Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have been more polite about it, but I also would have been as firm as possible that I needed to be moved. GO get a flight attendant, and say, "Look, I don't want to make a big deal about this, but the people on either side of me are infringing on my seat. I paid for a seat - a full seat - and I need to be moved." And take it from there, staying firm, but polite. I also would have resisted being rebooked - I am not the one who created this issue, and one of them needs to be rebooked if that's the only solution.

Good luck with that. You can be polite all day long but airline customer service STINKS. You’ll be the one getting rebooked.

Rightly so. She's the one with the problem. When has air travel ever been pleasant?

Sorry, no. When not one, but two people are spilling into my seat, I *have* the problem, but I am not the one who *created* the problem. The burden of the remedy should fall on the one who caused the situation.

Anonymous wrote:It wouldn't solve everything, but in this case, why not have the aisle partner move into the middle seat? Then the non-partnered middle person would at least only be dealing with being squished from one side.

I fly Southwest, where you choose your own seats and where most flights are fully booked. I can't count the number of times I've flown in between two people travelling together (usually a older married couple).

People pay extra to get the window and aisle seats on most airlines -- no way they're switching and no reason they should.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have been more polite about it, but I also would have been as firm as possible that I needed to be moved. GO get a flight attendant, and say, "Look, I don't want to make a big deal about this, but the people on either side of me are infringing on my seat. I paid for a seat - a full seat - and I need to be moved." And take it from there, staying firm, but polite. I also would have resisted being rebooked - I am not the one who created this issue, and one of them needs to be rebooked if that's the only solution.

Good luck with that. You can be polite all day long but airline customer service STINKS. You’ll be the one getting rebooked.

You're probably right. But, at some point, I would have, as discretely as possible, gotten of photo of the seating arrangements, and then gotten the gate agent/FA on video either refusing to help or insisting that I be the one rebooked. And then raised holy hell about it afterwards.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have been more polite about it, but I also would have been as firm as possible that I needed to be moved. GO get a flight attendant, and say, "Look, I don't want to make a big deal about this, but the people on either side of me are infringing on my seat. I paid for a seat - a full seat - and I need to be moved." And take it from there, staying firm, but polite. I also would have resisted being rebooked - I am not the one who created this issue, and one of them needs to be rebooked if that's the only solution.

Good luck with that. You can be polite all day long but airline customer service STINKS. You’ll be the one getting rebooked.

Rightly so. She's the one with the problem. When has air travel ever been pleasant?

Anonymous wrote:We need to stop all this petty infighting and force airlines to step up.

We need a CONGRESS who will enact sensible regulations on this issue. The FAA is controlled by the airline lobby and the FAA refuses to the address the issue. The FAA said something along the lines of "oh, the market will sort this out."

BS!

Anonymous wrote:I would have been more polite about it, but I also would have been as firm as possible that I needed to be moved. GO get a flight attendant, and say, "Look, I don't want to make a big deal about this, but the people on either side of me are infringing on my seat. I paid for a seat - a full seat - and I need to be moved." And take it from there, staying firm, but polite. I also would have resisted being rebooked - I am not the one who created this issue, and one of them needs to be rebooked if that's the only solution.

This

Anonymous wrote:I would have been more polite about it, but I also would have been as firm as possible that I needed to be moved. GO get a flight attendant, and say, "Look, I don't want to make a big deal about this, but the people on either side of me are infringing on my seat. I paid for a seat - a full seat - and I need to be moved." And take it from there, staying firm, but polite. I also would have resisted being rebooked - I am not the one who created this issue, and one of them needs to be rebooked if that's the only solution.

Good luck with that. You can be polite all day long but airline customer service STINKS. You’ll be the one getting rebooked.

I would have been more polite about it, but I also would have been as firm as possible that I needed to be moved. GO get a flight attendant, and say, "Look, I don't want to make a big deal about this, but the people on either side of me are infringing on my seat. I paid for a seat - a full seat - and I need to be moved." And take it from there, staying firm, but polite. I also would have resisted being rebooked - I am not the one who created this issue, and one of them needs to be rebooked if that's the only solution.

We need to stop all this petty infighting and force airlines to step up.

Anonymous wrote:What do you expect on a flight between Vegas and New Jersey.

The airline carriers play a huge role in this. Seats keep getting smaller and smaller. The airline doesn't inform the public about the seat restrictions. Their answer is to use a seat belt extender, but obviously, that isn't enough.

Airlines also don't inform you that your seat mate has an "anxiety" dog. This is inexcusable. If you don't like dogs or are allergic, you are SOL.

What do you expect on a flight between Vegas and New Jersey.

The photo of the man just looking ahead and trying to maintain his dignity while this woman mouthed off and insulted him, makes me sad. Obviously she was very uncomfortable and upset, but she was so unkind and cruel, and thought nothing of it. I have zero patience for people like that.

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I think this country is full of assholes. Who treats people like this? Obese or not. Is it inconvenient, yeah. But to shame people. Her shaming the obese passengers or people videoing it. It's all shameful.

I agree with you and said nothing at the time, but I had absolute neck and back pain after being seated next to an obese woman on a 3 hour flight (two-seats on the row). I had to lean a bit out into the aisle--just enough that I got bumped every time a flight attendant or anyone else walked down the aisle. She was such a nice person that I didn't want to hurt her feelings or say anything. We were both educators, so we chatted for most of the flight.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have pushed the overhead button, and in my nicest voice said to the FA, "I'm so sorry, but I'm not going to be able to sit here for four hours. Are there any other seats available on the plane? Or perhaps a small person who might be able to fit in this seat?" you don't have to say out loud "I eat salad". It's obvious what the problem is.

How do you know the woman didn't do that BEFORE the video starts?
We are only seeing what the two obese passengers CHOSE to share.

This is an interesting point. I think the woman in the middle seat was extremely rude. I think she should've notified the flight attendant right away (before sitting down) that the seat wasn't going to work for her. I think the FA would discreetly have given her another seat, if one was available. But it is possible the middle seat woman did notify the FA right away but was told to take her seat until everyone was seated, and then they'd move her. If that was the case, then the woman should've waited patiently for the FA to re-seat her.

Flying these days is no longer fun with smaller seats, less leg room, fuller flights, and the added costs for everything (from carry-on bags to snacks). Yet passengers seem to feel even more entitled than ever. Everyone is a at least a bit a fault in someway here.