Call me cold and heartless if you will - but if you need 2 seats, bloody well purchase 2! Had this exact thing happen on 2 sectors today. 1 person on each sector who clearly and obviously needed 2 seats, and were aware of their size (both requested extension seatbelts at the boarding door). Both sectors were full flights with, quite literally, one seat free on each sector. Both times I managed to move around a number of people to eventually ensure the free seat was next to the person who required it. I did this mainly for the pax around them who were squashed (in one case, the Customer of Size was in the middle seat and he was, quite literally, squashing the guy next to him into the window - the girl on the aisle seat was petite and was still getting squashed).
Do not interpret this as me being unaware of pax needs, unaware of different reasons why people are overweight, or unsympathetic to their plights - but why should someone
expect 2 seats (as often happens) just because they are overweight? You get what you pay for...
This is NOT discrimination on behalf of the airlines, and (apart from measuring the guys girth at checkin - thats totally inappropriate) I have difficulty understanding why a court ruled against the airline. Heres hoping they appeal the decision!!!
I think Southwest are on the money with
their policy:
Customers who are unable to lower the armrests (the definitive boundary between seats) and/or who compromise any portion of adjacent seating should proactively book the number of seats needed during initial reservations. This purchase serves as a notification of an unusual seating need and allows us to process a refund of the additional seating cost after travel (provided the flight doesn’t oversell). Most importantly, it ensures that all onboard have access to safe and comfortable seating.
For more information, please refer to our
Customer of size Q & A
* Rant mode off *