Airline policy for customers of size can vary

For those worried about airlines starting to charge by the pound, get
this: It already is happening, sort of.

This is not a place where hard-and-fast rules apply, however.

In some corners — Canada, for instance — it just got trickier. A
winter ruling barred Canadian airlines from discriminating against
"clinically obese" customers.

Southwest was also successfully sued by a passenger who was told she
needed to purchase a second seat after she had already boarded — too
late, the ruling found.

An ample Air France passenger won a case after citing humiliation at the
hands of staff who wrapped packing tape around him in public to prove
that he was too obese to sit one seat, forcing him to purchase another.

Here's a look at how a few different airlines deal with the "customer of
size:"

§ American says passengers over 250 pounds should recognize that
there may be limitations to the service the airline can provide. But it
stops short of saying customers have to automatically buy an extra seat.

On Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:58:28 +1000, Rob mine.com> wrote:

Ok then, maybe not so corpulent pax should sue for the discomfort or a
partial refund from having to sit next to fat people when copious
amounts of blubber encroach into the space that you have paid for and
hope to fit into.

Greg.

Greg wrote:

Rob wrote...

Are those airlines which have such policies in place make them patently obvious
when you purchase the tickets? It'd be a tad rough if you were not aware of such
a policy when you rock up to check in.

I wonder how far Qantas, Jetstar or Virgin Blue would get with such policies in
force.

Anyway, as for the US the missus reckons that everyone over there seems to be
overweight, some grossly so. So maybe the airlines are starting to feel it,
loadwise...

Snapper y7mail.com.invalid> writes:

There was a nasty marine accident a few years back; a water taxi flipped
over. The Cosat Guard found it was overloaded as the average px weight
was 168 pounds not the 140 the spec said...

Snapper y7mail.com.invalid> wrote in
news:2jada49lb28cmjq25prfkinquamtk64fhc@yarwho.com:

It seems we are not alone

On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:28:05 GMT, Peter Fanelli wrote:

On Aug 18, 5:26 pm, who where home.net> wrote:

How many are exactly the right weight?

On Aug 19, 7:14 am, GB threefiddy.com> wrote:

Aoulpe of eyars ago a Scandinavian airline calculated how much fuel it
cost if the pilot was overweight. They now only have skinny pilots.