Jetstar Gets It Right

[Zpete]

YOU ARE NOW FREE TO MOVE ABOUT THE CABIN: Samantha Scafe is incensed that

when she flew from her home in Cairns, Qld., Australia, to Coolangatta,

airline Jetstar made her pay for two seats because she weighs 160kg

(353 lbs).

Scafe says the airline told her "not to worry about paying

for the second seat" when she reserved her flight, but when she arrived

at the airport, airline agents changed their minds and "advised me to

book and pay for a second seat for other people's comfort because of my

size."

She paid -- and only then did she notice that the two seats were

not together. (Cairns Post) ...So the "other people comforted" by the

double fare weren't her fellow passengers, but rather the airline's

stockholders.

Is it fair or not?

The airline is correct about other peoples comfort.

Who has spent a 12 hour flite with another passenger encroaching into your comfort zone... space?

I have, and the body odour was appallingin this case.

[H2oDunc]

In the Uk they are now targeting obese people. They reckon they are costing the country millions. Especially in the NHS. I'm all for making fat, pie eating slobs pay for 2 seats.They should though be net to each other or its a blatant rip off! And they should also pay more in the first place as If I am over on my luggage allowance they charge me. Not only bags should be weighed at check in! It wont be long before these people are made pariahs like the smoker.

[tw25rw]

A lot of tall people, me included, have to be selective about who we fly with and often pay extra for some legroom. We rarely get exit doors even if more in need than those that do get them. So why should those with big <deleted> be any different? The seat width/pitch is easy to fid out in advance.

[neverdie]

Okay fair enuf that she had to pay extra money for a second seat for her HUGE a55e, but how did they expect her to split her body in two pieces by not placing the seats together.

WOW, What a crap airline & it just keeps getting worse....that really sux & I would be lobbying to get that money back....by all means charge her for two seats, but put the seats together, twits

[thailandlover]

I vote unfair, if she is going to pay for two seats for the comfort of other passengers then the two seats should have been side by side. Otherwise, what is the point? The person next to her is uncomfortable anyway, and they have managed to get an extra paid seat that is then unoccupied. A rip off in my books.

[torrenova]

I think South West or some other USA budget carrier started this long ago. They stated that if you were a fat person, you had to buy two seats. However, they did state that you would be refunded unless the flight was full.

Personally, I say make them pay the fat gits. I refused to sit next to one and insisted on a move (only upgrade available) or I was off the plane.

As for being fare, can I check in another 75kg of free baggage please ? No. The plane does not care whether weight is cargo or some fat git in economy. Lard costs money to shift.

[ozzieovaseas]

In the Uk they are now targeting obese people. They reckon they are costing the country millions. Especially in the NHS. I'm all for making fat, pie eating slobs pay for 2 seats.They should though be net to each other or its a blatant rip off! And they should also pay more in the first place as If I am over on my luggage allowance they charge me. Not only bags should be weighed at check in! It wont be long before these people are made pariahs like the smoker.

Id to say a big CARTMAN..."god_am_it"

I weigh 80 kilos and im allowed only 20 kilos baggage..meaning i should be able to carry 60 kilos of luggage if being charged the same fare.

Actually on second thoughts if a person takes up 160 kilos of weight and then has the hide to carry on another 20 kilos of luggage then i should get 80 kilos... i could have bought my fridge...GOD_AM__IT!!!!

[ozzieovaseas]

Okay fair enuf that she had to pay extra money for a second seat for her HUGE a55e, but how did they expect her to split her body in two pieces by not placing the seats together.

WOW, What a crap airline & it just keeps getting worse....that really sux & I would be lobbying to get that money back....by all means charge her for two seats, but put the seats together, twits

Dear Mr ND,

How do you know it was her a55e that was the offending weight guzzler??

It could well have been her boobs, in which case they could possibly have left the seat directly in front purposely vacant...unknowingly to her, she could have taken the hint and conveniently flopped 'em over..

cant blame the airline for that

[tw25rw]

I posted without reading properly before.. Sounds like she did the right thing , but the airline screwed her about.

Can't they flag a booking that the seats must be together? And even preallocate them? Same as when kids and parents fly together.

She really should lose the arse though.

[britmaveric]

Never work - airlines will be sued, taken to court and lose in a lawsuit! Happened with SW - ended up reversing this policy after losing a mint in court.

[Igor]

I'm a bit large myself so empathize. But, I don't need a seatbelt extender and I don't encroach on the next seat except for maybe fighting over the arm rest. I have seen suggestions that airlines begin to charge by weight. I think that is an awful idea. No prepaid tickets - everyone has to stand on a scale at the check-in counter. ("Dag nab it! Why did I have that second helping of meatloaf last night?")

Still, a 300+ pounder is going to need more room, at least in economy. And they should have to pay for it. I don't care what seat number they put on the ticket as long as she got two seats together. Of more importance to a "person of size" - if they pay for two tickets, do they get two meals?

[backsoon]

YOU ARE NOW FREE TO MOVE ABOUT THE CABIN: Samantha Scafe is incensed that

when she flew from her home in Cairns, Qld., Australia, to Coolangatta,

airline Jetstar made her pay for two seats because she weighs 160kg

(353 lbs).

Scafe says the airline told her "not to worry about paying

for the second seat" when she reserved her flight, but when she arrived

at the airport, airline agents changed their minds and "advised me to

book and pay for a second seat for other people's comfort because of my

size."

She paid -- and only then did she notice that the two seats were

not together. (Cairns Post) ...So the "other people comforted" by the

double fare weren't her fellow passengers, but rather the airline's

stockholders.

Is it fair or not?

The airline is correct about other peoples comfort.

Who has spent a 12 hour flite with another passenger encroaching into your comfort zone... space?

I have, and the body odour was appallingin this case.

surely it is not fair to anybody. would airline accept 50% of the ticket price if she weighed 40kg?

do we have to weigh in like a piece of luggage? it is an outrage...ah, no i am not fat.

[ozzieovaseas]

. Of more importance to a "person of size" - if they pay for two tickets, do they get two meals?

Yikes, i hope so, lest they get hungry and chew on my arm

[chefshane]

. Of more importance to a "person of size" - if they pay for two tickets, do they get two meals?

Yikes, i hope so, lest they get hungry and chew on my arm

The concept is fair - just badly executed.

If her arse was too voluminous to force between the armrests on one seat, then she should be charged for two.

Then she should GET two, and be allowed to spread her girth comfortably across the crack - one buttock on each seat, with some venting in the middle for comfort

If she pays for two, and in fact still has to force her cellulite into a compact space and sit there packed like a sardine, then she is obviously being ripped off.

I was a reasonably fat bastard myself, until I started to exercise a bit of self control and make some conscious lifestyle choices.

Being fat will cause one some comfort and inconvenience.

It is only "discrimination" if it evades logic, and is done to be "mean"

If it is a matter of get what you pay for - no problem.

It was explained she would pay for two and get two - and this didn't happen, so a refund is due.

If the policy to charge for two was because of the extra fuel required to lift her excess cuddliness off the tarmac, then that should have been explained, so she could have the chance to:

a/ chuck a wobbly (literally?), and swear at the airline staff and risk being jailed for two years

or

b/ choose an airline with a different policy (and pay double anyway, as Jetstar is incredibly cheap)

or

c/ cop it sweet

or

d/ Swap: coke for water, burgers for salads, convenience foods for fresh produce, and fast food for healthy food, then try again next year and be able to sit comfortably in one seat.

[samgrowth]

Don't believe evrything that you read in this forum.

[neverdie]

I'm a bit large myself so empathize. But, I don't need a seatbelt extender and I don't encroach on the next seat except for maybe fighting over the arm rest. I have seen suggestions that airlines begin to charge by weight. I think that is an awful idea. No prepaid tickets - everyone has to stand on a scale at the check-in counter. ("Dag nab it! Why did I have that second helping of meatloaf last night?")

Still, a 300+ pounder is going to need more room, at least in economy. And they should have to pay for it. I don't care what seat number they put on the ticket as long as she got two seats together. Of more importance to a "person of size" - if they pay for two tickets, do they get two meals?

Spoken like a true fatty ....if i get two seats, do I get two meals LOVE IT!

Have you thought that maybe you would get two meals, but perhaps you should only eat one.

PS: I am fat also

[tw25rw]

Should get double everything including baggage allowance.

[QED]

Definitely fair, although badly executed in this instance.

I think you should have a threshold above which you pay excess the same as for baggage, obviously those under that threshold would not get a discount, but how is it fair that these fatties with a self inflicted condition should be subsidised by those of us who take a little more care of ourselves?

When I flew Air Asia to Singapore a few months back I had to pay 600 baht for being a few kilos over my allowance when there were plenty of people with a combined weight greatly exceeding mine, but paid the same fare and no excess baggage fee - how is that FAIR?

I do remember years ago on a small regional airline in the UK we were all asked to stand on these jumbo scales with our luggage. A few of the women were less than keen, but this was a small aircraft (about 12 passengers) with a very small runway, and the take off weight had to calculated precisely. No reason why they couldn't introduce this for all aircraft IMO

[tw25rw]

Maybe the airlins will just refuse to take bookings from people who can't fit between the armrests for take off and landings for safety reasons in the future.

[Zpete]

Just a thought, have an economy seat at check in, like the cabin baggage thingie.

If ya overflow the seat, pay up.

What yers reckon?

[samuibeachcomber]

you've got 1st class,you've got business class..................how about a "fat class"?

Rip ot 12 seats in economy,install larger seats (6) charge somewhere between bus. and 1st prices,as an incentive unlimited salads to eat and soda water.

[tw25rw]

I'd be happy to pay extra for a business/first seat and not get the champagne/caviar/lounge etc. Premium economy is a step in the right direction, but I reckon they can go further so that those on a budget can lie down or spread out a bit.

[geriatrickid]

Now illegal to charge the morbidly obese extra for the seats in Canada. They won their complaint before the courts. Ff they produce a medical certificate that says the obesity is a medical cause, then the airlines flying into and out of Canada must provide the extra room. The certificates are easy to obtain, since the definition of origin does not exclude psychological conditions. i.e. being an ill disciplined slob gets you the cert if you pay the authorized signer his or her fee.

[samgrowth]

What if a person is physically too big to fit into a seat. What should the airline do in that case? Forcing an oversize peoson in-between the arm rest could cause physical harm.

[tw25rw]

What if a person is physically too big to fit into a seat. What should the airline do in that case? Forcing an oversize peoson in-between the arm rest could cause physical harm.

Don't let them board/check in. Ideally, they wouldn't get as far as buying the ticket. In an evacuation, they could prevent someone else escaping.

[Zpete]

I see in these tite times with many frites having empty seats, AIR NEW ZEALAND on long distance flites, offers the seat next to you for $NZ75.00.

No double up on perks, but makes a more comfy cattle class journey.

Think about flying A.N.Z if on your route.

[DaleBlue]

What if a person is physically too big to fit into a seat. What should the airline do in that case? Forcing an oversize peoson in-between the arm rest could cause physical harm.

Don't let them board/check in. Ideally, they wouldn't get as far as buying the ticket. In an evacuation, they could prevent someone else escaping.

That is not very nice, dear.

[Zpete]

What if a person is physically too big to fit into a seat. What should the airline do in that case? Forcing an oversize peoson in-between the arm rest could cause physical harm.

Don't let them board/check in. Ideally, they wouldn't get as far as buying the ticket. In an evacuation, they could prevent someone else escaping.

That is not very nice, dear.

May not be nice, but totally realistic.

Checkin staff should call a supervisor in cases where a person is appears oversized.

It is certainly a safety consideration, the ability to quickly evacuate the cabin.

That over rides any other reason for discriminating.

Business class seats would accommodate the largest person without overflow, but there again, size would hamper egress..

Edited March 23, 2009 by Zpete