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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: greenspirit who wrote (111574)	5/21/2009 11:42:22 AM
From: Rambi	Respond to of 541355

The airlines are already quietly trying to charge for size. SOuthwest has quietly had policies on the books for years. The issue has gotten bigger (haha a pun) with the increase of obesity in America. I recently flew on an oversold flight and had the middle seat. Luckily, my seatmates were normal, but we were still crammed in- the seats are only between 17-18 inches. Here's a look at how a few different airlines deal with the "customer of size:" Southwest: Passengers should plan on purchasing an extra seat or risk being asked to do so at the airport by staff. If the flight is not sold out, the passenger may claim a refund. American: Passengers over 250 pounds should recognize that there may be limitations to the service that the airline can provide. However, it does not require that you purchase an extra seat automatically. United: No policy whatsoever. Midwest: Like Southwest, passengers are encouraged to know their needs in advance. If staff determine that two seats are required, the seat will be sold at the lowest possible fare, with a refund available if there is one or more open seats on the flight. Air France: Passengers with "high body mass" may receive a 25 percent discount on an extra seat, knowing that if they choose to not buy the seat, they may risk not being able to fly. JetBlue: You are required to buy a second seat, and there are no refunds. Delta: The airline "works to accommodate" passengers with special needs. Upon request and availability, it will try to make sure the next seat is unoccupied. However, if the plane is full, you will most likely be asked to leave the flight and buy a second seat on the next available flight. (You can actually count on this being a fairly typical practice on most airlines.) smartertravel.com