Should obese people pay extra for flying

[Dyslexic traveler]

I just found this on Fox News, and got to thinking about it. I'm a big guy 6'4 100kg I can fit into a economy seat, but I never travel economy for that reason.

It's not a problem for me as I know I'm big and pay to be comfortable, and not have issue with space,
I think if I was to take up more than my allotted space on a plane I should pay.
What do you think? and have you had problem with obese passengers encroaching your space.

Also how would you deal with someone taking up your space?

Should overweight customers be footing the bill for their excess baggage? | Fox News

The Dyslexic Traveler

 

[Sprucegoose]

Come fly with me fat man at check in - YouTube

 

[medhead]

*yawn*

If you think it's an issue buy a spare seat. How hard is it?


Sent from the Throne

 

[simongr]

Based on the flexi savers I buy, buying a spare seat would be almost the same cost as buying J.

We have had this debate many times here and it never ends well.

 

[richie9x]

*yawn*

If you think it's an issue buy a spare seat. How hard is it?

I agree this topic has been done to death. But to buy a spare/comfort seat is certainly not as easy as it should be. You can't buy it online. Qantas (and other airlines) don't seem to publicise it. I can't find any mention of it on their website. I bet there are some people that would buy one if only they knew they could.

 

[medhead]

I agree this topic has been done to death. But to buy a spare/comfort seat is certainly not as easy as it should be. You can't buy it online. Qantas (and other airlines) don't seem to publicise it. I can't find any mention of it on their website. I bet there are some people that would buy one if only they knew they could.

Yes, completely agree difficult to find. :|

Purchasing an extra seat for personal comfort

Still looking for the same on DJ

The problem is that people who have been on this forum since Jesus played full back for Jerusalem, may have seen everything, but for the non members who take a look at this site and people who have only been here for a short time this may be off interest to them,

There is always the search function for new members:

Advanced Search - The Australian Frequent Flyer Online Community

[-]http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/search.php?searchid=3812106[/-]

[-]Hopefully[/-] this doesn't work - Search terms "obese pay extra"

[-]http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/search.php?searchid=3812410[/-]

 

[toowongman]

I agree this topic has been done to death. But to buy a spare/comfort seat is certainly not as easy as it should be. You can't buy it online. Qantas (and other airlines) don't seem to publicise it. I can't find any mention of it on their website. I bet there are some people that would buy one if only they knew they could.

You can buy spare seats online with VA, but the last time I posted how a bunch of people shot me down even though the procedure was correct. PM me and I'll explain it.

 

[medhead]

You can buy spare seats online with VA, but the last time I posted how a bunch of people shot me down even though the procedure was correct. PM me and I'll explain it.

Your procedure was to put in a false name, IIRC. It might achieve the desired outcome but it is still not the correct way to do it.

Having done this, the only way is to ring them to book the spare seat. The only mention of a spare set on the virgin website is buying an extra seat for infants, under the Crying baby section. Not exactly useful.

 

[samh004]

*yawn*

If you think it's an issue buy a spare seat. How hard is it?

Exactly, it's called a comfort seat, you can buy them already over the phone and they knock off the taxes for the extra seat. It's perfectly reasonable. But in the US I'm sure it would be unreasonable.

And to the OP, I'm not having a go, you've found a new article on a topic that comes up a lot, nothing wrong with sharing, though perhaps it could have been a new post in an old thread... if the thread is even open anymore. I also am not doing a search

<redacted>

 

[eastwest101]

Yes, completely agree difficult to find. :|

Purchasing an extra seat for personal comfort

Still looking for the same on DJ




There is always the search function for new members:

Advanced Search - The Australian Frequent Flyer Online Community

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/search.php?searchid=3812106

I have found the advance search functions pretty unpredictable - if the OP has searched for the terms "comfort seat" in thread titles they just get a bazillion hits to every thread that has the word seat in it - 99% of which are irrelevant to the intended search. Same story for "spare seat" as well.

Interestingly if they search for the word "comfort" ONLY- then there are about 3 threads appearing - and all of them are relevant.

Do a thread search for "overweight passenger" and see what turns up......

Even experienced members like samh004 are reluctant to use the search function - I wonder why?

Oh and I agree with medhead - it is pretty hard to get info from a lot of the airlines online...

 

[NM]

[Mod Hat]
Folks, if you don't want to discuss the topic, because you have seen it all before or for any other reason, just move on and read something that is of interest to you.

Yes, this is one of the topics that comes up for discussion regularly, along with many others. If you want to be constructive and helpful, feel free to post links to previous threads on the same/similar topics so those who are unaware of those previous discussions can be enlightened from the previous collective knowledge of the topic. If you are not going to be constructive, then don't post in the thread.
[/Mod Hat]

 

[medhead]

I have found the advance search functions pretty unpredictable - if the OP has searched for the terms "comfort seat" in thread titles they just get a bazillion hits to every thread that has the word seat in it - 99% of which are irrelevant to the intended search. Same story for "spare seat" as well.

Interestingly if they search for the word "comfort" ONLY- then there are about 3 threads appearing - and all of them are relevant.

Do a thread search for "overweight passenger" and see what turns up......

Even experienced members like samh004 are reluctant to use the search function - I wonder why?

Really just a matter of getting the search terms right as with most searches. As you demonstrate it would be useless to use Seat as a search term. Having said that the advanced search does allow us to search thread titles only. If you use that restriction and search comfort seat hopefully you will no longer get every post that mentions "seat".

In any case, a comfort seat is only my suggest to the issue raised. It isn't going to be relevant to someone wanting to post about obese people overtaking seat space.

FWIW I searched "obese something something" and that found a number of relevant threads as per the last link in my post.


Sent from the Throne

 

[eastwest101]

In any case, a comfort seat is only my suggest to the issue raised. It isn't going to be relevant to someone wanting to post about obese people overtaking seat space.

FWIW I searched "obese something something" and that found a number of relevant threads as per the last link in my post.


Sent from the Throne

I agree with your sentiments medhead - one other thing. I am not sure if its just me, or others noticed as well, but the link that you posted called:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.c...archid=3812106

does not work, since I am not logged in as medhead. I just get a "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms."

 

[medhead]

I agree with your sentiments medhead - one other thing. I am not sure if its just me, or others noticed as well, but the link that you posted called:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.c...archid=3812106

does not work, since I am not logged in as medhead. I just get a "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms."

Ah there you go. I stuffed up. Sorry. I'll try to fix it somehow.
*wonders if advance search is available to non-members*


Edit:
[-]Hopefully this link will work[/-] No it doesn't work, search terms used "obese pay extra"
http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/search.php?searchid=3812410

sorry again for the stuff up.

 

[chrisb]

Regardless of whether or not I need a comfort seat due to size issues I'd be much more inclined to buy one if the websites made it easier to do via a simple selection during the booking process.

I imagine a lot of couples flying on 3-X-3 or 3-3 aircraft would consider an extra seat as a worthwhile expense.

 

[serfty]

Really just a matter of getting the search terms right as with most searches. ...

That's true - but you still then need to look for a needle in a haystack! In reality - the vBulletin search sucks.

It will provide matches on any word or that it decides is not too common or short, so if you have more than one word to search for it's generally useless. I do not use it very often.

e.g. IF you want posts containing the both words Black and Night it won't work, [Black night] will return any posts with either the word black or the word night and ["Black Night"] may or may not return anything.

 

[toowongman]

Your procedure was to put in a false name, IIRC. It might achieve the desired outcome but it is still not the correct way to do it.

Having done this, the only way is to ring them to book the spare seat. The only mention of a spare set on the virgin website is buying an extra seat for infants, under the Crying baby section. Not exactly useful.

Yeah I know people told me that in many PMs and so on Funny thing is that every time we check in (2 of us for 3 seats) nobody says a word, the check-in agents just smile and take care of it. *shrug* And I can't be bothered calling them.
Hopefully when VA do that "magical" switch to the new IT system they can add a comfort seat option.

 

[medhead]

Yeah I know people told me that in many PMs and so on Funny thing is that every time we check in (2 of us for 3 seats) nobody says a word, the check-in agents just smile and take care of it. *shrug* And I can't be bothered calling them.
Hopefully when VA do that "magical" switch to the new IT system they can add a comfort seat option.

Yep and they shrugged mine off when it had the wrong code and fixed it. (the issue in my case being use of my free credit card flight) However, that doesn't mean that they won't crack down one day and I just think people should be fully informed of the risks, is all.


Sent from the Throne

 

[EmilyHoward]

I think if you can't fit into the seat without bulging out at the sides then either you shouldn't fly or you should buy suitable seating. Alternatively you think about <redacted> [losing weight]. LOL.

Florence and I keep a close track on our weight as we love to have that slim feminine look.

EH

 

[clifford]

I think if you can't fit into the seat without bulging out at the sides then either you shouldn't fly or you should buy suitable seating. Alternatively you think about <redacted> [losing weight]. LOL.

Florence and I keep a close track on our weight as we love to have that slim feminine look.

EH

Well said!

All pax should be weighed, and those over average weight for height should be charged extra (as baggage is). Large pax (those who are going to make it quite uncomfortable for their seatmate - I know who you are) should not be allowed to fly unless they purchase 2 seats in Y class or a C class seat).

Who wants to be suffocated to death by a large, freeloading person on a 14 hour flight? Where else in the world would people put up with such nonsense?