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Money Moral Dilemma: Should Andy complain about the Big Bob on his flight?

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Comments

  • I agree, yes Andy should ask to be moved and if this can't be done then ask for some money back. After all Andy could've saved up for a year or more to be able to afford it.

    (BTW: Welcome sweetcheeks, I notice this is your first post!!)
  • duchy
    duchy Posts: 19,511 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Xmas Saver!
    Quite simply you've paid for a whole seat NOT half a seat.
    I've been in that situation (the lady was lovely-just huge) and the flight was full in economy. The airline did discreetly move me when quietly asked to-if they hadn't I would have considered asking them to put me on another flight instead as they hadn't upheld the contract of supplying a whole seat (American carriers are better for agreeing to this than UK carriers). No way was I going to sit in half a seat for a ten hour flight
    I've also asked to be moved on a very short flight-when seated in a window with a very nervous chap in the middle seat. He was literally shaking and was freaking me out.
    I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole

    MSE Florida wedding .....no problem
  • Frankly, Im rather disturbed about some of the language appearing on this thread. "Beast of a woman", "Fatty", "Fatties", "Man Mountain", "Fat lad" and the classic assumption that 'slim=better'. As pointed out in the initial scenario, Big Bob could be a bodybuilder or perhaps a rugby player but everyone likes to assume that obesity is the only issue. I have a particular interest in this thread being a Big Girl myself. What makes me Big is 30 years of undiagnosed bi-lateral Primary Lymphoedema (look it up). On the rare occasions I do fly, I make it quite clear at the time of booking that I am a larger person and I try to sit with my partner (6'4") so that the only space we might encroach on is our own. Amazingly enough, some airlines make it incredibly difficult to have the choice of being as thoughtful as possible to other passengers. Trust me, people are fully aware of their size and many of them will have done their best to avoid being confronted by insensitive passengers and unhelpful cabin staff.

    In the meantime please be aware that some Big People are not simply gluttons who might sweat and smell bad for your inconvenience. Try substituting some of the cruel words used in these posts for something racial and see how offensive you're being. I expected better from this Forum for some reason.
  • Well put ttilley.
    :j Go on, shake your money maker! :j
  • matimage
    matimage Posts: 558 Forumite
    Happened to me on a flight back from Poland. Huge fat man (are we still allowed to call them fat or is it unslim?) sweating profusely squeezed in next to me. My heart sank. In fairness I have the same reaction when a parent with small baby/child sits near me.
    As a side, whats the etiquette when you are sat in the quiet carriage on a train and a child is screaming its head off?
    Sometimes you get what you deserve... :cool2:

  • duchy
    duchy Posts: 19,511 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Xmas Saver!
    This topic gets discussed pretty frequently on www.flyertalk.com and apparently the "correct" term is POS (person of size).
    (Although I don't think Average Andy made a good choice of flight the direct flight is less than 10 hours !! :D)
    I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole

    MSE Florida wedding .....no problem
  • Hannah2
    Hannah2 Posts: 283 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    ttilley wrote: »
    Frankly, Im rather disturbed about some of the language appearing on this thread. "Beast of a woman", "Fatty", "Fatties", "Man Mountain", "Fat lad" and the classic assumption that 'slim=better'. As pointed out in the initial scenario, Big Bob could be a bodybuilder or perhaps a rugby player but everyone likes to assume that obesity is the only issue. I have a particular interest in this thread being a Big Girl myself. What makes me Big is 30 years of undiagnosed bi-lateral Primary Lymphoedema (look it up). On the rare occasions I do fly, I make it quite clear at the time of booking that I am a larger person and I try to sit with my partner (6'4") so that the only space we might encroach on is our own. Amazingly enough, some airlines make it incredibly difficult to have the choice of being as thoughtful as possible to other passengers. Trust me, people are fully aware of their size and many of them will have done their best to avoid being confronted by insensitive passengers and unhelpful cabin staff.

    In the meantime please be aware that some Big People are not simply gluttons who might sweat and smell bad for your inconvenience. Try substituting some of the cruel words used in these posts for something racial and see how offensive you're being. I expected better from this Forum for some reason.

    Well said ttilley

    I am also a big girl, as you said, but I am also acutely aware of this and dread being in situations where it might affect others. I recently flew to the US and was so worried about this that I actually booked a second seat for my flights. Please note that one seat would actually have been fine although a little tight but I felt more comfortable knowing that I had that extra space.

    However, it was incredibly difficult to sort out (BMI) and I eventually, having been spoken to in an unacceptable manner by call centre staff, had to contact customer services and complain. From then on it was all dealt with very professionally until it came to check in at Manchester.

    When I checked in I gave both booking numbers, both tickets and explained the situation, it was only when i walked away from the check in desk and looked at my paperwork that i noticed that i had only been given one seat. I had to go back and explain again, and again to a supervisor. I was treated like an alien and humiliated.

    That all started again at the gate when i was called to the desk and told that they couldnt have 2 seats on the paperwork for me, that it wasnt allowed. They removed one off the records but said that they had blanked out the seat so that noone else could use it. By doing it this way they caused huge problems once I tried to collect my boarding card in Chicago for my connecting flight as they only had the details of one seat.

    Apart from all that, my tickets were marked as being a tall person hence needing more room. I am infact only 5 foot tall. That caused great amusement for the staff at Chicago.

    Add to that the glares that I got on the transatlantic flights which were both full, when people asked if they could move to the seat next to me as they were in the central seat in the middle section (not nice). I of course had to say no and explain that i had paid for 2 seats.

    I felt like a criminal and acutely embarassed.

    So, please have some consideration that not all "fatties" as people like to say are arrogant and ignorant of other people. We have feelings too and sometimes when trying to do the right thing can be made to feel embarrased and humiliated.
  • Sola
    Sola Posts: 1,681 Forumite
    POS? That's just plain silly. I'm 14 stone something and I refer to myself as 'fat' because that's what I am (although continuing to get slimmer). It's a plain factual description. Just don't call me lardbucket, Arbuckle or any of the other charming names; there's no need to be offensive.

    Yes I've been inconvenienced by other fat people; there's a morbidly obese guy who gets on my train who walks with a stick and takes up 2.5 seats to himself, so no-one can sit beside him. But he always looks very embarrassed about it all, and the last thing I'd want to do is make him feel worse; I'm sure it hasn't slipped his mind that he has a weight problem. I too find screaming kids much more of a problem.
  • sbb1979
    sbb1979 Posts: 12 Forumite
    I can completely understand that larger people would find some of the phrases that have been said to be offensive, but a large proportion of the people also said that they would discretely ask the stewardess to help them in the situation.

    If I was sitting on a plane and had half of my seat taken up by a larger person, whether they be a body builder or someone who is obese, I would certainly ask to be either moved myself, or for them to be moved. You pay for a seat, no matter what the reason, if you need two, then you need two. Its not down to us to walk on eggshells about it. The airline and the larger person should have both thought to prevent someone else becoming uncomfortable, and if they haven't done anything about it then it is they who are in the wrong, not the person who is being squashed into the seat. As a courtesy, I would ask discretely if I could be moved, but should there be no other option, then I would expect the airline to find other travel arangements for the larger person.

    Sad as it may be, if I'm being physically squashed out of my seat, then something needs to be done about it. If the person is overweight because of eating too much, then this should be a catalyst to them doing something serious about it. If its for medical reasons, then they should have financial aid to allow them to pay for two seats.
  • JayD
    JayD Posts: 720 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Well to all those who say Andy should ask to be moved, I'd say 'read the problem through more carefully'. It says "The flight’s full, so there’s nowhere for Andy to move."

    Given this scenario, and the length of the flight, I'd try to discuss the discomfort with Bob (who I am sure would be sympathetic) and arrange for each of you to have the odd walk about at staggered times. I wouldn't complain to the airline. I'd just try my best to make the most of a bad situation. The airline have no idea of the shapes and sizes of their passengers when they take the bookings and are under no obligation to seat you next to someone who does not exceed 'the average' build.
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