First-Class or Two Seats?

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May 17th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

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So I hate flying as it is but did you hear the news effective Wednesday April 15, 2009? United Airlines passengers who are too large to fit comfortably in a coach seat are required to buy either a second ticket or upgrade to business class, where the seats are larger. United has decided to adopt this policy after receiving supposedly more than 700 complaints last year from passengers who said that they did not have a comfortable flight because the person next to them infringed on their seat. The airline said it is enacting the policy for the “comfort and well-being of all customers aboard United flights.”
Other airlines such as Southwest Airlines have had restrictions similar to this policy for quite sometime now. They require that all passengers who do not fit comfortably in their seats or who cannot lower their armrests to purchase 2 tickets for 2 adjacent seats. What Southwest does offer is a refund for that second seat if the the flight is not sold out.

It seems as though passenger issues of weight and size have become more of an issue recently as flights have become fuller. But as airlines adopt new policies or toughen existing policies for plus size passengers, some question (especially me) how they can enforce such drastic measures fairly. I mean who has the right to eyeball another person and say whether they are too large or not too large and estimate whether they can sit in a seat comfortably or not. Are they going to have a “display seat” at the time of reservation and/or check-in for plus size passengers to sit in to see if they will compromise any portion of adjacent seat. I strongly feel that a greater and more decent way to approach this situation is to let the customers decide for themselves at the time of booking. If they feel that they will need more space or will not fly comfortably then the customers have the option to pay for an additional seat at their own discretion. I also feel that as an airline they should focus on accommodating their larger passengers free of charge and in the long run they will avoid alienating those of us who otherwise would fall victim to this ridiculous policy and in turn gain customer loyalty. I suggest they create more space and less seats and make everyone happy, that includes the large, the small, the tall, and the short. I’d be willing to pay a little more for a more enjoyable “less cramped” flight for sure. I mean who doesn’t like a little more room to stretch out and relax while traveling.

United has said they will waive fees it would normally charge for changing travel plans. If seating is not available and a passenger decides not to travel, the ticket will be refunded without any penalty, even if it is a non-refundable ticket. The new policy is effective for tickets that were purchased on or before March 4, 2009, for travel on or after the effective date of April 15, 2009.

Just say no to United Airlines policy to charge two seats for larger passengers
Sign the petition : http://www.petitiononline.com/NoUNITED/petition.html

Danielle Line, Guest Writer, Plus Size Model for www.swakdesigns.com