The rights of the tall

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Agreed that this is all a beat up.

I'm sorry that I can't feel for our taller brethren here (I'm only 175cm in height), but I still think that this case has no merit.

I can't think of too many airlines (except all of them when you complain and throw a tantrum hard enough) that auto-give tall pax the best seats in their class of travel to accommodate their height, especially by displacing other pax who may have paid or had the right to sit in those seats.

If he wins, all I could imagine is all airlines around the world would probably need to institute a seat pitch of at least 34". Whilst that'd be awfully nice...... (then the fat people will say that we need seats that are at least 50% wider).

Exactly. The story seems to be more about the travel agent not doing thier job properly, not the airline. More and more airlines are charging for exit rows - is someone going to sue Jetstar and the like becuase they won't provide food for 10 hours?

Ask anyone who travels economy and most of them will say the seat pitch is uncomfortable. It is not like those are the only seats - there are exit rows and other classes. How much are exit rows? Compare that to Premium Y or Business...........I feel for tall people but there seems to be a minority who think they are 'entitled' to exit rows.
 
Back in the good old days (1990s) it was pretty easy to get exit row seats on long-haul international at check-in simply by turning up early, being 6'2" and asking nicely.
 
He has paid for a regular economy seat. But is requesting extra leg room seat with no charge. But what about the other 200 people on board that has purchased a standard seat and GOT a standard seat? Isn't it unfair for them if the tall guy got it for free? and the other 200 can now complain to the tribunal for unfair treatment. And what about the people who did pay for an exit row? They should sue for discrimination too if this guy got it for free.
 
What a lovely bunch of people we all are - backing the corporate greed against the rights of the individual!

He has paid for a ticket to be conveyed from A to B in safety and comfort. The airlines (in their wisdom and greed) provide the bare minimum space in economy class that suits the majority of people. That didn't use to be a big problem as there were exit row seats to cater for the 95th percentile. But then the DYKWIAs started to covet these seats because they could turn around smugly whilst reclining fully at every opportunity, and the airlines started realising that people would pay extra for that pleasure.

So now we (the pax) have artificially created extra value on a seat that costs the airline exactly $0 more than a "standard" seat, and they are happily selling this to us and laughing all the way to the bank.


I hope he takes them to the cleaners.
 
What a lovely bunch of people we all are - backing the corporate greed against the rights of the individual!

He has paid for a ticket to be conveyed from A to B in safety and comfort. The airlines (in their wisdom and greed) provide the bare minimum space in economy class that suits the majority of people. That didn't use to be a big problem as there were exit row seats to cater for the 95th percentile. But then the DYKWIAs started to covet these seats because they could turn around smugly whilst reclining fully at every opportunity, and the airlines started realising that people would pay extra for that pleasure.

So now we (the pax) have artificially created extra value on a seat that costs the airline exactly $0 more than a "standard" seat, and they are happily selling this to us and laughing all the way to the bank.


I hope he takes them to the cleaners.

The question which could be asked, lets say there are 20 seats in Y which are suitable for taller people what do you do if there are say 30 pax which could be considered to tall for a reg Y seat? Do you ask all pax to stand back to back and see who is the tallest and then allocate seats like that?

Furthermore each seat on an airplane has it's own unique value beyond simple classes. For example 75E is a worse seat than 63D, and depending on your preference 72A is better still. Now all seats will get you from A to B, all are classed as Y seats, and yet by simple fact of their positions on the plane some are better than others. So why shouldn't an airline charge additional amounts for the seats which are better or reserve them for their loyal customers?

That said I think this was more a failure of the TA. QF is a pretty major airline flying from AU, you can not tell me that they don't have frequent contact with QF. Considering you usually pay extra to use their service you'd hope that they would know the various rules for the products they sell, or at least find them out if they don't know.
 
If a tall person is entitled to exit row seats then overweight people are entitled to have the spare seats next to them.

And for what it is worth I have never once reclined in an exit row seat. So as I am a considerate traveller and clearly not a DYKWIA I should be allocated exit rows without charge on all my flights....
 
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I am 187cm tall, and I pay for J on flights over 3 hours. On the occasion I flew with the family in longhaul Y, it was uncomfortable, but I lived with it. I didn't expect/demand a bulkhead or exit row.

I used to also be a POS, and likewise, paid for J, or sat next to my partner and shared part of her seat. Did I demand empty seat(s) next to me, or an upgrade - no.

This guy needs to get over it, his options are / were pay J, pay for exit row, suck it up, or don't fly.
 
As someone who is very tall (6'9"), my take on this subject is as follows:

This person has mostly taken this too far.

Nothing in this world is built for someone my height, from clothes to houses, furniture, public transport, cars, etc. I am used to paying significantly more for many things because I have no choice - clothes being the key one.

However, the one thing I have an issue with is the increasing difficulty I have obtaining a exit seat (even paid). I am unlikely to ever have status with an airline and we are very close to a time when someone without status will be unable to obtain an exit row seat under any circumstance. This will mean paying significantly more for a business seat, which I can't afford. I can suffer in a normal seat for short flights (MEL-ADL, HBA, LST, SYD), but anything longer than that is not tolerable. So far, most of the time I've been lucky, with most airline staff very understanding and accommodating. But with exit row seats becoming more sought after, no matter how understanding and accommodating airline staff are, they may not be able to provide me with any other option than business class.
 
I'm around 5'6". If i want to get an extra-leg-room seat, and they say that I'm too short, do I get to sue them as well for discrimination against the those who are vertically "lacking"?

(not that I would, but you probably get the idea that this isn't going to work out too well...)
 
At about 195cm at last measure I certainly feel for the guy. But at the same time, if I feel like more room, I book more room at my cost. I'm hardly loaded (uni student) and it costs $25-$40 transcon depending on the airline. $80 for a 14 hour transpac is a good deal. Pay it and be quiet IMO.

The only thing that really irks me is that I can't get an exit row seat on QF dom. I know they are saved for status pax, but it's still annoying. Especially when the 4ft nothing little lady who questionably fits the CASA rules gets one...
 
He would only have a case if the airline failed to disclose the dimensions of the seat he was purchasing and therefore giving him no opportunity to make an informed decision. As a shorter than average person I find the only place in the world I can buy jeans off the rack that fit is in Asia. Should I be sueing local jeans retailers or failing to stock my size? Maybe the government should be giving me a free return trip to Asia each year to purchase my clothes. Oh! That's right, my physical dimensions are my problem and I have to deal with it accordingly.
 
However, the one thing I have an issue with is the increasing difficulty I have obtaining a exit seat (even paid). I am unlikely to ever have status with an airline and we are very close to a time when someone without status will be unable to obtain an exit row seat under any circumstance. This will mean paying significantly more for a business seat, which I can't afford. I can suffer in a normal seat for short flights (MEL-ADL, HBA, LST, SYD), but anything longer than that is not tolerable. So far, most of the time I've been lucky, with most airline staff very understanding and accommodating. But with exit row seats becoming more sought after, no matter how understanding and accommodating airline staff are, they may not be able to provide me with any other option than business class.

Out of interest I thought it was easier now to guarantee an exit row as you can pay for it on QF (int'l at least). It used to be that exit rows werent allocated but WP could request one - there was uproar when they started selling these seats as WPs thought they would lose a benefit of having access to these seats.
 
What a lovely bunch of people we all are - backing the corporate greed against the rights of the individual!

He has paid for a ticket to be conveyed from A to B in safety and comfort. The airlines (in their wisdom and greed) provide the bare minimum space in economy class that suits the majority of people. That didn't use to be a big problem as there were exit row seats to cater for the 95th percentile. But then the DYKWIAs started to covet these seats because they could turn around smugly whilst reclining fully at every opportunity, and the airlines started realising that people would pay extra for that pleasure.

So now we (the pax) have artificially created extra value on a seat that costs the airline exactly $0 more than a "standard" seat, and they are happily selling this to us and laughing all the way to the bank.


I hope he takes them to the cleaners.

No, a long flight in y does not involve comfort. If you could sue for being uncomfortable in y the lawyers would be very busy. And if he takes them "to the cleaners" and other airlines follow the resulting hike in airfares will eclipse the exit row charge.
 
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I've got an idea, and I hope the airlines take it up. Why not make all the J seats with adjustable legroom like a car seat. I'll give up 4" of my J legroom to the tall person in front in return for a 25% reduction in my fare, which the person in front can pay extra for. I get 34" which is comfortable for me, the giant in front can have 42" and everyone has paid for the legroom they need and will use.
 
I've got an idea, and I hope the airlines take it up. Why not make all the J seats with adjustable legroom like a car seat. I'll give up 4" of my J legroom to the tall person in front in return for a 25% reduction in my fare, which the person in front can pay extra for. I get 34" which is comfortable for me, the giant in front can have 42" and everyone has paid for the legroom they need and will use.

Isn't that one of the ideas of economy, premium economy, business, first....? Just that every one paying less for space is grouped together.
 
Isn't that one of the ideas of economy, premium economy, business, first....? Just that every one paying less for space is grouped together.

Yes and no. Those classes include\exclude more than just space. I might like J service but find the legroom a waste given my dimensions. I'd suggest this for economy, however with seats in fixed row configurations 3 or 4 seas in a block you'd have to adjust an entire row not only a single seat. plus fixed configurations have no flexibility in them. What if 38" isn't enough? In any case it wasn't an entirely serious suggestion, just a 'what if' scenario.
 
Although an interesting concept it would have to be a buy on board scenario as if you were a little person and got the discount before you flew you might not get a little person in front of you or even a large person willing to pay the premium. Frankly if I was a short ar$e I wouldnt even pony up for dom or short haul J (e.g. NZ).
 
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