Flying, Weight and Discrimination...

[Kat817 19]

Susan I flew to and from my banding without issue. That was at almost 300 pounds. I flew to be banded with my SIL who was the same size. She carried all of hers through her hips and thighs, mine was in my belly, they never said a word to either of us.

I did receive a tip on here from an experienced bandster at the time (remember Penni?) she advised me if I thought I was going to need a seat belt extender, to ask for it AS YOU BOARD! When you are walking in and the attendant is greeting you, simply ask for a belt extender....she will reach out and get it from right behind her usually, hand it to you and you go on to your seat. Those in line boarding behind you cannot see what is going on, it is mere seconds, does not hold up the line. Those already boarded will be stowing bags, and settling in, not paying you any mind. If you wait and find you need it after sitting down, she will walk back up the aisle, get it, walk back down with it in full view and try to remember who needed it----with all eyes on her as you wait to take off.

That being said--we flew American and as I said I was almost 300 pounds, all belly, and on the flight out I did not use an extender, the belt was fine, but I knew with fresh stitches and soreness coming home I would want it! So I ask, and it was not an issue! Simple just as I was told it would be.

You have already lost a lot of weight, you should be fine! DO NOT worry about this-----plan on having a wonderful time!!!!

Kat

[brandyII 9]

Wheetsin,

Wow, I know there are a few who may say that the treatment of your parents was perfectly "okay" but I disagree. It was totally disrespectful and makes me sad and angry. You have to remember that we're dealing with corporations that have strict policies on weight for their own stewards so we shouldn't be surprised that they're so disrespectful to the public who pay a lot of money to fly with them. I believe we have to be more choosy as to which airlines we do fly with and I choose not to fly with companies that have strict weight restrictions on their stewards as it probably is a reflection on many other values they have. Whether we are POS or not we are human beings and are to be valued and respected as such!

Yes I have flown on one of those one seat-isle-two seat planes where they shifted us all around to balance it out and that was much less offensive to me because they didn't call people out on it they just did a basic add more to the other side kind of thing if that makes sense.

Anyway that's all I have to say for now, brandyII.

[losingjusme 12]

Somebody must work for the airlines! And, I get that it's getting harder for them to operate (mostly due to fuel costs) ( previously, it seemed like their financial trouble was caused by overly expensive pension payouts) but customer service is almost non existent.

And the "fat person" wouldn't be getting "more" room, they would be getting equal room.

that would be me (working for an airline)...

everyone in coach is more or less getting equal room (seats further back seem to be squished a bit closer together)... equal for everyone .. just because someone has 4 inches to spare on both sides doesnt mean that everyone has to have 4 inches to spare ... everyone gets the same sized seat - that is equal ...

yes, it sucks flying fat. i've flown to many international destinations fat (try flying in coach to china on a chinese airline - not so much fun for the huge fat chick ...)

one of the many reasons i had the surgery was because i work for an airline and have all these opportunities to fly across the world, but didnt want to do it fat.

[brandyII 9]

susan4794,

You're right, like flying isn't stressful enough to have to worry about that BS! I'm personally built more like an "apple" but still have a stomach but have never had a problem fitting any seatbelts or armrests but still I feel self conscious about my size and usually get a window seat so I can shove my whole beautiful God given body against that window. Besides I can watch what's going on and that entertains me more than the people on the plane. I can see where you've gotten paranoid but try not to worry, I'm sure you'll be fine.

Also sometimes they don't sell out first class seats and have asked people if they want to upgrade, usually for around $100. Once when I was flying back and forth taking care of my dying father I decided to treat myself to first class thinking it must be "amazing" and it was larger, not so amazing and all we got was a bottle of Water, not Figi, and a packet of cookies! I thought they rolled out the red carpet for first class but I was wrong. My daughter says it's much nicer when you're on flights overseas, I don't know but it definitely gave me more leg room and that was the nicest part. Have a great trip, brandyII.

[brandyII 9]

Doddie63,

YOU GO GIRL!!!!!

Brandy II

[Ang1982 4]

One other time there was a very large man on the right side of the plane, and they asked for volunteers to move to the left side to balance his weight out (yes, they said that). He & my parents are the only ones I've seen called out once actually boarded, but I've seen people addressed a handful of times at ticketing.

Oh my gosh! Was it a smaller plane? Cuz something tells me one 500 lb guy on a 747 wouldn't make that much difference. How embarrasing for the poor fellow.

I don't know about the armrest down thing, 90% of the flights I am on are pretty empty, so I get a whole row to myself and I keep the armrests up and normally lounge across all 3 seats. Never been told I couldn't do that, I just have to be seated & buckled for take off/landing.

When flying with family and we're sitting together, we always put the armrest up too, again never been told we couldn't.

Granted I haven't flown as often as some but I've NEVER had to put my arm rests down on a flight. I didn't even realize that this was supposedly a "law". Interesting. I too have had the occasional flight that was almost empty and got to sprawl acrsos all 3 seats - no one said a thing.

[snuffy65 1]

Oh my gosh! Was it a smaller plane? Cuz something tells me one 500 lb guy on a 747 wouldn't make that much difference. How embarrasing for the poor fellow.

Granted I haven't flown as often as some but I've NEVER had to put my arm rests down on a flight. I didn't even realize that this was supposedly a "law". Interesting. I too have had the occasional flight that was almost empty and got to sprawl acrsos all 3 seats - no one said a thing.

Its not the law. Its a measurable way to tell big people that they are too big for the seat. Its a "policy" not a "law". I support that policy because then you don't have any questions about who can and cannot sit in just one seat.

[MacMadame 81]

But the stewardess said it was THE LAW. She wouldn't lie, would she?

[MrsFlipFlops 2]

I asked my pilot hubby who quoted some FAA regulation... basically it's a regulation that they need to be down for take off and landing for certain types of planes.

[Wheetsin 714]

I don't remember what size plane. Nothing as big as a 747, probably along the lines of a 737 or MD-80. And no, from a customer serivce standpoint the deal with my parents should have been handled differently. But I agree with the airline about having them end up in different seats. And crossed my fingers that they didn't have to buy 2nd seats, since I had paid for all 6 tickets already. But I would have understood it if they had required it.

IMO, you pay for the space of your seat, not "comfort". If someone doesn't need their entire seat and doesn't mind you spilling into it, great. If there are empty seats and you can move next to one, great. But it is not right that customers who pay for the same seat you did get a half a seat because you're fat. (You generically, of course).

However, fair is fair, and I think that if an airline is going to enforce the POS policy, they should put the same diligence into addressing the carry-on policy. I'm tired of seeing women come on with a pull-along, a huge purse, a bag of things they bought at the airport, their knitting bag, etc. If we're allowed one plus a small, then that's all you get, because it's not fair that someone else's ticket price ALSO included one bag plus a small, and now they have to check theirs because others took more space than they were entitled to.

[Kat817 19]

But the stewardess said it was THE LAW. She wouldn't lie, would she?

I'm sure they would never lie! I would imagine she left her lucrative law practice to be a flight attendant for the exotic travel!

I really am being facetious, I know they have a difficult job at times, and to make a judgement call like that on the spur of the moment is not something I would be comfortable doing....and I cannot imagine all of them enjoy being asses in the way they handled some of these situations. When faced with an unsavory chore, often times just doing it head on is the answer. I can only imagine the confrontations some of these cases have caused.

I do believe there should be a way of dealing with it without it being handled like a public service announcement.

The workers now decide arbitrarily who is too big, who is dressed too provacatively, who fits certain profiling guidelines...the list goes on. While we find it intrusive and unfair, we keep wanting them to do what they do, cheaper, quicker, and safer.....something has to give and it is usually customer service----the only way to combat it---is letting them know why, and taking your $$$$ elsewhere.

Kat

[Wheetsin 714]

That's really a good point, Kat. This goes so far beyond airlines. Everyone wants a rock bottom price, and they want the world for their money. Look at our past threads where Wal-Mart has come up. People want to pay $6 for a shirt, then are upset if it doesn't last long, and they can't find someone to ask questions of, and the cashier is rude. You can only expect so much for $6, gotta stop being cheap or make it yourself if you want more for $6.

Here's a diagram I use at work and when I consult, to help people understand why I needd a price that's more than they think, why they can't have it yesterday, etc. I tell people they can pick any two...

[Jennie1976 1]

I can see both sides of this issue, but here are my thoughts.

1. Airlines are a business. They can (and should) make money. Living in a capitalist society, that's why we have competition. If someone can make more money offering fewer, but larger seats, then they can/should do it.

2. There are 2 to 3 people in question here. The POS and the 1 or 2 people sitting next to him/her. The needs of the POS to NOT outweigh the needs of the people next to him/her. They have just as much right to their entire seat space as the person next to them.

3. Flying is NOT a government business. While discrimination rules apply towards the sale of tickets, this is not a discrimination issue. My DH is a special education teacher. He is an advocate for rights of handicapped people. However, that does NOT mean making hiking half-dome wheelchair accessible. It does not mean providing an elevator on Half-Dome so that POS can see the view. There are some things some people can't do. It's not fair, but it's life. I will never be a supermodel. I'll never climb Mt. Kilomanjaro (sp?). Some people do not fit in rollercoaster rides. Should they shut down the ride?

Bottom line? I don't believe in changing all of society for a much smaller segment of the population (even if that minority includes me). MOST people fit in airplane seats. As long as they have a tactful way of dealing with this (and companies have universal ways of dealing with this) they I don't have a problem with it--even when it affected me.

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

Couldn't the airline just take one row of three seats and put in two larger seats instead?

Why does the world want to insist that we all become one generic size? Their seats are a size medium (maybe) and they make no allowances for taller people, either. My husband is 6' 4" and really suffers when flying on a full flight.

who can afford crazy first class prices?

Oh a ticket is a contract? That's correct and if I want to change the contract they want to charge me a fee, but if THEY change the contract do I get something back? No way!

I agree. We do not live in a one-size-fits-all world. The price of a airline ticket is outrageous they should be able to accomodate people. Wether they are big, tall, handicapped, or just feel they have paid enough for a ticket they should have enough room to breathe.

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

Ugh, you guys are killing me here. We are flying out to Vegas this weekend. I have never been on a plane in my life, so that has me terrified enough as it is. Next, I am terrified of possibly needing a belt extender. And, add to that that I am now running around all the offices at work, measuring chairs and sitting in them to see if my fat butt will fit into a 16" or 19" space without spilling over so I don't have to buy an extra seat, which I cannot afford. (yes, we are going to Vegas, but it is an all expense paid trip by GM).

I am now contemplating leaving work early so I can get home, see who our flight is booked with, go online to get their seat sizes and once again commence to measuring chairs and my booty. :biggrin:

susan that was too funny.