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AirTran To Begin Requiring Fat Customers To Buy 2nd Ticket

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AirTran, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, will begin requiring customers that they deem are too big to fit into one seat to buy another ticket. AirTran was recently bought by Southwest Airlines which had had this policy for the last 30 years. (www.thefloridanewsjournal.com) Ещё...

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tarbaby
phil gibson 0
The seats are smaller. And the pitch is also smaller, service included.....it is the real "Mass Transit". Cram as many people as you can into a flying tube...close the door and launch!
racerman
larry clement 0
Nothing is worse than sitting next to someone who spills over into your seat, unless it is a smelly someone who spills over into your seat.

More reasons why I fly my own plane.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
Maybe just sell tickets by the pound. That's what really matters when figuring weight and balance and fuel burn. That might start a new diet called the "airline deit".
zcolescott
Zachary Colescott 0
I would agree, but girth definitely means a lot when you are stuck beside a passenger of size...well, it matters to the other passengers anyhow.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
Let's don't just pick on large people. I am not sure what the policy on babies is anymore (because if i see a baby or toddler I keep moving down the isle)but persons with a baby should get extra seat also. Babies are always doing foul things and needing changing and room for diaper bags, etc. Some extra space would be a blessing for anyone stuck in that row. I had to put up with mine but I sure don't want to put up with anyone else's. I also didn't subject others to mine. Never took them on an airliner until they were old enough to behave.
Beland
David Beland 0
Southwest has had the right idea. I like the that Air Tran is trying to make my trip more comfortable.
FedExCargoPilot
FedExCargoPilot 0
Ok, now that it has been brought up, I think there should be a regulation to having babies on board. Lets just say that I'd much rather be sitting by a large person, me being large myself than sitting by a mom and her baby. And second, no offense to SWA employees/ fans, but SWA is not cheap compared to Continental, United, Jetblue and American. Last tickets I bought SWA had very expensive tickets, continental was much cheaper going to Texas from San francisco, so I took them. So if I was obese and had a choice between buying two seats on SWA, dealing with their ABC boarding process, no seat assignments and paying more, I'd get a first class ticket on United, so this would be a bad move for SWA but a good move for other Pax. For babies, it's very annoying when they kick your seat, scream like monkeys and barf all over the place. So if this were to go through, then babies should have a section in the back of the plane, where others wont be disturbed. Lastly, airplane seats are just too small, when I was 14 they started to get to small for me, so as discussed before, seats should be larger and more legroom, if SWA really wants good business.
BoeingFan59
Troy Raiteri 0
Agree with you again. I guess the airlines think we're all a bunch of toothpicks and "normal" people. I can't stand people who think there perfect just because their skinny little butts are. I have sat in an airline seat before..sad to say that the freaking Cessna's are a little larger than an airliner...come on a little prop seat is bigger than an airliner's seat now that's sad.
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 0
Everyone wants a larger seat and more legroom but they cry when the $59 EWR to FLL ticket is not available. Be prepared to pay $250 each way, that's what you would pay in gas if you drove!
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 0
GOOD GOOD GOOD!!! EAT HEALTHY, EXERCISE, LOSE WEIGHT!!! NO NEED TO BE SENSITIVE HERE, IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. I'M JUST BEING BLUNT AND TO THE POINT.
BoeingFan59
Troy Raiteri 0
Just remember folk...any way to get money. Keep that in mind as FedEx pilot said this is very rude and disrespectful for people that are overweight and "fat".
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
It's all real simple; bigger seats equal higher fares. Most people I know opt for the cheaper fares. SWA has always been the no frills airline and usually prospered when others languished. Want plenty of room? Buy a 757 like Trump.
BeckwithEnterprises
BeckwithEnterprises 0
This Is a Safety Issue. In the event of an Emergency any passenger with Limited ability may cause panic resulting in delay of passengers to die or be injured as a result. Safety of Flight is a Priority of: FAA, The Airline and the Airline Crew. The Wider Seats are in First Class and in some Busines Class may be considered in this case.
BeckwithEnterprises
BeckwithEnterprises 0
As a Pilot I am a Pasenger in an Airline and a Pilot in My Cessna Aircraft. I appreciate flying my Cessna to locations that are not served by airlines or Arline Flight that don't match my schedule. For this convenience my cost is greater than an airline ticket, In this case I have better use of my time and my coworkers appreciate it also since in many cases we are home the same day.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
You bet. If the person buys 400 seat pounds, better figure on 2 seats. Of course I jest a little, however when flying SWA I pick my seat accordingly (no babies, fat slobs, or nasties) and I have been ready to move a couple of times.

theschoolofchuck
Charles Collins 0
It takes more energy U, to accelerate mass nm than it does mass m, for all n > 0. Energy U costs $d, and d is something everybody on the planet is trying to get their hands on.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
Thanks for clearing that up Charles.
DanBednar
Dan Bednar 0
This is a policy that makes sense and one that every airline should adopt.
FedExCargoPilot
FedExCargoPilot 0
It's very rude to the overweight passenger to be told to buy an extra seat, but for other passenger like my self that are tall and broad and just barely have enough room in the seat, it's only polite to others to have their personal space and not be pressed to the wall of the a/c or crammed in the middle. It is also a safety concern... What will be interesting to me is at what weight do you cross the line in being called"to fat to fly" What about body builders?
BoeingFan59
Troy Raiteri 0
THANK YOU! I agree completely with you!
MikeMitchell
Mike Mitchell 0
This is a good policy. I seldom fly in public aircraft but it's very uncomfortable to be forced to sit in a seat when the person next to you is spilling over into your seat while you lean to the side for the entire flight !!!!!!!
apmac77
anthony mchale 0
http://failin.com/523/people/14033/fat-guy-in-little-plane.html

I agree..this is ridiculous and a major safety issue.
HowSwedeitis
HowSwedeitis 0
(From Tommy Boy) "Faaaat guuy in a little coooach! Fat guuuy in a llllllitttle coach!" XD
-HSII
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
No matter if you are chubby or wide or muscled up, if you can't contain yourself to your own seat then you need two seats. You don't buy a vw if you are large-you spend more money and buy a larger car.
HowSwedeitis
HowSwedeitis 0
I love being able to comfortably sit in my seat. I couldn't imagine being so big that I would have to buy a second seat. But if I was, then I sure as hell would buy one before ever having to be asked!
-HSII
rick737
richard weiss 0
Southwest has a rule that requires a passenger to be able to lower the armrest on the seat without interference. If that can't be done, it's back to the counter to buy another seat. And I say AMEN BROTHER!!
BrokenSouls1
BrokenSouls1 0
I think its ok because of the weight and balance issues with the aircraft
bleinenbach
Brandon L 0
I love this rule! Only because it sucks when you are stuck next to a big person that tried to fit into one seat & is overflowing into your seat! I totally agree with big people having to pay for 2 seats. That should help people motivate themselves to get into shape... Thanks AirTran!!
Moviela
Ric Wernicke 0
Southwest has been doing this for the revenue. Often they determine a pax must purchase a second ticket, then put another pax in the seat next to them. They use an average size passenger model that was adopted in 1927 along with the lost bag valuation of $20 per kilogram. As we are all aware people are larger today because farming has been able to properly feed everyone.

Guys like 5' 2" Bob Crandall (who was CEO at AA) declared the rabbit warren in economy on Airbus planes "an asset." The rest of us feel like sardines.

The 16 inch seat should be reserved for children under 12, and the rest of us should get 20 inches. The 29 inch rake should be allowed for flying Darby O'Gill and the Little People (Sean Connery film before 007.) Real world bodies need 36 inches. The airlines need to be forced to use current models of human dimensions.
jmcf
James McFarland 0
NBA players notwithstanding, if you can't fit in a standard coach airline seat then you might want to consider that perhaps you aren't "properly feeding" yourself.
rick737
richard weiss 0
Wow, that is the craziest post I've seen in a long time. By the way, the last time I stood next to Bob Crandall he was about 6'2"
amy34685
Amy Dillon 0
There is nothing worse than paying full fare, then being seated beside a fat person who lobs over to your seat. I always try to board early so I can put down the arm rest as a line of demarcation. Yes to buying 2 seats for those cannot fit into one; otherwise, upgrade to a premium. wider seat.
amy34685
Amy Dillon 0
And look first at the flight attendants whom are too obese to even sit on the jumpseat or walk straight (not sideways) down the center aisle.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
Airline flying is a hassle at best, but still beats bus or train. There are some tradeoffs for sure. Private airplane or personal vehicle are still the best and often worth the extra time and expense.
preacher1
preacher1 0
You are correct old man. 2 hours on a plane from the Midwest to the East coast is better than 2 days on a bus.lol
YOWspotter1
Ben Senior 0
But what if the fat guy has to buy another seat, pushing another passenger out of the plane? Like if the load factor was already 100%, then the fat guy has to buy another seat, who would get removed? I think the fat guy should.
preacher1
preacher1 0
Ben; with everybody trying to max out on capacity these days, you make a valid point; probably a point that hasn't been reached yet but we are getting there
arfdog
mags stumpp 0
...this craziness wouldn't happen if the seats on commercial aircraft were adult-size. I haven't had a coach seat in years where my knees weren't smack up against the seat in front of me. Even business class has gotten cozy. Why the race to the quality bottom...?
olseric
olseric 0
They're going to have to start putting boxes next to check-in like the ones for carry-ons, but the sign on this one will say, "If your rear doesn't fit in this box..."
mergemanry
Ryan Sherrill 0
For years I've been advocating that fat people have to check themselves in like luggage and sit in the cargo bays, but I suppose this is a little more humane.
tarbaby
phil gibson 0
They buy 2 seats and raise the armrest.........good option!
arfdog
mags stumpp 0
Fat people are the victims, not the problem!! Rather, it's that airline seats are just to darn small nowadays -- even for normally sized people. I'm a very average sized person and am uncomfortable when even an average sized person sits next to me and hogs the armrest. It's impossible to work on a laptop when the person in front reclines. Do you know anyone who isnt in agony in a middle seat? There was a time when what we now call "premium" economy was "normal" economy. This weight-warfare stuff arises because we're all mushed in like sardines in a tin. Trains and taxis offer customers more room. But, the airlines are obsessed with shoe-horning us all in their quest to make sure that grade school kids on allowances have enough money to buy a coach ticket to Guam. Next you know the airlines will charge tall people more because they require more legroom than the 3" the airlines will eventually allot us in their zeal to pack even more people into planes. Although I'm not one of them, I sincerely hope the large people of America rise up and demand fairness. What is Gov. Christie's opinion on this weighty matter...enquiring minds want to know!
preacher1
preacher1 0
This is going to be an issue for which there is no pat answer and there have been several good comments made in this thread. A few things:
1.Privacy issues have come into play over the last several years now and we have all seen the signs in Drugstores and Dr's offices telling us that conversations may be overheard. This size issue needs to be handled in someway, outside the hearing and/or sight of other passengers, not at flight time after a person is already on the plane and theirs bags loaded. That has the potential to not only embarass the person, delay the whole flight, plus putting somebody in the category of having to come up with extra $ on the spot to pay for an extra seat at an as of yet standardized price.
2. The issue of cramped seating is well known. Maybe I am sounding a little naive but most obese folks that are gonna fly are aware of this and will buy that 2nd seat anyway. It used to not be that big a problem as there were always a few empty seats and the FC could move folks around a little, but as eveyryone goes for more capacity, planes are getting fuller and it is becoming an issue. I personally look for it to become more the norm in the future and spread to other Airlines. This happened because they became part of Southwest, which already had the policy in place. It will be interesting to see who follows.
99NY
99NY 0
Love it. Maybe the 1 legitimately-medically overweight person out of 50 simply fat people will be offended, but its high time common sense ruled on all airlines, not just SWA or AirTran. Bravo Zulu
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
We all know the airlines are going to put as many seats onboard as they can to make the most money. Problem is on regular airliners (like 737s) you either have 2 seats to a side or 3. two and half seats doesn't work.
The airlines should have a room where people of size can go and make sure they fit the critera ahead of time (before boarding and preferably before purchasing a ticket.
If you don't want to be subjected to this-don't fly or fly only fist class. SWA is not the only airline. Just cheaper than most.
amy34685
Amy Dillon 0
AirTran will be Southwest shortly, but in the meantime they do offer business class (much wider) seats to all of their destinations for about $60-$80, which is much less than buying a second seat. Make sense?
arfdog
mags stumpp 0
Air tran coast-to-coast is 145 in coach 595 in business, or 4x. Wish the difference was only $80 - maybe that's the difference when you're going short-hop. Still better than UA where the difference is $2,500 coast-to-cost. Hefty price difference for weighty people seeking room.
fordy650
Jane Ford 0
Amy, I'm sort of in your ballpark. I worked in Res at SW for 11-1/2 yrs. I quit them because they almost made it a "religion" to offer "positively outrageous service", which was drilled into the res agents DAILY. Their "POS" as they called it should be changed to "Penalize Over Sized" pax. I dealt with this many times with an oversized pax.....we were allowed to offer them an "infant" fare; much like a person traveling with an instrument who did not want to damage the instrument, so they bought a seat for the instrument. Maybe the large pax should walk in "singing" and guise himself as an instrument and hence, purchase the infant fare, as well. Just saying!
amy34685
Amy Dillon 0
Well, the center aisle on the AirTran configuration of the Boeing 737 is very narrow. Usually the husky guys would take the aisle seat and hang over the side to get comfortable or fall asleep. It's tough getting the beverage cart past these individuals without disrupting them or having the cart rub against their arms. I am not aware of AirTran offering infant rates or discount for an additional seat to secure an instrument, but with the take-over this may become one of the changes...

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