Another airline passenger rights story - having to stand for 7 hours on a plane

[DandyDon]

I've been a heavyset fellow almost all my life, but this is absurd. Airlines cram as many body as they can into those claustrophobic aluminum tubes, but some limits must be enforced. The gate agent may have been the first airline employee to physically encounter the passenger who could not fit in his seat without removing the arm rests, and it was his/her responsibility to stop him from boarding - which s/he failed. If a passenger cannot fit between the arm rests, he does not have any right to steal space from adjacent passengers.

I'd hate to cause a scene as a plane is trying to board and leave, or any other time for that matter - aside from the risk of being arrested, but this victim should not have accepted the circumstances. He paid for his seat and when the obese passenger insisted on removing the arm rests so he could spread out beyond his purchased space, the victim really needed to stand in the aisle, find a flight attendant, involve the captain if needed, and insist on his right to his seat - able to wear his seat belt. If someone would have had to leave the plane, which seems like the obvious case - it should have been the obese one.

We see other stories about disabled or obese passengers enduring problems on planes and we always have to wonder about the other side not reported, news stories are often based on rumors only, but from the sounds of this one side at least - this sounds horrible...!!

From: Obese passenger forces neighbor on US Airways flight to stand for 7 hours | Gadling.com

Arthur Berkowitz, a passenger on US Airways Flight 901 from Anchorage to Philadelphia, had no other choice but to stand up during his seven hour flight. It seems the next seat over was occupied by a passenger so overweight that it was impossible for Berkowitz to stay in his seat. Now, Berkowitz is speaking out about the ordeal.

"I didn't fly from Alaska to Philadelphia on Flight 901," Berkowitz told consumer advocate Chris Elliott, "I stood."

The neighboring 400-pound man's body spilled over into Berkowitz's personal space so much that he was forced to stand for most of the 7 hour flight, and he couldn't use his seat belt during takeoff and landing.

"His size required both armrests to be raised up and allowed for his body to cover half of my seat." said Berkowitz.

US Airways apologized for the incident and said in a statement "Our intention is to offer the best travel experience possible. The details you have provided indicate that we have failed to meet our intentions." US Air offered Berkowitz a $200 voucher in compensation.

In a poll on Elliott's consumer watchdog site, 96% (over 17,000 votes) thought that US Airways did not offer Berkowitz enough compensation. We agree.

[Mark Derail]

Reminds me of my Red Eye From Hell - San Diego night flight to New Ark, on a jumbo jet. The ones that seat 3 people on either side, with a hallway down the middle.

Two obese women were on either side of me, and I was in row 32 - the LAST ONE - in B seat, they occupied A & C.
They complained (loudly) to the airline stewardess that I refused to lift the armrests, and that they were highly uncomfortable.
Full flight.

Needless to say, even with my earplugs playing music, I got zero sleep between these two women. Fat has a tendency to become viscous at less than 1 BAR, I swear I was being squished slowly & surely, like in a vise.

The two women fully expected B seat would be unoccupied, they reserved A & C in the last row.

[DandyDon]

They complained (loudly) to the airline stewardess that I refused to lift the armrests, and that they were highly uncomfortable.

What did the FA say in reply?

[coldwaterlloyd]

I guess they need to have a ... size / weight limit per seat .
In todays world they could have a few overweight seats to accomodate the passengers involved .
I have had a 4 hour flight under similar circumstances and can relate to the guys "hell" .

[Mark Derail]

What did the FA say in reply?

That it was up to us to decide amongst ourselves; I said they stay down. They made me suffer for it of course. A six hour flight meant a few times the A seat got up to go use the loo.

[fisheater]

The best part was the airline "public relations" person blamed the innocent passenger. "He's the one who decided not to sit." Heck, there was nowhere for him to sit! "He wouldn't even use his seat belt." He couldn't get to it.

Heartless and clueless.

Damn I hate modern airlines.