Is it unreasonable for airlines not to provide wider seats for obese passengers?

And I think that would be easy to achieve with the seat belts if you can't fasten it then sorry.

Just the same as roller coasters if the harness doesn't close - sorry mate

Of course you'd get people insisting on paying for the smaller seat anyway.

But that’s why it would have to be made clear that if someone couldn’t fit in their seat they couldn’t fly. The same as luggage checks.

If you look at the number of airlines that have ceased trading in the UK and mainland Europe in, say, the last 15 years, there is little evidence that they are greedy, far from it, profitability per passenger is low.

lf you want to argue that they offer a service less than what many desire, that is another matter, but they are certainly not making lots of money.

I'm in two minds on this one. I actually think they should perhaps have two sizes of seat, with one being cheaper.

Its a bit unfair on people who are naturally larger or taller, but if the alternative is encroaching on someone else's paid seat, then it's not fair.

Of course you'd get people insisting on paying for the smaller seat anyway.

Its all very difficult, no easy answers.

It’s about physical comfort and being able to sit in a seat though.

all those other things may be annoying but don’t stop you fitting in a seat.

I think you’re taking this a bit personally. It’s not big vs small people. It’s ensuring everyone can sit comfortably and safely in a seat.

whether that’s buying two seats or airlines looking at having bigger seats. And yes they will have to pay more. Like those with extra leg room would need to.

I wonder if people with money thought would buy the bigger seats just so they have more space?!

Yes, I'd ban all those too! Needless to say I rarely choose to fly, it's generally an unpleasant over-priced experience!

I bet there are larger people who simply don't travel because they know they won't fit, find it uncomfortable and buying two seats isn't comfortable and is quite frankly embarrassing.
So having a extra wide / premium economy would be an attractive option

It's not the airlines' responsibility but the individual's. Buy another seat, go Business class, don't fly or lose weight.

The OP is a covert dig.

Budget airlines are greedy. All the seats need to be bigger full stop.

Whataboutery.
The fact their are other factors that may make air travel unpleasant (though not physically uncomfortable/possibly injurious) doesn’t mean airlines are off the hook for addressing something that they could alleviate.

So you agree with the op that the problem and its solution lie with the airlines not the passengers who have little choice?
(I think buying 2 seats simply doesn’t occur to most people, doesn’t always work and is usually excessive vs their need).
Do you agree that there should be bigger seats available for a proportionate price?

Right well in that case.

let’s also look at other factors that make cramped and packed air travel unbearable.

• Babies
• Children
• Loud people
• Farting
• Snorers
• Bad Breath
• Body odour

At this rate there will be loads of spaces for the smaller people to lounge about.

You can emphasise with people as well as want to be comfortable though.

Of course you can, which is why it's so strange that so many posters don't, and just want to make horrible comments about people's bodies and assumed morality, or look forward to laughing at them not being able to fit in seats.

You can emphasise with people as well as want to be comfortable though.

both things can be true.

I would hope that bigger seats would also make larger people feel comfortable and also be able to exit quicker in a fire/emergency. So it’s as supportive for larger people.

we shouldn’t all be squished in like sardines!

I don’t think that’s being a cunt?!

Concentrate on the greed of corporation rather than the size of other peoples arses.

It is quite clear on most airlines that if you do not fit into your seat then you need to purchase another one and can be thrown off the plane if you fail to comply.
It is up to everyone to check that they fit into a seat.
People may not for into a seat for all sorts of reasons: to wide, shoulders too wide, legs to long.
Airline seats have not got smaller. People are getting bigger fatter and taller. Everyone should purchase a seat that they fit into. If my husband doesn’t want to contort his legs in a flight, then we have to book extra legroom.

the premise of this thread isn’t that larger people shouldn’t travel, it’s that airlines should provide seat options to enable them to do it. As its stands it can be quite painful (not merely minor discomfort) for them or for fellow travellers. Wise ‘humanity and empathy’ says that airlines need to adapt to their clientele (albeit obviously at a monetary cost to the latter) rather than just shoving bums onto seats that don’t fit.

All the comments I am making are regarding economy. That’s why I mentioned European business class - it doesn’t really exist. Economy plane tickets are factually extremely price sensitive.

My point was that the model of selling space is not new at all and is very well established, and used where its profitable. It’s not something that hasn’t been thought of and it isn’t as simple as making the notional total cost of the seats the same. They have to be sure they can sell all of those seats and also make up the lost revenue from ancillary charges (baggage, seat charges, on board purchasing, advertising).

I am only talking about premium because it is a working example. The OP was on a 4 hour flight - airlines don’t even offer premium economy on these flights. They are not profitable because the demand is not there. If it did, it would be there.

Airlines have hundreds of MBA qualified economic specialists managing revenues in an incredibly complex system. An individual flight doesn’t need to turn a profit, some routes rarely see profit but the overall model has to work in conjunction with the fuel, airport and cargo industries.

Pricing is very dynamic which is why you get the anomalies you mentioned like a premium economy seat costing almost as much as business sometimes. Sometimes it will be just a bit more than economy - I am travelling this summer and the PE difference was very small which is why we paid it (family of 5 and the costs add up, we don’t always. It depends solely on how confident the airline are that they will sell that seat on that plane on that day and, importantly, how much they want to sell it at that time. I booked early during a sale. Some seats which are sold early will be sold over and over again as people cancel and change (and a huge amount of those costs are retained by the airline) but the airline wants secure a certain of booking on the plane early on. This is revised constantly.

For a real horror story Google standing ‘seats’ on two hour flights!

I’m not trying to win an argument, i just like economics and travel a lot for work. I was at an airport when I posted in the middle of the night. I find it all fascinating.

On cost, yes obviously I agree a business will pass on sufficient to make the profit they want.

UK health and safety law does cover harm to other people, not just employees, but maybe there’s lacking a clean link between that and aviation rules. You’re absolutely right that On the plane, the CAA is in charge and it mainly focuses on safety critical risks, so probably not things like being stuck in an unhealthy position for hours. But certainly things like evacuation and other safety critical hazards.

That doesn’t mean the potential for harm isn’t real. Especially when the passenger has reported significant discomfort and a request to move if possible, and actual harm has been caused.

What could make a difference is pressure. If enough people complain, especially where there’s real pain or injury involved, the CAA would start to notice patterns and can push airlines to change how they deal with.

And the more people treat it as a genuine issue rather than just an inconvenience, the more likely it is to change.

I suppose the real question is whether passengers would be willing to bear higher prices for more comfort. I’m sure there’s got to be a solution that isn’t either cattle crushing versus business space.And would benefit people of small or large stature!

.

Posting on a public forum and prioritising your own “comfort” over basic humanity and empathy is being a cunt It’s obviously a dig at larger people.

Oh do elaborate

Its not being a cunt to want your whole seat to yourself.
Seats aren't exactly massive that people don't mind sharing.

Must be exhausting being this much of a cunt tbh.

Mmmm, I just don't know how you'd secure it to prevent it becoming a missile in turbulence or it getting in the way during an evacuation.
Planes need to be able to be evacuated in 90 secs. Which is also a reason why parents need to be with children, they know it goes against all instinct to leave a plane without your kids.