an entire flight. FAA rules are very strict about no passengers standing in the aisle or anywere else on board while the airplane is in flight. They should have contacted the Captain and gotten permission to allow Mr Berkowitz to strap into a flight attendant seat and the flight attendant sit in the cockpit jump seat. The FAA also requires passengers to be seatbelted during takeoff and landing. It's a safety issue. The Captain should have been made aware of the situation before the plane even pushed back from the gate.
Kat Nov 29th 2011 7:42PM
Red Young, I don't know what job your spouse held at the airline but I'm guessing it wasnt as a flight attendant. There is no way a flight attendant could sit in the flight deck during takeoff or landing. As a flight attendant my job is first the safety of my passengers. I would be unable to help in an emergency if I were not in my assigned jumpseat, to monitor my assigned exit door. This is not only airline policy, but FAA regulations
james russell Nov 23rd 2011 4:30PM
The airlines need to have an area in the plane especially dedicated to have seating for someone who is that heavy. When it prevents a person next to him or her to buckle the seat belt, that is a safety violation. Maybe what the airlines need to do is weigh people for a seating chart arrangement then seat them accordingly. Reserve the forward area in coach with two seats. one on each side of the aisle.
Katie Nov 23rd 2011 5:21PM
I am so incredibly tired of the viciousness and venom being spewed by fat-haters out there. It is, quite frankly, unbelievable to me that people actually feel justified in this level of cruelty. I guess I continue to underestimate peoples' capacity to rip each other apart. But for those of you out there who seem to want to be so preoccupied with my weight issues, let me say this: yes, I have a problem. A frailty. A fault. I would venture to guess that you do as well. We live in an imperfect world, populated by imperfect people. We all have our weaknesses. The difference between me and the guy who can't commit to a relationship or the woman who spends too much money on shoes, is that MY fault happens to be the first thing you see about me when we meet. Before you know that I am smart, or funny, or an awesome mother, or a loyal and devoted friend, you see that I am fat. I wonder how you would feel if your greatest weakness was announced before you ever spoke a word when you meet a new friend on colleague. Would you be embarrassed? Ashamed, even? I wonder. This much I know; my frailty is a failure that affects primarily me. I battle it every day, and some days are more successful than others. I do believe that the day will come that I will overcome it. But even if I don't, I figure if my biggest failure is my inability to make a good decision about what I eat for supper, and your biggest frailty is your willingness to rip another person to shreds because they are not attractive enough to meet your standards, I will take my failure, early mortality rate and all. I would prefer to be a fat woman with compassion and integrity any day.
Robin Nov 23rd 2011 5:39PM
Yes, it is the airlines responsibility. Everything on that flight is their responsibility.
Linda Nov 23rd 2011 5:59PM
What a great idea James! That is such a simple solution to a horrible situation. The airlines won't do it for they always say everything costs too much. You get the award today for being right and smart!
CharleyA Nov 23rd 2011 7:57PM
The way I read the story, the obese person was taking up 2.5 seats, not just 2. Hard to tell. I sympathize with the displaced passenger. Nothing is more annoying than somebody crowding into what should be your personal space. The airlines need to install airline seats in the lounges, similar to carry on bag cages....
john Nov 23rd 2011 4:30PM
Your kidding, 200 dollars.Thats a mere fraction ,of what this man went through.
bun1448 Nov 23rd 2011 5:28PM
U. S. Airways is NOT customer friendly. My son's flight was cancelled because of mechanical problems. He waited at the airport for 3 1/2 hours and had to wait until the next day to get his flight. No food voucher and he was given a $100 voucher after a lot of e-mails and personal phone calls. U.S. Airways needs to revamp their customer relations.
its bob Nov 23rd 2011 4:33PM
$200 voucher. THAT IS RIDICULOUS. Free round trip anywhere is where that discussion should START.
Benton Nov 23rd 2011 6:06PM
I say free lifetime travel expinces, or I sue for indangering my life for the "comfort" of another passanger, they say know I sue them for about as much money as I want, that would be MY AIRLINE by the time I sued,