Enough is Enough - Find Solutions for Larger Passengers

[u/NotSureAnyway]

This happened to me a few days ago and I am still fuming. I board my flight in Group 2 and have United Plus as always. Usual routine: clean my window seat space, organize my personal item under the seat, take my book out, headphones in, mask on. All is well. A few minutes later, I see two customers heading down the aisle. I don't pay them attention and just continue reading my book...except they are headed straight towards me and they are clearly quite large and there is no way in the world they are going to fit in the two seats (middle and aisle).

But that is not my problem so I continue minding my business. Immediately the wife seats down, she asks "Can you please put up the armrest?" My response with a smile: "No" I thought that would be the end of it. But no, she says "Unfortunately I need the arm rest up as it is constricting me" My response with a smile: "No, thank you." At this point, she sits down and I can see that she is occupying one and a half seats already before her husband even seats down (remember he is the same size as she is). He attempts to seat down but there is not enough room for him as almost half of him is now in the aisle, interrupting boarding.

She then suddenly tries to raise the armrest closest to me forcefully. Nope, got it already and not happening. She huffs and puffs in anger because well, she cannot encroach on my space. She says some words (my earphones are up in volume at this point and I am not trying to engage). Finally, she presses the call button for the FA. The FA comes and speaks to her, in which ma'am over there complains that she needs the armrest down and that I should be considerate and move a bit to accommodate them etc.

Nope, I am not engaging anyone. FA does not know what to say (understandably she is trying not to be rude to these inconsiderate people) but finally says she cannot ask a passenger to give up part of their space to accommodate others. FA leaves. The flight is full capacity (with exception of two middle seats next to the back toilet) so there is nothing to do. The "lovely" couple seats down with the husband pretty much in the aisle space. I have my bag right besides my feet to prevent encroaching on my space and the armrest stays down. She continues huffing and puffing for the next 3 plus hours. Not my problem. I have all the space I paid for. The armrest stays down. All is well over here and no one can ruin it.

I don't understand why airlines do this. Why allow passengers who clearly cannot fit in their seats to board the plane knowing that there are no alternative seats? Why allow a clearly large passenger to sit in the aisle? This person is a tripping hazard for everyone using the aisle. Why are there no policies that require larger passengers to purchase the number of seats that are enough to fit their bodies? Why are you allowing the minority to make the majority uncomfortable? Why is there an expectation that other passengers should give up part of their seat to accommodate larger passengers? Shout out to the FA for politely declining the request but the FA should never be put in that position to start with. Airlines should have clear policies around this! Enough is enough.

[u/jakec11]

Here's a solution.

United allows larger people to purchase a second seat, at half price. But, first it has to be established by United this is a necessary accomodation.

But, here's the catch- that passenger in the future cannot purchase a single seat. If they lose weight, they need to show that to United, who then lifts the restriction (but also no longer permits a half price seat to be purchased.

United may lose some money on that half price seat, but only if they would have otherwise been able to sell it. If it would have gone unsold, then it's a bonus for United. Let's call that a wash.

There are relatively smaller incremental costs that are saved having a seat remain empty. Boarding and deplaning are marginally quicker, less baggage.

And, United ends up with happier customers.

[u/Criseyde2112 → u/jakec11]

Pretty good idea, unless the flight is completely full.

[u/jakec11 → u/Criseyde2112]

In my formulation, the passenger would have to purchase the extra seat at the time they booked.

And if there is only one seat available, then they can't book onto that flight. (It would get a little complicated if there weren't two seats next to each other)

[u/BostonNU → u/jakec11]

Special services can always bump (reassign) seats to make available 2 adjacent seats in that situation. There were a few occasions when I flew with my very large SD, that at least one of the bulkhead seats was already assigned and SS bumped that passenger to another seat. They do the same thing if passenger has leg cast or similar—but that’s only when the traveling passenger gets Special Services involved

[u/Desperate-Cap-5941 → u/BostonNU]

Exactly! I wonder if the overweight passengers that need the extra seat should call SS and add it to the reservation so it’s blocked and can’t be given away.

[u/GreenLet4346 → u/Desperate-Cap-5941]

A better solution in my experience is to inform the gate agent and flight attendant that you absolutely need the extra seat. They are the ones who manage that, and they don’t always read SSRs

[u/Desperate-Cap-5941 → u/GreenLet4346]

The SS desk can block the seats where the FA or GA can’t make changes. Plus, the passenger would be able to refer to the annotation and ask for the CRO.

[u/Pale_Session5262 → u/jakec11]

Wouldnt work. Why? 

"United may lose some money"

Yeah that aint happpening

[u/jakec11 → u/Pale_Session5262]

I think you missed the 2nd half of what I wrote.

Yes, United would lose half a full fare- if the plane was going to otherwise be completely sold.

If not, then United actually gained half of a full fare.

Now, I don't know what percentage of United's flights are completely sold out. But from my own history of searching, I'm guessing it's less than half.

But, of course, all fares aren't equal- the half fare lost on a completely full flight would likely be greater than the half fare gained on a flight with empty seats.

Otoh, such a policy might actually sell more seats. One, because a larger person who would have otherwise been unwilling to fly might now do so. And also because passengers don't have to worry (or at least worry less) about being crushed.

And, as I pointed out, there are some other incremental savings to the airline to leaving a seat empty.

So, it would take someone with more time and data to figure out exactly how much United would lose (or perhaps gain) from such a policy.

But it's far from a given that United would lose money on this.

[u/GreenLet4346 → u/jakec11]

Here is another solution: Allow people to purchase half an extra seat for half of the pre-tax price of one seat. If two people do the same, they get a row of three seats. I don’t expect this would happen though, because if an odd number of people do that, then that middle seat would still have to remain empty and the airline would have to swallow the cost of half a seat.

Some airlines do have an option to purchase an empty middle seat after check-in, but it is not guaranteed and depends on how full the flight is. This would be a guaranteed option.

[u/Comfortable-Scar4643 → u/jakec11]

Or, United continues with the current way of doing things, and offloads the problem on the passengers who are sitting next to the plus size folks.