We've all seen "AIRLINE" on TV about Southwest's Customer Service...it appears that too much labor time is being spent on explaining the "customer of size" policy to overweight customers (after they'd spent the money, of course). Why not just install a few rows of larger seats in the airplane, and avoid the costs of 1) bad publicity, 2) alienating (larger) customers who may have more money, 3) staff labor, and 4) attorney fees? The way airplane seats are set up now has no basis in reality, given the proportion of the population within "fit" weight categories. We've all been cramped for 20 years because of costs...how about changing your product to "fit" the consumer? (no pun intended)
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Yes, that would be a good idea. Primarily the seats would be for the larger people, but could be helpful if the company accidentally overbooks the flight.
Answer: They already have them. They're called 'first class'. Seriously, the cost of even one row of these seats on every airplane would exceed the cost of the occasional lawsuit and rebooking.
One option would be to have it listed in the fine print when you're selling the e-ticket: "Warning: If your waist is greater than 50 inches you may be unable to fit into our seats, and either miss the flight, be required to upgrade to first class, or purchase an additional ticket".
Most of the really fat people should already know better.
I would prefer spending three hours on a flight with a fat person's flab enveloping much of that side of my body, then someone without concept of hygiene leaving their disgusting scent on my body for all of my friends, family, and colleagues to sniff once I go about my business after the flight.
A bumper seat attachment could be made to secure between two seats with a raised arm rest between the seats. Then the seatbelt would fit, their behind would fit properly in the modified seat, and they wouldn't interfere with the comfort of the person next to them.
Where can an obese person sit on an aircraft that won't endanger the other passengers in the event of an emergency? They can not buckle the seatbelt properly which endangers everyone around them in an accident; although a seatbelt extension could be adapted to allow wrapping around their girth. If they fall, no one can help them and they will impede others from exiting the airplane expeditiously. They can not fit through an emergency exit. And it would not be right to reward obese people with first class seats just because they are overweight. That would be like letting a thief go free just because they can't help stealing.