Appalled by United Airlines Obesity Policy

I fly a lot. And as a 138 pound female, I have had just about every
sized person sit next to me.

While I feel it is unhealthy to be obese, I respect a person's right
to weigh whatever they like.

Where I have a problem is when an obese person squeeeeeeeeeeeeeezes
the armrest down and pours over AND under the armrest taking up 1/3 of
my seat. I am being sat on, squashed and within 15 minutes...they are
sweating on me to the point where my side is actually WET. I was
disgusted, and feeling assaulted. This fat person did not care how
they were treating me. I was just a Bag O' Bones to them. They did not
ask me if they could sit on me, they just DID it.

And the idea that the obese "didn't know" how small the seats were
when they got on is a load of crap. It's been all over the news, and
the vast majority of these people HAVE flown before. But the minute
someone says anything to them, they CLAIM it's the first time they've
flown. It's a load of crap.

Since the obese seem to think it's discriminatory, I think a better
way to handle this is to have those who pour over and under the
armrests sit next to each other, so they can experience first hand
what it's like to be sat on, squashed, sweat on and suffocated.

Then I can enjoy my flight AND the seat I paid for.


And one more thing... the idea that a 400 pound person shouldn't have
to pay more for the second seat is like that same person going into a
clothing store and buying a one-size-fits-all shirt (you know the ones
that fit 90% of the population!)and telling the clerk that they should
give them half of another shirt for free because there's not enough
material to cover their 400 pound carcass.

Just because I'm scrawny doesn't give you the right to disrespect me
OR take up my seat space.

I flew Southwest this past weekend. I am large, but I fit into one
seat. I had never heard of this policy before--I got on my plane, had
no problems, until we changed planes in Dallas. While I was waiting at
the gate, a SW employee came over and asked if I was comfortable in
one seat--I had no earthly idea what she was talking about--I told her
I was. She kept saying, "this is for your safety and comfort." She
kept asking, over and over, about the armrests, she left for a minute,
came back and said 'they' wanted me to pre-board, for my safety and
comfort. Being embarrassed publicly has never done much for either my
safety or comfort. I really didn't know that was going on until she
said the flight was overbooked and if I couldn't fit comfortably in
one seat, I would have to get off the plane or buy another ticket.
(buy another ticket when it's overbooked???) I argued that I had no
problem on the flight I had just left--she didn't seem to know this
was a second-leg (so much for security) and asked me several times if
there were issues on the first flight. She finally let it drop. I
continued my flight, sad, depressed and my weekend trip was
overshadowed by the dread of a possible repeat experience. (didn't
happen). It seemed to me the policy is if you sell too many
tickets,kick the fat person off the plane. I don't think I 'spill'
onto others, but if I do, I was seated next to my companion, who
really wouldn't mind. I've never complained about tall people whose
legs move over into my space or people with bad breath or body odor. I
haven't even complained about the cheap, sickening perfume of the nice
lady behind me--I knew in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that
important. To those who would be offended if I sat by you, if for some
reason I didn't want to be by you, I would never want to hurt your
feelings by telling you so or calling you names. Just wasn't the way I
was raised.
Ironically, when we landed at the Austin-Bergstrom Airport, I
looked up and saw we had deplaned at the Barbara Jordan Terminal. She
was a great lady in every since of the word. I would have been honored
to have been able to be seated next to her on a plane and if she
needed some of my space, she would have been welcome to it. But how
horrid it would have been if she had been treated as I was.

How is it uncomfortable to sit next to somebody tall??? They don't
extend sideways and you aren't entitled to their leg- and headroom.

This is just another BS excuse to make fat people feel good about
themselves. Suck it up and lose some weight or pay for the space
you're spilling over into.

And when Southwest started this same policy several years ago, I loved
it. If you're so fat you can't fit completely in the seat, then buy
two seats, pay for first class but don't encroach on my single seat
into which I fit just fine. I eat healthy, exercise regularly and
maintain an appropriate weight. I'd love to eat junk food, cookies,
cake, pizza, fried foods, ice cream all the time. But I would get fat
and fat is unhealthy and unattractive. Eat less, exercise more. Fit
into airplane seat.

Nope you are wrong. Why should I have to call and up the price of MY
ticket? I have sat next to fatties and they spill into and take up MY
armrest! YES the one I paid for. I didn't buy a seat for THEIR
overage, for God's sake. Lose weight or drive--or PAY EXTRA! You pay
extra for larger sized clothes so do it for an airline ticket. Or
better yet stay home.

I looked it up - weight and balance calculations are figured at a
standard of 170lbs average weight per passenger. If somebody weighs
twice that much, then they should pay as they throw off the average.

Except for the seats in first-class, I have never flown on an airplane
where the seats in coach are different size.

The bottom line is that if you take up the space of 2 seats, then you
have to pay for 2 seats. The fare price is based on weight and number
of seats. It's just one of those facts of life that you need to
accept.

Lose weight, eat less, pay less, have more money. Cripes why in the
world does everyone have to pay for so many people in this country who
can't show some self-control and discipline.

As a plus sized woman who often flies coach, I honestly feel that if
someone is uncomfortable next to me that I would be happy to move to a
different seat. But honestly if the fat person is uncomfortable, maybe
they should buy a first class ticket. Although i'm plus sized, I have
sat next to a person who was over 500lb's and that person expected me
to squish into the window seat while they took up the other two seats
(that person did NOT buy the middle seat) I refused, and the guy
started calling me a b**** and things like that...the nice stewardess
moved me to first class.
While I hate to make people uncomfortable I always get the isle seat
in order to prevent making anyone else uncomfortable

You say that if someone wants to make sure they get the whole seat
they purchased, they should fly first class because there is more
room. Don't you think you should be the one to fly first class because
you KNOW you need extra room??

The only fair way to sell an airlines seat is allowing a customer the
use of one seat for the price. Not .5 of a seat, not 1.25 of a seat.
So if a customer expects more than the space of just one seat, or
expects someone else to give up part of their whole seat, that
customer should expect to pay more than for just one seat. It's up to
the airline how much extra to charge.

Simple, common sense. Becoming rarer in the USA, as the letter above
shows. A person who paid for a whole seat should not have to put up
with another person taking part of that seat, whether it's the seat
area, or the space above that seat area. Behinds, shoulders and knees
should fit in their alloted space.

If a person knows or suspects they could need more than one seat, they
need to let the airline know up front, so they can be accommodated.
How will they know the size of the seat? They need to call or
otherwise contact the airline, if they wonder whether they can fit in
just one seat's space.

The person who purchased that seat has a right to the ENTIRE seat.
Nothing more, nothing less. Seems simple to me. They should not have
to fly first class because someone has to "share" their seat with them
because they are too large.

There are two main issues:

1. Private business and what they're allowed to do.
2. The whineyness of Americans.

1. Private corporations offering services to the public are TOO OFTEN
taxed with pressure to change their policies because of whiney people.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. That said, as they are
"privately-owned" corporations, they have the RIGHT to make whatever
policy they want. THE END. As a customer, YOU have a right NOT to buy
their product. That's how capitalism works. You don't like the
company, find a different company. Hopefully enough people will find a
different company, and the first company will end up changing their
policy.

2. Americans BY FAR think they are entitled to benefits that half the
world would be amazed at. "Waah, I don't have enough room when I'm
flying." Ignore the fact that you even have the ability to fly. Too
many people in this world complain because they are told they
"deserve" something that they really, truly don't. If a thin person
gets stuck sitting next to a fat person on an airplane, TOO BAD for
the thin person. You got the short end of the stick. Now suck it up,
be a man, and get over yourself. Honestly, THIS is where America has
come? Complaining because you think you deserve special treatment
because you got seated next to someone you don't like?

Fat people have the RIGHT to be whatever size they want JUST AS MUCH
as private businesses have the RIGHT to make whatever policy they
want. It's called being a private citizen. It's called being a private
business. All that being said, I don't believe private businesses have
the right to be prejudiced against any group of people. But I'm not
sure which policies I would consider sexist, sizeist, racist, etc...

The OP Mentions it briefly.
The standard for whether or not you need a second seat is if the
armrest can be lowered between the seats.

The United website could easily publish seat dimensions and
armrest-to-armrest widths, and it could be measured out at home. If
the home measurements prove to be too wide, then they could discretely
book as "wide body type" on the website.

This is quite the minefield for airlines. I like the subway analogy a
few posts below. Before airlines even consider these policies they
should first come up with a standardized seat space to base their size
assumptions on. IF they were to implement such a system, the "test
seat" should be located in a private room away from other passengers
to cut down on potential embarassment. I feel for those who get the
short end of the stick being seated with an overflowing passenger, i
run into a similar situation on city buses myself, and do think to
myself "this guy is using two seats, did he put in two tickets?" and
"im relegated to half of this seat, maybe i should get half my fare
back"

But......
I also feel for those who are not overweight by choice. When i was 13
i was put on a medication that sent me from 115 pounds to 150 pounds
in three weeks. In many cases people do have the power to control
their weight and just keep driving when they come across a KFC, but
there are plenty who are big just the way God made them.

I want to weigh in on this topic (I always wanted to say that). I am
a big girl, most would call me fat...and they would be right. I am
not as big as some and much bigger then others. I have not always
weighed 200 lbs. I used to weigh half that much, so I can see both
sides...so to speak.

I fly with SouthWest all the time. They have had this policy in place
for sometime and I never knew it. That tells me that they are NOT
being sexist or unfair. If my fat butt can fit in one of those tiny
seats - that were too small when I was 100lbs - and not be asked to
purchase an additoanl seat, to me that means that they are only
targeting VERY large persons not just large people. I am sorry but if
I hung over into someone elses space, I would be mortifyed. I would
not fly again until I lost weight. I remember flying back and forth
to Germany and being asked by the Military how much I weighed. They
had to ask. They have to know how much weight that plane carrying.
Try standing in line and answering that question with others behind
you and hearing your response.

Like I said, I am a big girl and I would not want to share the space I
pay for with someone else, nor would I expect my seat mates to have to
share their space. I think that when I got so fat that I was having
to purchase 2 seats I would take that as a clue to lose weight and
fast, cause I hate driving.

I can also see something to both sides of this issue, but there are
a few points left unaddressed or under addressed;

1) The size of some seats in some aircraft are absolutely too small to
be comfortable for even an "average" sized person. Some of these
airlines have brought these complaints upon themselves by installing
smaller seats to try to get more fares paid per flight. How often do
you hear of this situation coming up in a movie theater or auditorium
or any other place with mass seating? Install seats that comfortably
fit the "average" size adult, and it will limit this problem to only
the very obese.

2) Why is it necessary to use such derogatory terms to describe
oversized people? "Flab", "sweaty"? I don't believe x number of
pounds automatically turns on the sweat glands to an overactive state.
Of COURSE there are plenty of people who are overweight due to their
own choices, but there are also people who truly do have no choice. My
neice is a cancer survivor and is on medication for life that has made
her quite overweight. She exercises and HAS to eat very nutritionally
so the weight is certainly not due to fried food overload and
sedentary behavior. We're happy she's alive, and don't care what size
she is. I would hate for her to happen upon this thread and feel hurt
by the insulting terms used.

I would rather see the airlines insist that every child no matter how
young be assigned a seat to be paid for by the parents for safety
reasons.

In the event of severe turbulence, small lap children can come loose
from their parents grips and can hurt others or themselves. They also
might be less prone to fuss and cry if they had their own space
instead of being held down on a lap.

Flying next to someone who overflows their seat a bit may be an
inconvenience but it isn't dangerous. Flying in a plane where kids can
become human missiles is.

So your solution to this issue is that if passengers want the full
seat they are paying for they should pay more to fly first or business
class so that those that require more than one seat can fly coach and
take up as much room as they need?

In regards to skinny people, children, etc. that people are bringing
up,
Sorry, I can't come up with a better analogy.
I'm sure everybody is familiar with Subway, the restaurant.

Let's say a 6-inch sub is like a standard airline seat.
Lets say a bunch of people, skinny, average, and large, go for some
subs and order 6-inch subs.

Children and really skinny people wouldn't be able to eat a fully
loaded 6-inch.
That does not allow them to order a 5 or 4 inch sub. Those options
aren't on the menu.

The average sized people might be able to eat the whole sub.

The obese people might be left hungry.
Is it fair if they go over to the other tables and start taking bites
off other people's subs? Or should they order a footlong instead? They
can't order a 7 or 8 inch, that is not on the menu.

People have mentioned this is not fair to little people or big people,
etc.
Using the example above, United has a "Menu" of sorts.
1 Seat, use some or all.
If you are too big for one seat, you gotta get two.
No in-betweens.

I was reading older letters dealing with airlines and after the fifth
complaint about OP's not being able to sit with their
child/spouse/friend a thought occurred to me - what if the "overflow"
seat wasn't next to your original seat!??

The last time I flew on United (and this is real irony), I almost got
into an altercation with my seatmate because he was insisting on
retracting the armrest. His argument was that when it was down, it was
jabbing him in the side. I finally had to point out to him in no
uncertain terms, that his solution of overflowing onto me was not
going to (pardon the pun) fly. It was a good thing I never had to get
up and use the can, I can assure you that he never would have stood to
let me out.

I applaud United for being brave enough to call a spade, a spade.

Fat knows no gender.

Up to this point, I've stayed out of this letter mostly because I
don't know how I feel about this policy. I do agree that if a
passenger knows they would be more comfortable in two seats - and
those around them would be too- then they should pay for them, but I
have a problem with an airline employee making that determination at
check-in.

A few people have suggested having a sample seat available for
passengers to determine whether two seats would be more appropriate.
The problem I have with this idea is that it is still in full view of
other passengers; the airline might as well have a scale set up to
weigh fat people in front of the airport.

Whenever an airline complaint comes up on PFB, one of the mantras by
commentators is that the airline's only obligation is to get you to
your destinations safely. And I agree with that. So I guess I don't
understand why this policy is being defended so rigorously on the
basis of "comfort." That isn't the airline's obligation.

On the subject of comfort, there are many things that make me
uncomfortable while flying: people leaning their seats way back,
sleeping people snoring, loud talkers, kids screaming, and the person
next to me who won't shut the hell up for two seconds. But an airplane
isn't your home. And part of living in society is living with others
in society, whether you're comfortable with them or not.

I'm not 100% n the OP's side, but I'm also not 100% against her letter
either. I'm also not saying everyone who has responded is wrong to
feel the way they do about this policy. I am, however, offering the
above points as food for thought.

Don't you think it's a little arbitrary to assume that men only carry
their weight in their "beer gut?" I have seen PLENTY of guys that
have saddlebags and hips as wide as any woman. But to say the policy
is sexist is pushing it.

While it may seem unfair to single out obese people, how fair is it
for the person sitting next to them on a 4 hour, cross-country flight,
to have to sit with another person's sweaty flab hanging over the seat
onto them? I don't really see how the tall or broad shoulders causes
an issue unless they put their seat back.

Tall and broad-shouldered people also don't substantially add to the
weight limit as an obese person would.

& you said it yourself, "I find it uncomfortable to sit in a seat too
small for my body and it's even worse when a tall or large person is
next to me. But that's what happens when you fly coach. If anyone
wants to be sure they won't be crowded in their seat, they can fly
first class, or drive, or take the train." United is just trying to
solve that problem before it even becomes an issue.

I know that might seem mean, but it is the reality of the industry.
There are less flights and they have to maximize the capacity on each
plane. That means if you are bigger and want to be on the flight,
you'll have to pay for two seats. It really isn't as personal as you
might think it is.

Jen, I think you have some good points, but they're falling on deaf
ears.

Most normal, average sized people have a hard time sitting in those
seats, which tells me that airlines are saving money by putting in
too-small seats. But rather than make normal human-sized seats for
airplanes, they have an out by blaming overweight people for not being
able to fit into them.

And with the way society in general treats overweight people, United
and other airlines have basically just guaranteed that whenever they
want to make seats smaller to make more money, they can just blame
people for being too big, not the seats for being too small.

Sad to say, but I think we'll have to understand that being overweight
isn't direct conclusive evidence of an unhealthy lifestyle before
anyone is going to demand that we treat fat people like human beings.


Good luck, I hope United changes this policy.

Thank you United! I am not interested in subsidizing someone elses
seating real estate.

From Rowdy:

"Second to that is the person that sits by the window and has to
urinate every 30 mins."

I also agree with this statement. If someone wants to drink a lot,
and/or has an overactive bladder, he/she should take an aisle seat.
It's a matter of common courtesy. I mean, in coach, we're already
crammed into those seats enough, without having to get up every 20-30
minutes to let someone go to the bathroom.

I'm not saying it should be airline policy or anything like that. It
SHOULD be common courtesy though.... something that's very lacking in
today's society.

As for the policy of overweight people having to pay for two seats, I
wholeheartedly agree with it. I too, have been jammed in with someone
of wider girth. It's uncomfortable enough with a normal sized person
next to you, much less an oversized one. If the airlines can avoid
the problem by placing the person in question next to an unsold seat,
then by all means they should do so. However, if none are available,
then it's only fair for the overweight person to pay for the adjacent
seat.

I do agree with the OP on one thing though: It is rather arbitrary.
Just how wide does a person have to be in order to have to pay for the
other seat? Is there an industry standard set?

1) On the side of the overweight passenger

It does suck to have to pay 2 tickets
and i know it's embarrassing

2) on the side of the airline and other passengers
They've had enough complaints and lawsuits over this.

There's been stuff on TV done too... about a passenger paying for a
ticket, only to find himself scrunched up in the corner because the
person next to him took up more than 1 seat of space.

no fun being pushed into the side.


Unfortunately airlines have limited space.

Yes you can demand they build bigger airplanes and put more space
between the seats.

they might listen.
however they'll ahve to charge more for the tickets since they won't
be able to put as many people into them.

Nothing worse than being cooped up on an airplane for hours on end
next to an overflowing person.

Second to that is the person that sits by the window and has to
urinate every 30 mins.

I'll be sure to put United on the top of my list now when shopping.

We are taking a cruise in September flying puerto rico on American.
The next one will be united when possible.

Bravo United

Good Day

Bravo United!

Planes are uncomfortable enough without a very overweight person
taking up the space that I paid for.

No disrespect intended, but I pay for the space between two armrests
with the cost of one ticket. If you need more than what you get for 1
ticket then you should pay for two. I should not have to share my
space with you.

I will now be seeking out flights on United with this new policy. I
am tired of paying for my seat and having to "share" with the fat
person sitting next to me. Either fit completely in your own seat or
buy two seats. Or don't fly. And why we're at it, why am I limited
to 50 pounds checked bag for a total of 180 pounds including me ....
but my husband already boards the plane with 205 pounds of himself
plus 50 pounds check bag for a total of 255?. And it's worse with a
fat person. A plane can only carry so much weight. Not fair!

Gotta disagree... if you take up two seats, you should pay for two
seats.

UA recieved 700 complaints out of the over 4,000,000 people that flew
with them last year. So the % is so low that it really did not make a
difference.
So its not because of a public outcry that this was done.
Plus they now have a luggage frame that you have to place your
carryone in and if it does not fit then you have to pay to have it
checked...hmmm...me thinks there was an employee or two with too much
time on his/her hands who is receiving a nice big bonus for coming up
with these ideas.

SW has the same policy regarding obese persons.

I am not obese, but I am overweight and while I am comfortable and do
not fall or drape over into someone elses space its still
uncomfortable sitting that tight in a small place for a the time it
takes to reach my destination. I could loose some more weight and I am
in the process of doing so, but I have seen persons who weigh approx
140-160 lbs have a hard time in these coach seats also.

If the airlines were smart they would combine a few of their companies
and produce airliners that the seating is comfortable for all.
Try giving the customers back comfort instead of seeing how much you
can literally "squeeze" out of them.

So do pregnant women have to buy an additional seat as well to
accomdate their pregnancy weight gain?

Do scrawny people get to pay less because they don't take up an entire
seat?

Why don't we just put little people into the overhead storage
compartments and not charge them at all, then there's room for more
passengers!

I'm a big girl, and I fit just fine into airline seats, my own airline
seat, and have never been charged extra. The issue I have with this
policy is that the airlines do not allow the person to see if they can
actually fit into the seat prior to charging them for the extra one,
it's based on the preception of the person at check in. I can
understand if someone is pushing 400 lbs. in all probability they
won't fit into one seat, that's just how it is. That doesn't make it
easier though. These policies cause serious embarassment to people who
haven't done anything wrong and don't deserve it, and it does affect
women more, because of how our bodies are shaped.

Reading some of these comments makes me very sad. I have heard it said
in the media that discrimination against large people is one of the
last accepted predjudices. Obviously that's true. Reading some of the
comments on here has really lowered my perception of some of you.
That's all I will say on this topic.

You are correct in this regard.

I agree with the dimensions charge for people, along with weight.

Aircraft can't hold an infinite amount of weight. In the Pilot's
Operating Handbook, which is published for every aircraft, the
manufacturer specifies the approved numbers for "weight and balance",
which is a calculation of the center of gravity. (Read More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_of_gravity_(aircraft))

These passenger weight allowances are not too generous. Consider that
many aircraft manufacturers are not US based, and their population
isn't obese. Airbus is a French company. The A320 series (A318-A321)
is one of the most popular domestic airliners in the USA (Along with
some American planes). Embraer is a Brazilian company. Their regional
jet series (ERJ135/140/145 and E170/175) is also extremely popular and
makes up many commuter fleets. The American Airlines fleet consists of
about 200 of these regional jets. Even with American made planes,
many are older and are not designed to hold an obese passenger loads.

If they jam it full of big people, they will be required to fly
without a full load of fuel, lighten cargo capacity, or fly with fewer
people onboard.

Since aviation is primarily based on weight, and bags are weighed, why
not people? If they exceed the weight limit, charge them a fee for a
second seat.

that I pay for a full airline seat and only get to use 1/2 to 2/3
because someone is spilling over into my seat. Why should I upgrade
to first or business class and pay extra? I'm not using more space
than I paid for.

I have an obsese ex-coworker. He completely understands why he has to
purchase two seats when he travels in fact, it makes him more
comfortable as he has more space and he knows he's not inconveniencing
someone. The company will pay for one and he pays for the other. To
try and avoid paying, he trys to travel off peak where there is a
better chance of the plane not being full.

Let me also show you another point of view. I'm disabled, I've had 7
operations on my legs. Because of that I have a ton of scar tissue on
my legs. Flying with someone pressed up against my scar tissue is
very, very painful. That's also not fair.

United is not the only airline to do this. The article I read said 30
other airlines already have this policy, Delta and Southwest are among
them.

Please don't get me wrong, I have sympathy but not at my expense.

I'm sorry YOU feel it's uncomfortable to sit next to a tall person.
My boyfriend is 6'8" and when he travels business or we travel for fun
he is constantly having seats slammed into his knees, people glare at
his height because he fills the seat and they think he will stretch
out, which he does not.

We don't have the money to take first class nonstop so we make due and
he ends up sitting upright for hours while cramped in a seat usually
with some person in front or behind him pressing on his seat. We
could drive or take a train but flying is faster so we make due.

Sorry you feel inconvenienced, but I fail to see how you are in a bad
position when you sit next to a tall person on a plane. How do they
exactly spill over into your seat?

I wish the airlines would get more objective and just start charging
by weight, like they do for cargo.
* * *
And people should have to give their length/width/thickness
measurements just like carry-on luggage requirements. Then airlines
could do a better job of accommodating all different shapes and sizes
of people, as some of us get bigger and bigger every year. Some of us
who are naturally small (or more disciplined eaters/exercisers) would
be rewarded. Airlines could install bigger seats for the bigger sized
people cargo.
* * *
Why shouldn't a 300-lb person have to pay more to be transported from
point A to point B? The aircraft uses more fuel, according to weight.
Why should a 100-lb person be forced to subsidize the transport of
people n-times their size? This isn't just or equitable. Weight and
the room taken up by someone, those are the only fair way criteria.

It's important to note that United will try to accommodate obese
people by seating them next to an empty seat, at no charge, if one is
available. The problem is that there isn't always an empty seat
available.

I support United in this policy. I was seriously injured in a car
accident, causing recurring back problems. I came off a flight once
with a back spams that had me twisted like a pretzel because I was
squeezed sideways by the girth of the person next to me, who couldn't
get the armrest down between us. If I've paid for a seat on a plane,
I've paid for all of it.

would be for an inventor to devise a chamber that would be calibrated
to judge a person's weight & girth, according to a formula, and add or
refund from the fare accordingly. Of course, there would have to be
some acceptable ranges, within which the fare would remain the same as
advertised. Passengers could be given the ranges ahead of time, so
there would be no surprises at the gate. So no funky judgmental
flight attendants, nobody getting squeezed by long-legged people's
knees or overly plump people's love handles.

I love your idea!

It charges people for the space they required.

When I pay $400 for a ticket, I shouldn't have to deal with the
"spillover" of an obese person next to me, taking both arms, leaving
me squished and with no room to move my arms. It's happened, and I'm
very glad that this policy has been enacted.

Nothing against overweight people: They deserve respect and not
derision. However, there are costs associated with being a larger
size, and this is one area (airline seats) that has been overly
accommodating for far too long.

I have very tall coworkers who have had to fly first class in order to
get the leg room they need. Overweight people can expect to face the
same monetary inconveniences.

I think this is a great policy. If someone is too wide for a seat, why
should other people be penalized? It sounds like they are responding
to customer complaints, which is the best way to do business.

It's not sexist, because they will charge anybody of any sex who
exceeds the width of one seat. The apple/ pear body types aren't
necessarily true for everybody, and many men have big butts I wouldn't
want sit up against.

I know who Rowdy will choose for his travel needs :)

My boyfriend's father does something in the airline industry (I dunno
what), and he (the boyfriend, not his father) informed me that on
Canadian airlines you receive your "overflow" seat for the same price
as your single coach seat - I mean like at no additional charge. I
personally have always thought that if you take up more space you
should pay for more space - until I read your comment about being
sexist. It's true - women carry their weight distribution differently
(more in the thighs and butt, which would battle the arm rest) than
guys (more in the middle, possibly less risk for the armrest)

What I don't understand is why you feel that others who feel that
their space is intruded upon should up charge their ticket? Why don't
you fly first or business class? especially if you have to pay for two
seats anyways?

P.S. When I was preggers and flying out to see the common-in-laws for
the first time (gulp) the boyfriend upcharged ours seats without
telling me (so sweet!) you know they served Milano cookies,
Cheeze-It's and other yum yum's that were NOT flight
pretzels/peanuts?!? So cool (plus you were close to potties) but
prolly not worth the extra money. Still something to do at least once
if you could afford it. (especially if your preggo)