Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Passenger forced to stand for a seven-hour airline flight
Elliot.org ^ | November 22, 2011 | Christopher Elliott

Posted on 11/22/2011 1:40:25 PM PST by Daffynition

At nearly seven hours, US Airways flight 901 is one of the longest domestic nonstop airline flights. And Arthur Berkowitz knows how long it takes to get from Anchorage to Philadelphia down to the minute. That’s because he says he had to stand for most of the flight when he returned to Philly last July.

Why would anyone stand for that long? Because he says a morbidly obese passenger seated next to him was spilling into his personal space, making it impossibly to sit in his assigned seat, and the flight was completely full.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Travel; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: economy; fatliberation; fatpower; oinkersunite
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-109 next last
To: Daffynition

Standing seats are coming soon.

21 posted on 11/22/2011 1:56:56 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (You can't invade the US. There'd be a rifle behind every blade of grass.~Admiral Yamamoto)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Daffynition

I’ve been in this exact same situation. Fat people should be forced to sit in a test chair by ticketing and if their fat rolls don’t fit with the arm down they should be forced to buy two seats.


22 posted on 11/22/2011 1:58:01 PM PST by TSgt ("Romney" means "rino cult" in Kenyan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: al baby

I remember in 1956 we had the local Civil Air Patrol raise funds by giving people a ride on small aircraft for one penny a pound. We need to charge people according to weight. The plane spends more gasoline to get their carcass in the air, they shouldn’t pay the same.


23 posted on 11/22/2011 1:58:17 PM PST by rovenstinez
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: The Great RJ
You may stand when the "Seat belt" sign is not on (taking off, landing and turbulence). Recently I have seen over sized bags either checked or put near the stewardess (they didn't charge them). I only fly when I absolutely absolutely have to. But on the positive side the groping (TSA RANDOM security) is free if a person is into that sort of stuff. The only ones I saw checked were middle aged white males like myself.
24 posted on 11/22/2011 1:59:09 PM PST by BipolarBob (Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world and she walks into mine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Borax Queen

Did your brother not know that the Flight Attendents have to be seated during take-off and landing?

See post 8. That being the case, why would he stand when he could have sat in their seats as they worked the aisles?

BS.


25 posted on 11/22/2011 2:00:35 PM PST by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS! This means liberals AND libertarians (same thing) NO LIBS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Daffynition

The airlines can’t win. They can’t raise the fares, as the public demands the cheapest fare possible. The airlines can’t make the seats bigger or further apart, for that would mean less capacity on the aircraft.

It’s been tried - people are NOT willing to pay extra for a couple of inches of extra space. People look at the price and time of the flight to their destination - they do not consider the price differential.

Don’t believe me? Ask for Economy Comfort seating next flight you take; and you’ll wonder why those seats are costing you an extra $50. Now, ask yourself if your discomfort for a couple hours is worth $50. Those seats are not the first seats the plane sells, they typically are the LAST seats that are sold.

Price reigns supreme; always has, always will.


26 posted on 11/22/2011 2:00:54 PM PST by Hodar ( Who needs laws; when this FEELS so right?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Great RJ
I have yet to see any airline restrict carry one baggage that is obviously over sized and require it to be checked.

I saw it this past Sunday while waiting to take off for Buffalo...on US Airways.

The flight attendant saw the size of a woman's 'carry on' and told her she'd need to check the bag immediately because it was over sized. I was shocked. That never happens. The woman started to complain but the flight attendant simply told her she was free to take another flight because that bag was not going into an overhead compartment.

27 posted on 11/22/2011 2:01:11 PM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Attacking Wall Street because you're jobless is like burning down Whole Foods because you're hungry.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Daffynition

Easy to make fun of obese people. But what about really tall people, or particular muscular people?

As a 6’5” man, I can fit only by bruising my knees from pressing them against the seat in front of me. Then some normal-sized idiot in front of me decides that its his inalienable right to recline his seat, further crushing my knees.


28 posted on 11/22/2011 2:04:32 PM PST by dinoparty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Daffynition

Easy to make fun of obese people. But what about really tall people, or particular muscular people?

As a 6’5” man, I can fit only by bruising my knees from pressing them against the seat in front of me. Then some normal-sized idiot in front of me decides that its his inalienable right to recline his seat, further crushing my knees.


29 posted on 11/22/2011 2:04:45 PM PST by dinoparty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd
They wouldn't let him sit in them. Must be against regulation.
30 posted on 11/22/2011 2:06:39 PM PST by The KG9 Kid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

I don’t understand whom you are saying “b.s” to?


31 posted on 11/22/2011 2:07:29 PM PST by Borax Queen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

The article states that the flight attendants refused to let him sit there.


32 posted on 11/22/2011 2:07:37 PM PST by Joann37
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: BipolarBob

I won’t fly unless there is a family emergency because of the profiling of white people, radiation, and arms-in-the-air-position-of-surrender (or a strip search).

When I did fly regularly, it always alarmed me the kind of people they would allow to sit in the exit rows. I am 6’1” and fit, speak English, and could push the door out (or in, whatever the case might be for that plane). And, help others out. Some of the people with canes, barely literate, or extremely overweight, I’m sorry, I don’t trust they could or would help.


33 posted on 11/22/2011 2:11:16 PM PST by Borax Queen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: dinoparty

My dad is 6’-4” and he always flew 1st class for the extra legroom.


34 posted on 11/22/2011 2:11:40 PM PST by SatinDoll (NO FOREIGN NATIONALS AS U.S.A. PRESIDENT)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: The KG9 Kid
RE-REGULATE THE AIRLINES. IT WAS A MISTAKE TO DEREGULATE THEM.

Sure! Let's go back to the "good old days" of spending two weeks pay to fly round trip from LGA-ORD.

35 posted on 11/22/2011 2:13:23 PM PST by buccaneer81 (ECOMCON)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Daffynition

I had a seat next to a morbidly obese man on a flight from Anchorage to Narita back in my Navy days. He had popped a couple of sleeping pills and was out like a light before the aircraft finished the climb-out.

I had a window seat, about an hour into the flight I had to squeeze past him to use the head. When I came back he had sprawled sprawled sideways halfway into my seat and was snoring loudly.

A stew saw me standing there looking perplexed, came over to see what was wrong, rolled her eyes and escorted me to the back where their jump seats are.

It was actually pretty cool. I got to chat and flirt with them the entire flight.


36 posted on 11/22/2011 2:13:58 PM PST by Ronin (If we were serious about using the death penalty as a deterrent, we would bring back public hangings)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dinoparty

I’m 6’1” and the commuter planes (that hold about 50 people) that fly out my city are a load of fun. I needed a chiropractor after a one-two hour flight, lol. There wasn’t even room to stand up straight in the bathroom!


37 posted on 11/22/2011 2:14:23 PM PST by Borax Queen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Joann37; The KG9 Kid

Ahh. I see. I didn’t read the article. But I suspected as much.

The guy was a p***y. Any sensible person would have made this an issue and sat down. But if he CHOSE to stand for 9 hours, then whatever. It’s HIS problem.


38 posted on 11/22/2011 2:14:43 PM PST by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS! This means liberals AND libertarians (same thing) NO LIBS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: buccaneer81
"Sure! Let's go back to the "good old days" of spending two weeks pay to fly round trip from LGA-ORD."

More like the lower class traveled by Greyhound bus.

Yes, let's.

39 posted on 11/22/2011 2:16:19 PM PST by The KG9 Kid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: dinoparty
As a 6’5” man, I can fit only by bruising my knees from pressing them against the seat in front of me. Then some normal-sized idiot in front of me decides that its his inalienable right to recline his seat, further crushing my knees.

I'm 6'4" and that is one of the reasons that I quit flying eight years ago.

40 posted on 11/22/2011 2:17:00 PM PST by Inyo-Mono (My greatest fear is that when I'm gone my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-109 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson