Man too big to fly, misses Uncle's funeral

[Bateluer]

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=7133776

I'm sorry he missed his Uncle's funeral, and there definitely should be something definitive to determine whether or not a passenger is too fat to fly. I thought this was whether or not the passenger could fit into an airplane seat with the arm rests down?

But honestly, lets not veer to far from the real problem. Its not the size of the plane's seat or the perspective of the ticket agent, its Fa's 400lb ass. This should be a wake up call for him to cut the MCDs from his diet and get himself on a treadmill instead of wasting his time complaining to Southwest and getting his face on the news. He'll still be too big to fly the next time around if he doesn't drop some weight.

Is it not embarrassing when the individual has to buy two seat tickets because they cannot fit in one seat?

 

[Fingolfin269]

I agree with some of what is in the article. They need a way to be more definitive about this as opposed to just having someone eye you and assess from there. Have a fat guy "fit" seat at the ticket counter or something.

 

[nageov3t]

I can see the fatties point, if the rule isn't consistently enforced and is completely subject to a random ticket agent eyeballing you and making a judgment call.

 

[StageLeft]

This sounds fine to me. The plane had no room. This is the same as if I wanted a seat and there are none left. Am I going to sit in the cargo hold? The guy simply requires two seats. If there was one left, they couldn't fit in him, so what's the problem?

I sat with a fat guy on a multi-hour trip earlier this year. He really ought to have had two seats, he was flowing into my seat (and fvck me, they are small enough as it is) and was like sitting next to a furnace all the heat coming off him. I paid for a tiny seat and he made it even tinier with his heft.

 

[nageov3t]

This sounds fine to me. The plane had no room. This is the same as if I wanted a seat and there are none left. Am I going to sit in the cargo hold? The guy simply requires two seats. If there was one left, they couldn't fit in him, so what's the problem?

I sat with a fat guy on a multi-hour trip earlier this year. He really ought to have had two seats, he was flowing into my seat (and fvck me, they are small enough as it is) and was like sitting next to a furnace all the heat coming off him. I paid for a tiny seat and he made it even tinier with his heft.

shouldn't there be like an objective way to know 100% ahead of time whether or not you'll require two seats so that you can buy them before the plane sells out, though?

 

[waggy]

as skoorb mentioned it sucks sitting next to a fat person on the plane. they make the damn seats small enough it sucks to have yours taken up by the person next to you.

 

[rudder]

shouldn't there be like an objective way to know 100% ahead of time whether or not you'll require two seats so that you can buy them before the plane sells out, though?

You just have to look at your ass in the mirror and decide for yourself. Not all airlines have the same size seats... so there can be no industry standard. There are ways to determine it at the airport more discretely... or the airlines can post banned ass widths on their website to figure it out at home.

 

[lsd]

shouldn't there be like an objective way to know 100% ahead of time whether or not you'll require two seats so that you can buy them before the plane sells out, though?

You mean like going to the airlines website?
http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/cos_guidelines.html

"Customers who are unable to lower both armrests and/or who compromise any portion of adjacent seating ***********should proactively book the number of seats needed prior to travel**********. The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats and measures 17 inches in width."

 

[alphatarget1]

This sounds fine to me. The plane had no room. This is the same as if I wanted a seat and there are none left. Am I going to sit in the cargo hold? The guy simply requires two seats. If there was one left, they couldn't fit in him, so what's the problem?

I sat with a fat guy on a multi-hour trip earlier this year. He really ought to have had two seats, he was flowing into my seat (and fvck me, they are small enough as it is) and was like sitting next to a furnace all the heat coming off him. I paid for a tiny seat and he made it even tinier with his heft.

It wouldn't be as much of a problem if you fly enough to get elite status on one of the legacy airlines...

 

[Triumph]

A spokesman for southwest airlines said the company will look into okamoni fa's situation. He said the company will be giving him a voucher for Bally's.

ftfh

 

[Bowfinger]

You mean like going to the airlines website?
http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/cos_guidelines.html

"Customers who are unable to lower both armrests and/or who compromise any portion of adjacent seating ***********should proactively book the number of seats needed prior to travel**********. The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats and measures 17 inches in width."

Isn't that a big part of the problem, though? I'm not sure where to get hard data, but I think most American men are more than 17" across the shoulders. According to the letter of Southwest's rule, they'd all need to get two seats. They're cutting corners by trying to pack too many seats into too little space.

 

[lsd]

Isn't that a big part of the problem, though? I'm not sure where to get hard data, but I think most American men are more than 17" across the shoulders. According to the letter of Southwest's rule, they'd all need to get two seats. They're cutting corners by trying to pack too many seats into too little space.

Packing too many seats is not an excuse to blame the airline. SWA seat config is 6 across which is industry standard for the 737 cattle class. None offers 5 across on the 737.

 

[TheSlamma]

Why do humans need to be the size of a young walrus?

 

[surfsatwerk]

Why do humans need to be the size of a young walrus?

Because they're dead sexy.

 

[Bateluer]

I'd also be willing to bet that if you were to ask an individual to sit into a mockup airline seat at the ticket counter, in full view of everyone, to see if they'll fit, there would be a lawsuit very fast. Only a fraction of people would actually learn the lesson they need to learn.

 

[Bowfinger]

Packing too many seats is not an excuse to blame the airline. SWA seat config is 6 across which is industry standard for the 737 cattle class. None offers 5 across on the 737.

That's all well and good, but it has nothing to do with the point I raised. If that is the "industry standard," and that standard is seating that's smaller than the average adult American male, the standard is flawed and is bound to cause occasional problems. Also, if one is to follow Southwest's rule to the letter, most American men would be required to buy two seats. Since that is not happening, Southwest's "rule" is obviously subjectively applied.

 

[rudder]

That's all well and good, but it has nothing to do with the point I raised. If that is the "industry standard," and that standard is seating that's smaller than the average adult American male, the standard is flawed and is bound to cause occasional problems. Also, if one is to follow Southwest's rule to the letter, most American men would be required to buy two seats. Since that is not happening, Southwest's "rule" is obviously subjectively applied.

Airlines have thin profit margins. If you take out 1/4 of the seats or more to accommodate fat people (who cost more to lift off the ground)... then you will see even more trouble in the airline industry.... since they would have to raise ticket prices further.

 

[nageov3t]

Airlines have thin profit margins. If you take out 1/4 of the seats or more to accommodate fat people (who cost more to lift off the ground)... then you will see even more trouble in the airline industry.... since they would have to raise ticket prices further.

I think the point was that this rule appears to obviously be enforced subjectively, making it impossible to determine 100% ahead of time whether or not one will be forced to buy a second seat.

fwiw, I flew a few times at 400+ and was never asked to buy a second seat... never had any issues with arm rests or my shoulders.

 

[ohnoes]

400lbs is pretty f'ing big... I've done a mid-con next to some woman that was probably in the low 300's, and the armrests down rule is a joke since there's clearance above & below the armrests. All they have to do is force themselves down into the seat, and they'll overflow around the armrests. On that flight, I ended up spending 3 hours with her backfat resting against my side...

 

[MotF Bane]

Nothing wrong here, except that he's a fatass and probably won't change it.

 

[cubeless]

you have to pity the gate agents... would you want to get into a fight with that lardo? they don't even make the idiots carrying 5 bags or oversized bags use the bag limit sizer at the gate...

i could just see the amusement: 'maam, will you please place your ass in that seat measurer?'...

and i fly a lot, and have had numerous times when a fattie tries to put the armrest up... "ain't happenin', homie"... and i've had to hit the call button a couple times... it's me or them who has to get moved and i'm not taking a lesser seat...

i think that swa is covered by what's in their docs... that it's "not applied equally" is tough shit... the gate crew doesn't have a truck scale or a lasso tape measure handy, so they use their judgement...

 

[shrumpage]

I'll never forget the day we loaded a very fat man through the cargo door on 737 via forklift. Not sure if it was he couldn't fit through the normal door, or just make it up the stairs.

 

[nageov3t]

you have to pity the gate agents... would you want to get into a fight with that lardo? they don't even make the idiots carrying 5 bags or oversized bags use the bag limit sizer at the gate...

i could just see the amusement: 'maam, will you please place your ass in that seat measurer?'...

and i fly a lot, and have had numerous times when a fattie tries to put the armrest up... "ain't happenin', homie"... and i've had to hit the call button a couple times... it's me or them who has to get moved and i'm not taking a lesser seat...

i think that swa is covered by what's in their docs... that it's "not applied equally" is tough shit... the gate crew doesn't have a truck scale or a lasso tape measure handy, so they use their judgement...

in this specific instance, it seems like the complaint isn't so much being required to buy 2 seats as much as it is not even being given the option to and simply getting turned away.

 

[nobodyknows]

Maybe airlines should charge by the pound?

 

[cubeless]

Maybe airlines should charge by the pound?

it's coming... right after they start charging "by ability to pay"...