If a passenger spills into your seat, it should not be you who has to suffer. One American Airlines passenger did not even get compensation when he was squished beside an obese passenger on a full flight. That is not how such situations should be handled on AA or any carrier.
American Airlines Does Not Follow Its Own Policy, RE: Obese Passenger
An American Airlines passenger complained that he was seated next to a “passenger of size” on a full flight who spilled into his personal space, making for a very uncomfortable flight. When he complained to American Airlines, he received a canned response with no compensation:
I flew within the past week and the person in the middle seat next to me was very obese. They weren’t able to pull down the arm rest because of their girth and over half of my seat was taken up by this person with their body pushed up against mine. It was a completely full flight and the [flight attendants] weren’t able to offer anything. This was a rather uncomfortable flight. ‘ve written to AA to complain but their response was a canned letter which didn’t even address my complaint nor offer any solutions or compensation.
This is difficult sitution, but made worse by American Airlines just looking the other way instead of enforcing its own rules. View From The Wing is quite right that AA has published a protocol for dealing with situations in which extra space is needed:
- When you call to book, Reservations will make sure you get two adjacent seats at the same rate
- If you didn’t book an extra seat in advance, ask an airport agent to find out if two adjacent seats are available
- You may be offered a seat in a higher class of service that may provide more space; in this case, you’ll be responsible for the fare difference
- If accommodations can’t be made on your original flight, you can buy seats on a different flight at the same price as your original seats
I know it’s easy for a gate agent to look the other way…there is no easy way to deal with a situation and in many cases, there is shame and embarrassment involved.
But that doesn’t make it right! If a passenger fails to prepare for their special needs, the pain should not fall upon the victim.
I’m not attacking the passenger of size here…no diatribe today on fitness and dieting. But whatever hand you have been dealt (some people are tall and have huge bones, other people struggle with weight due to gland issues, and others simply overconsume calories), you do not have the right to invade the space of others on a plane. If you cannot put your armrest down, you need to secure a second seat. How you do it is your issue…but invading your seatmate’s space is unacceptable.
We’ll see if AA responds better this time than last time.
Our passengers come in all different sizes and shapes. We’re sorry you were uncomfortable on your flight.
— americanair (@AmericanAir) October 11, 2022
CONCLUSION
American Airlines has a sensible approach to passengers of size: it just needs to enforce its own policy. While complaining to a flight attendant or delaying a flight by refusing to sit down may seem mean-spirited, it is unreasonable that passengers should be forced to abdicate their own personal space in order to be “polite.”
> Read More: American Airlines Taunts Passenger Who Complained About Being “Sandwiched” Between Two Obese Passengers
What’s with this “passengers of size” terminology? Would referring to them as “Obese” or “Fatass Pigs” hurt your snowflake sensibilities?
Dignity belongs to every human being. Sometimes harsh words are necessary, but “passnger of size” does the job well nad indeed, I’m refering not just to the morbidly obese, but people who are naturally large (tall, broad, etc).
Would the aptest descriptor in that case not then be “passengers of large size”?
Yes, “passengers of large size” “passengers of especially large size/unusually proportioned passengers” etc all are better and make more sense. Of course, the idea behind “passengers of size”/ “people of size” is to mirror the verbiage of “people of color” in order to portray fats as an oppressed minority in order to demand special treatment, and if you speak out about then nonsense you’re then portrayed as an oppressor. And while we can talk about the unusually tall or broad shouldered, I actually am unware of ordinary airline policy that would apply to these individuals, as they can use the seatbelt as intended and fit in their seat, even if uncomfortably.
How about “widebody”?
@Chi … How about “Water Buffalo” ?
Lots of great ideas in these comments
Michelin too!
The gate agent and/or the FA don’t need any pax drama . Their job is not part of a dramatic soap opera .
The response from AA could have suggested that if the pax was uncomfortable he might have asked to change his seat to an unoccupied one . Or , he might have changed seats on his own . Easy solutions .
It is the job of the gate agent or FA, not the passenger.
As I mentioned, in this case every seat was taken. It should not be the small passenger who must take a later flight – it should be the passenger who requires more space.
@Matthew … I agree you are correct in your well-reasoned evaluation and conclusion .
However , if the gate agent or FA happens to be a non-confrontational introvert , that is OK also .
Actually, it’s the job of the complaint resolution officer since this is a sensitive issue that may lead to lawsuits. The gate agent and FA are supposed to refer it to a CRO.
@jm … Pilot ought to cancel the flight . Problem solved .
Perhaps if you choose economy , it is a roll of the dice ?
Sometimes you sit next to a huge hound dog from the South , and sometimes you sit next to a lobster fisherman wearing a yellow slicker from Maine .
Sometimes you sit next to a loud rapper from New York , and sometimes you sit next to an illegal migrant from Chihuahua .
Sometimes you sit next to a guy who exhibits symptoms of Parkinson’s named Brandon who stands up and looks around blankly , and sometimes you sit next to a loudmouth with orange hair who boasts about how bigly he is .
Look, in all seriousness, a large person or dog that intrudes into your space should not be your responsibility to deal with it. The airline should see it and not allow it to happen.
@Matthew … I suggest offering the large person or the large dog a bribe of two free meal .
If they are from the Middle East , hold out a cash bribe . Problem solved .
Gosh you really are a deplorable person.
My armrest stays down. I don’t lose any of my space to someone who needs to take care of their own business.
I request a different flight if needed but I won’t be crushed.
Had that happen to me several times. Worst yet. when they sweat on me.
That’s why they call it cattle class. Moooooooooo
Go eat feces, Billy Bob
Quit with the excuse making for these fat people. These people have no right spilling into another persons space. All of these obese, people of “size”, lard asses – what ever term applies – should be made to purchase two seats – because they take up the space of two seats – it is just that simple and true. Now, excuse makers, go ahead and bash me for telling the truth – I know you bleeding heart morons will – but don’t forget what I have said here the next time you find one of these behemoths sitting next to you, squeezing your space and the life out of you as they confiscate your paid for seating space.
Great comment…sums it up completely. If flight is filled, he cannot be allowed to board. He failed to purchase 2 adjoining seats. No excuses. And a happy standby passenger gets to fly after all.
How come I weigh 160# and have to pay for luggage over 50#, when these obese can bring themselves on weighing 400# with no extra charge. It’s always the same, the 1% rule the other 99%
It is up to each and every person to maintain your weight. Obesity is an epidemic and it does make me sad. I was seated next to an oversized individual on a flight from ord to lax and it was incredibly uncomfortable. I was in the first row behind first on American. It’s not my job to deal with over sized individuals. I’m sorry they may have weight issues but I cannot coach them to get to the gym.
If someone crowds into your seat – particularly if the armrest cannot go down – it should be an IDB situation, with compensation and being placed on another flight.
Ok, but which passenger would get bumped off the flight? The one who needed the extra seat or the one whose space is encroached?
The one who needs the extra seat.
we need to stop coddling these people.
Call them what they are, not passengers of size. They are BIG FAT COWS. WHALES also fits the bill
and if the cows and whales do not fit in a seat, they either buy a second or they are denied boarding
You are spot on!!!
I’d be more believing of the story if the person didn’t use such obvious hyperbole. The person took up half their seat? Unless the person writing is tiny that’s just not physically possible, which calls into question the veracity of the rest of the tale.
They have learned how to measure luggage to make extra revenue why not put a seat out by ticketing and measure passengers for size!
As passengers it behooves all of us to research the specific policy of the airline we are flying on and have it on hand, printed even before we fly. Then a squished passenger can ask the gate agent to enforce the written policy rather than expecting the squished passenger to change flights. For example, from Alaska Air, which makes it clear the armrest goes down and is the seat boundary:
Customers of size seating guidelines
We strive to best serve our customers’ unique needs by providing a safe and comfortable flight for all passengers.
We require the purchase of an additional seat for any customer who cannot comfortably fit within one seat with the armrests in the down position. The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats; width between the armrests typically measures 17 inches for coach and 21 inches for First Class. The purchase of an additional seat(s) serves as a notification to Alaska Airlines of a special seating need, and allows us to adequately plan for the number of seats that will be occupied on the aircraft. Most importantly, it ensures that all customers onboard have access to safe and comfortable seating.
After you have completed travel, if all Alaska Airlines flights in each direction departed with an open seat available, you will be eligible for a refund of the second seat.
Got bumped from a FC seat from EWR to SAT, put into aisle seat, row 30 next to a large lady who did not wear her avoirdupoids well (AKA she was too large for her seat). She spilled into both my seat and her window neighbor’s. Four hours to IAH, 90-minute delay on the taxiway at EWR… Points awarded for the flight were not the FC I bought but Y class. Contacted United twice was told it was policy since I was in fact in a coach seat and re-routed through Houston (notwithstanding the re-routing was due to my late incoming UA ‘flight from Johannesburg) Bottom line, United is just as miserable a flying experience as AA.
The article implies that the customer didn’t complain until the flight was under way, which means the gate agents didn’t have the opportunity to solve the problem by rebooking the passenger of size in 2 seats on a later flight. I realize it’s awkward to complain in the moment, but that’s really what you have to do if you want the problem solved.
Maybe the gate agents or flight attendants should have identified the problem on their own before departure, but that’s asking a lot.
I suppose AA should give some retroactive compensation, but that’s hard to demand without evidence that they were at fault, and anyway it’s too late to undo the passenger’s discomfort.