Mumsnet Talk

Here

So the 'fat' passenger paying more argument continues.

My question is, how do you decide when someone qualifies for the 'fat seats'. What happens if you book a normal seat, get to check-in and they say 'Sorry madam but you're fat' . Are you expected to get on their scales for a weigh in?!!

if you spill over the side into the next seat maybe you should have to buy two. Seems mean but bitter memories of an expensive and long flight when I only got half of my seat to use may be colouring my view!

I think if any part of you is covering the seat next to you and causing that person discomfort, then you're too fat for a normal size seat.

They should have standard sized seats in the check in area in the same way that they have those cage things that your hand luggage has to be able to fit into. If you are not contained within that seat, then you have to pay for an extra seat.

If you are too wide to fit into one seat then you need two. If you need to take up two seats, then you should pay for two. The price is per seat, not per person, isn't it? Correct me if I'm wrong

Or perhaps there should be a range of different sized seats?

Or maybe all seats should be a bit bigger?

It certainly isn't fair - and I say this as a fat person - on the person next to you if you are taking over half their seat because your arse won't fit into yours. It's uncomfortable for everyone. I would HATE it if I was in a situation where the person next to me was being half smothered by me. I'd feel dreadful.

It should purely be based on whether you overspill into the next seat. So, enormous bust / very tall = no problems; massive hips and arse = buy another seat.

They could maybe make them buy one and a half seats, and put two outsize people next to each other with a spare seat for the overspill in between.

The armrest has to be down between the seats. If you can't fit in one seat with the armrest down you need to pay for two?

Many years ago i went away with my parents and my dad is quite porky. All I can say is thank god we were only going to Tenerife as I was squashed

Have to agree - if your body doesn't fit in the seat it aint fair to inflict the overhang on somebody else especially if LH!

If your butt is on the seat I am on and have paid for, then...I should get a partial refund!

I would construct a cage thingy like they have for hand luggage. if you fit in fine, if not you pay 2 tickets.

It's not just butts though

Some people have huge arms and shoulders that press against you

It makes it almost impossible to drink or read

I did see some rubbish on tv a while ago about this in america, they have a limit of 250lb for a single seat, and yes if they where unsure they would weigh the person!

But what if you're simply large framed? I had an unpleasant train trip home yesterday, with the tall, wide (not fat) bloke next to me bumping his elbows into my ribs every time he opened his newspaper. And then asking me to give him more space, FFS. Which would only have been possible if I'd amputated my right arm.

Public transport should consider customers of all shapes and sizes when planning seat size. Unfortunately these things are dictated by money, with people being crammed into ever smaller spaces to maximise profit.

I don't think we should be picking on passengers for being fat. We should be having a go at the companies that think it's okay to make flights as unpleasant as possible.

Or they could make a slide to the same dimensions as the seat and have it at check in. If you slide to the bottom, one seat. If you get stuck, two seats

Perhaps the airlines could give everyone a total weight limit - person + baggage. It doesn't seem fair that larger people should have to pay double the price. DP would probably overspill the seat as he's a big rugby player type. But he'd be sitting next to me and I'm on the skinny side.

I flew from Paris to San Francisco squeezed between 2 big persons. It was very uncomfortable, although I think I wouldn't have suffered as much in my younger years, when I wasn't tormented by back pain.

I also think that seats on planes are rather narrow, and i say so as a slim person. Deeply uncomfortable.

I don't think we should be picking on passengers for being fat. We should be having a go at the companies that think it's okay to make flights as unpleasant as possible

No-one's picking on anyone but if the companies have to make the 'standard' seats bigger, that means less seats on a plane and higher prices for everyone.

Fine if the majority can't fit into standard seats, but if it's the minority then the only real solution is that they pay extra.

Someone I used to work with who was very slight got the hump when they'd paid excess baggage, yet the airline hadn't charged the fatso sat next to him any extra, despite her alone weighing more than him and his baggage put together.

He argued that each passanger is allowed- for the sake of argument - a 15 stone bodweight and baggage allowance. How they make that up is entirely up to them.

Very good in theory but the side effect would be fatties sitting around on planes in their underwear in a bid to beat the combined weight allowance.

I flew to Florida and got asked not to recline my chair as the lady behind couldnt fit her table down if I did, it isnt just width of seat, its sometimes the room taken up in front too.

side effect would be fatties sitting around on planes in their underwear in a bid to beat the combined weight allowance.

that would make a flight much less boring

Surely as the offending party she should have done without her table, not you without your snooze?

Isn't it awful that this has to be done...."Fat" people have feelings just like the rest of us and yes it is horrible to be squished by someone over spilling their seat, so why don't the airlines cater for the larger person? Airlines are just wanting more people on flights and therefore more money in their pockets!
The NHS cater for our widening waistbands so why not airlines?

It can't only be about weight though, although that should come into it. But someone can be very tall and weigh a lot and not overspill onto the next seat at all. Fat people do overspill.

I would feel for people who are just big and not at all fat, but then tall people are already discriminated against on flights because they often end up paying to sit in extra leg room seats or they end up in actual pain because they simply don't fit into the space allowed.

My DH is not really fat but has huge wide shoulders and legs (boast boast) and takes up a seat and a half on bus, should he get charged too?