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

LuciferTDark

There is no obesity crisis in this country!!!

alanalan_2

He should definitely complain to the airline after the flight. I had to tolerate a seat next to an obese man recently - bad enough from Newcastle to London. Why should someone elses gluttony cause discomfort to others?

Little_Feet

This happened to me on a 5 hour flight. The lady, who sat almost on top of me, spilled out over the seat to the extent that the arm rest would not go down. Add to this the fact that she had bare arms and legs, and that her clammy, perspiring flesh was touching me, above and below the waist, and you can see the reasons why I just had to complain. I could not endure a flight of this length 'glued' to a voluptuous stranger. I made my point, discreetly at first. The cabin staff were very unhelpful initially, but as I am very tiny in stature and this lady was in serious danger of engulfing me, like an amoeba engulfs its food, I had no chance to kindof fight for my own personal space. Additionally, the BO was pretty high. So eventually, the staff agreed that I had a point and moved me. The staff explained to me that they just didn't want to give in to the large lady's need for two seats. Hmmn.:cool:

Sola

So would any of you react differently if it was a ginormous bodybuilder sat next to you?

Tomski

Too right Andy should complain about the Big Bob!

I have had to sit next to "larger" people before and it's just not fair. If I pay for a seat I expect the whole seat - not to share it with someone for free! :mad:

The airline should ensure this doesn't happen when the "larger" person checks in. The "larger" person should be obliged to mention this at time of booking or risk losing their seat and fare

sluggy1967

misterspoon wrote: »

I'm pretty skinny myself. Should I get a discount on my seat? - as I take up less space and weight, therefor burning less fuel and probably eating less food.
Oh, and I do think I would prefer a big person next to me than a screaming kid. Talk about heart-sinking, a 12 hour flight with some brat kicking the back of your seat and screaming in your ear.
It would be nice to have a few big seats on the plane and a kids area, but of course this would cost.

That's some clever kid that's able to sit next to you screaming in your ear AND be a brat kicking the back of your seat at the same time!!!!!

tenmah

cm233lh wrote: »

Why can't you people use international measurement units so that everyone can understand you? Height is a distance from the floor to the top of your head. Distance is measured in metres. Weight is a proxy for mass, which is measured in kg. garyrjb is 1.93 m tall and weighs about 108 kg. Is that so difficult?

Because most people in the UK use stone and inches, so why should it be changed to something now a lot of people won't understand?

sluggy1967

Tomski wrote: »

Too right Andy should complain about the Big Bob!

I have had to sit next to "larger" people before and it's just not fair. If I pay for a seat I expect the whole seat - not to share it with someone for free! :mad:

The airline should ensure this doesn't happen when the "larger" person checks in. The "larger" person should be obliged to mention this at time of booking or risk losing their seat and fare

I agree, if you know you are so big you are going to take up more than 1 seat (whatever the reason for you being big) you should mention it when you book the ticket, after all, that's what wheelchair users like my husband have to do. My husband accepts that his disability isn't anyone else's problem and big people should take the same view.

harz99

Of course Bob is at fault - whether he is fat, heavily muscled, abnormally tall, has a medical condition or even one or more of these, he must be aware that his size is likely to cause a problem in the well known cramped "economy" class.

Of cause large people never tell the airline their problem when booking flights - they neither want to pay for two seats nor pay for business/first seats.

As others have hinted the biggest issue is one of health & safety - other passengers should never be trapped cramped in their seats for health reasons, nor should they be potentially trapped by another passenger in an emergency situation.

For health and safety reasons, airlines should, within their booking conditions, be able to give and stick to, maximum height and body mass index figures for each class of travel that they offer. Booking a flight with an airline always means that you agree with and accept their conditions of carriage etc. The airline check in and cabin crew can then refuse to accept the pax in the same way they would a person under the influence of drink/drugs.

Personally I always try to book long haul flights with airlines using craft with 2-4-2 seating in order that my wife and I have a good chance to avoid this problem, failing that we will ask for two aisle seats opposite each other in order that we at least have one side of our body free.

I think as others have said you should not suffer in silence, and should raise the matter with cabin crew. If they are unable or unwilling to help, make sure you raise the matter with the most senior ranked cabin crew member (even if you have to drag them away from first/business class) and record details of their name, position etc. to complain later. By all means try and get a photo, but beware of opening up a whole new can of worms (human rights etc.).

Interesting to hear of cabin crew not wanting to help a large person obtain an extra seat f.o.c., that I understand as one ticket equals one seat, equally nobody in this situation should stand for the large person being upgraded to first/business rather than them, and I reckon this does happen, i.e. better seat f.o.c. for the person causing the problem is unfair.

For the record I am 6'1" tall, waist 40", and fluctuate between 15.5 and 16 stone; and I do fit in a 31" pitch/17" wide seat.

I must say that my biggest problem on economy class flights is people who recline their seats, then when the meal is served, just sit forward in their own seat without a thought of how the person behind them is supposed to eat.

Seasons Greetings to all.

mrc2

I think everyone should be charged on the basis of their BMI body mass index, this way you pay for your excess 'bagage' ! people who are overweight already cost the taxpayer too much through the health service costs..self abuse should cost the abuser no others