Airline Starts Charging Passengers by the Pound

[Paulchili]

It is possibly only going to be resolved when after a long haul flight someone squashed into part of their seat takes seriously ill as a result, and then something will have to be done.

 

I understand the problem and have no solution.

But I don't see how someone could get seriously ill after being uncomfortable on a long haul flight (much less proving that being the case). Even when seated next to a large person you can get up and walk around or do you exercises, etc.

If being uncomfortable on a long flight would lead to serious illness, many of us would be very sick :D

[Mura]

Not sure you are correct, Paul.

 

There are plenty of reports saying that blood clots, etc., occur when people are just sitting there for hours. This is exacerbated, I am sure, with the smaller and smaller sitting areas (especially in the cheaper seats).

 

We are told to walk around but plenty of announcements are made on board that we must stay in our seats. I have been on more than a few flights where I was told we couldn't even line up for the bathroom.

 

If you are on a wide body you can still walk around, but it's very difficult with single aisle aircraft.

 

It amazes me that the airlines continue to reduce the sitting room while we have all these reports that people are heavier and heavier. I'm one of those heavy people and I have upgraded myself to business, but sometimes I don't have a choice. (I can still get into a coach seat but it's the leg room that does me in. And I am NOT tall!)

 

The airlines like to charge more for less, but ignore the size of their customers. Yes, we shouldn't be obese, but we are bigger than we used to be while the airlines seats shrink.

 

You cannot keep on charging more for less. That is my message to the airlines.

 

Mura

[Paulchili]

Not sure you are correct, Paul.

 

There are plenty of reports saying that blood clots, etc., occur when people are just sitting there for hours. This is exacerbated, I am sure, with the smaller and smaller sitting areas (especially in the cheaper seats).

 

We are told to walk around but plenty of announcements are made on board that we must stay in our seats. I have been on more than a few flights where I was told we couldn't even line up for the bathroom.

 

If you are on a wide body you can still walk around, but it's very difficult with single aisle aircraft.

 

Mura

 

Mura,

the potential problem with DVT (deep vein thrombosis) is well documented and well known. How this risk would be exacerbated if someone "squeezes" you in your seat ("smaller seating area") I cannot imagine. It has to do with poor hydration before and during the flight as well as lack of lower extremities movement during long flights (resulting in poor circulation in your veins). Even when you are "squeezed in", you can get up as often as you wish (and are allowed by seat belt restrictions) to do your exercises.

Conversely, as you point out, if you are not allowed to walk around either due to "rough conditions" or single aisle restrictions then you would be at the same risk no matter how comfortably you are seated (with little leg room, as you point out). Even when you cannot walk around, there are a series of exercises you can do with your feet and legs to promote the circulation in your lower extremities (even when you are squeezed in :)).

Nobody likes to be uncomfortable but I cannot see how that relates or leads to "serious illness"

[Mura]

Mura,

the potential problem with DVT (deep vein thrombosis) is well documented and well known. How this risk would be exacerbated if someone "squeezes" you in your seat ("smaller seating area") I cannot imagine. It has to do with poor hydration before and during the flight as well as lack of lower extremities movement during long flights (resulting in poor circulation in your veins). Even when you are "squeezed in", you can get up as often as you wish (and are allowed by seat belt restrictions) to do your exercises.

Conversely, as you point out, if you are not allowed to walk around either due to "rough conditions" or single aisle restrictions then you would be at the same risk no matter how comfortably you are seated (with little leg room, as you point out). Even when you cannot walk around, there are a series of exercises you can do with your feet and legs to promote the circulation in your lower extremities (even when you are squeezed in :)).

Nobody likes to be uncomfortable but I cannot see how that relates or leads to "serious illness"

 

 

 

I have not myself had a problem in terms of health on a flight, but I have been on many flights where we were told to stay put. These days I do try to fly business where it isn't such a problem. But in earlier days (such as my flight from Newark to Tel Aviv in Nov 2006) when we were in coach we were strongly told NOT to clog the aisles. They told us not to stand in line for the bathrooms, and were routinely ignored.

 

Sure, you can do those "in seat" exercises, and I do. But I'm not willing to give the airlines a pass because I can do crunches in my seat when they should be giving us decent seating and leg room. Instead, they give us less and less.

 

Is it their fault that I'm overweight?

 

Not at all.

 

But it is their fault that even at 5'5" I don't have enough leg room to be comfortable if I'm flying in coach.

 

As to hydration, I am a very good water drinker. I even bring my own on board. (Okay, I really don't think you were criticizing ME in your statement about hydration.)

 

But I do NOT give the airlines a pass on this. They make flying increasingly uncomfortable while they want more and more money for the privilege of flying, and nickel and dime us to death. I see no justification in reducing the pitch and seat width while they charge more and more for coach.

 

Mura

[Paulchili]

 

But I do NOT give the airlines a pass on this. They make flying increasingly uncomfortable while they want more and more money for the privilege of flying, and nickel and dime us to death. I see no justification in reducing the pitch and seat width while they charge more and more for coach.

 

Mura

 

I couldn't agree with you more on this point.

Unfortunately it is a case of "we do it because we can" - like most business models. With all these recent mergers there is less and less competition. I spend much of my free time maximizing my FF miles by any means I can so that I can fly in business on long haul flights.

It's my way of getting back at them :D

[2kiwis]

Maybe there are some lawyers out there who can advise if those passengers who book and pay for one seat and do not get this can request a refund from the airline for not delivering the service paid for???

 

At the end of the day it is the person who loses part of his/her seat to another that is the only one who suffers.

 

The larger person gets the comfort of his/her seat and part of someone else's without paying any extra.

[yarlenna]

It seems like airlines already have a problem with extra plus sized people. Some airlines require the person to purchase two seats. The problem that made the news that stemmed from this was that a person paid the extra seat surcharge - however the seats weren't next to each other:rolleyes:

 

I am a large woman - and have NO problems with the notion that I would have to buy another seat - but I would only pay for it if I would use it. Having two seats NOT together is a waste. The air lines need to work on this.

[Paulchili]

I am a large woman - and have NO problems with the notion that I would have to buy another seat - but I would only pay for it if I would use it. Having two seats NOT together is a waste. The air lines need to work on this.

 

Surely one can make seat reservations on just about any US airline ahead of time (at the time of buying the ticket). There are a few (BA) that may charge you extra but when you spend the money to buy two tickets what's an extra couple of $$ to get a reserved seat?

[Louby-Lou]

Check this out - I remember it making the news

 

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/10/22/virgin.payout/

 

Lou

[Mura]

At the end of the day it is the person who loses part of his/her seat to another that is the only one who suffers.

 

The larger person gets the comfort of his/her seat and part of someone else's without paying any extra.

 

 

I doubt the large person is any more comfortable than his or her seatmate. You are well aware that you are overflowing your seat, and you are also in contact with the other person. I don't even like having to share an armrest.

 

I'm a large person but I manage to stay within the bounds of my seat. I'm still not very comfortable ... which is why I fly business when I can. I don't have the plethora of FF miles that people who travel a lot on business have; then again, I don't fly to Europe all that frequently -- maybe once or twice a year. Rarely more, although that HAS happened.

 

Mura