Fat flyers

[serfty]

Your Mileage May Vary

- in this context (and that of most fora): "Your circumstances may be different."

Posted on a wing and a prayer ...

Posted on a wing and a prayer ...

 

[AVC]

Maybe the airline just expects the wheelchair PAX to be trampled by the able bodied PAX/s at the window. Maybe they should be in door exit rows so they can be thrown out first. Maybe in the middle (e.g. B) between two able bodied strong people (A & C). Then part of the spiel should be "are you prepared to assist hurling this granny down the chute during an emergency"

If you are travelling with children, and using a booster seat, or a C.A.R.E.S. restraint, they require this to be at the window seat for that exact reason. Safety.

Again, some mentioned this earlier, special needs passengers need to be accommodated at the tail, where the fuselage narrows. Either some wider seats, or just block one seat if it is a pair.

On the subject of weights, I also remember an aircraft that shut down one engine (twin) due to lengthy runway delays. The fuel crossfeeds were not on, so by the time they rotated, one side was significantly lighter, resulting in a roll that was unrecoverable.

 

[ozmille]

Just about all domestic pax requiring WCHR assistance are seated in the aisle to make it easier to get into & out of the seat.

And WCHC? I don't mind an WCHR or WCHS to a certain degree but I gathered from the post that we were talking about a WCHC

 

[ozbeachbabe]

And WCHC? I don't mind an WCHR or WCHS to a certain degree but I gathered from the post that we were talking about a WCHC

I believe all types of wheelchair pax are mainly seated in aisle seats however pax who had SSR codes of WCHR & WCHS ie have some mobility but maybe just can't walk long distances or ascend/descent stairs would still be able to move across to a window however this is rare as I think most prefer aisles for ease of getting up and about.

A WCHC (complete) has to be in an aisle seat & if totally immobile & needing the eagle lift needs to have a right hand aisle seat ie a 'D' seat on a B737 or a 'D' or a 'J' seat on a B767 or A330.

 

[yo yo ma]

Too fat to fly incident low point in my life:

'Too fat to fly' incident low point in my life: Kevin Smith

 

[Pushka]

Hmmm, not sure I'd want to be stuck next to someone who couldn't get out of that aisle seat in a hurry because they couldn't walk. . . . . . . .

I certainly wasn't, but what can you do? It's the same as being squashed by an obese person. And well, these days with discrimination and all that, can you really complain about sitting next to a disabled person without coming across as a total jerk? Maybe it was the staff reaction that concerned me - they couldn't give a toss. Oh, and there was also a girl who later sat in the middle seat. I apologised for having walked on her seat and hoped I didn't dirty it. We had quiet groans together.

And just to finish off, of course the crew did not offload her first but told her to wait until the plane was empty. So we both had to clamber over her to get out or wait for god knows how long to get her out. That ain't gonna happen. And we both decided it was our own responsibility to get ourselves out first in an emergency and only assist if we thought we could actually do so. Given her size, and lack of mobility, and we being slender lasses we decided without saying anything that there would be nothing we could do to assist her. But we certainly had the discussion about safety and such.

When we clamboured across I reckon all the other pax were thinking thank god it wasn't them!

 

[ozmille]

I believe all types of wheelchair pax are mainly seated in aisle seats however pax who had SSR codes of WCHR & WCHS ie have some mobility but maybe just can't walk long distances or ascend/descent stairs would still be able to move across to a window however this is rare as I think most prefer aisles for ease of getting up and about.

A WCHC (complete) has to be in an aisle seat & if totally immobile & needing the eagle lift needs to have a right hand aisle seat ie a 'D' seat on a B737 or a 'D' or a 'J' seat on a B767 or A330.

Very interesting, in my 5 years in special assistance we never ever put a WCHC in an aisle seat, we had to put them in the window seat. I am meeting up with some colleagues who still work at the airport over Easter and see if they have changed procedures now. Thanks for the info oz!

 

[Canny man]

Oh boy
Had a bad one yesterday.
5.5hrs next to an extremely large person.
Could not sit straight, ended up standing for half the flight, hunched forward for the rest and there was nowhere I could move to.
Worst flight in a long time and sore back today
Might be the last time I go out in Y back in J

 

[ReLoad]

Today was rather interesting;

QF SYD/MEL on an A330, Exit row. I was in 44A.

A rather large gentleman boarded in front of me and was in 44B.
During luggage stowing he dropped a couple of things and was unable to pick them up himself.

I didn't feel comfortable in that he was in the exit row, I know its not a 737 with a window sized opening, but even so I felt like it was a potential safety issue. Problem was I didn't have the foggiest how to communicate that in a way which wouldn't offend or cause a scene.

Luckily as it turned out i didnt have to, he required an extension seat belt. The QF FA who was very diplomatic explained that unfortunately no extension seat belts are allowed in the exit row.
The gentleman did protest quite a lot explaining that he has been allowed in other QF aircraft to sit there, and that other planes have bigger seat belts.

The flight was amazingly empty so he moved to two seats on his own, Issue averted.

If I had have been on a 737, there is no way I would have been comfortable with having that person there, but I have no idea what or how I would have resolved the situation.

 

[UP4014]

Today was rather interesting;

QF SYD/MEL on an A330, Exit row. I was in 44A.

A rather large gentleman boarded in front of me and was in 44B.
During luggage stowing he dropped a couple of things and was unable to pick them up himself.

I didn't feel comfortable in that he was in the exit row, I know its not a 737 with a window sized opening, but even so I felt like it was a potential safety issue. Problem was I didn't have the foggiest how to communicate that in a way which wouldn't offend or cause a scene.

Luckily as it turned out i didnt have to, he required an extension seat belt. The QF FA who was very diplomatic explained that unfortunately no extension seat belts are allowed in the exit row.
The gentleman did protest quite a lot explaining that he has been allowed in other QF aircraft to sit there, and that other planes have bigger seat belts.

The flight was amazingly empty so he moved to two seats on his own, Issue averted.

If I had have been on a 737, there is no way I would have been comfortable with having that person there, but I have no idea what or how I would have resolved the situation.

That's a hard one, not everyone has a choice about their size and I always have some sympathy. Glad they had 2 spare seats together.

matt

 

[lovestotravel]

If someone can't fit in one seat they should be paying for 2 seats or a business class seat

 

[clifford]

If someone can't fit in one seat they should be paying for 2 seats or a business class seat

Completely agree. And if they can just squeeze into a regular seat, they should have been weighed and charged for excess weight, if appropriate.

After all, if my carry on is 8 kg instead of 7, it will be sent to the hold. So why not if the pax is 150 kg and not 80 like me, either have them sent to the hold or be charged heavily for excess weight. Of course, this could be waived if the person had a medical certificate...

 

[Ansett]

If the passenger was obese as the post suggests then surely he should have been denied access to the Emergency Exit row at checkin. Other passengers should NEVER be put into a situation, where a passenger does not fit the acceptable criteria, have to question said passenger or crew.

 

[horseman]

Easy fixed, the obese should be given liposuction at the gate, the removed stuff stowed and charged as excess baggage.

 

[Hvr]

Easy fixed, the obese should be given liposuction at the gate, the removed stuff stowed and charged as excess baggage.

Hell, do it properly and use it to make soap for use on the flight.

 

[11sjw]

Perhaps Samoa Air has it right. Pay by the kg including body weight.

Samoan airline says pay by weight plan "fairest" way to fly - The West Australian