Jetstar forces 160kg woman to buy 2 seats

[Andrew P]

c) spend the money you would spend on the second seat on a gym membership

&

because she cant be bothered to live a healthy lifestyle.

Obesity is a major problem in the world, and it’s a pity ignorance is still prevalent on this topic.

Compulsive eating is a greater addiction than heroin, alcohol, or gambling. At least with these addictions you can stop and take the pain, but one can’t stop eating.

A women who is 160kg is morbidly obese (may even be super obese), their is no fix she can herself do to sort her weight problem out, it needs major intervention e.g. lap banding, gastric bypass or similar.

Now I’m off my favourite hobby horse.

Banjo

[Stephen Brown]

So where does it end?

I've sat next to people who smell like they've rolled around in Pig Excretia, should I ask them to buy two seats so at least theres a smell buffer?

I've sat next to people who talk and talk oblivious to the fact that you want to sleep/read/listen to the movie. Should they be made to buy an extra seat so they don't bother other passengers.

How do you know that when you get on a plane the person next to you doesn't want to sit next to you?

Whats next? Not sitting next to other ethnicity's? Not sitting next to handicapped people because they may impede your exit in an emergency.

Insert whatever human foible you like as a reason for not wanting to sit next to them, is it really up to an indivdual to judge people?

I think that more people need to learn tolerance and be less judgmental.

If an airline needs to enforce the policy of large people requiring two seats, then make sure the policy is clear and well spelled out. Not piecemeal like Jetstar have done here.

[Matt R]

Originally Posted by Andrew P

A women who is 160kg is morbidly obese (may even be super obese), their is no fix she can herself do to sort her weight problem out, it needs major intervention e.g. lap banding, gastric bypass or similar.

Sadly, it seems Sam has more problems than being obese.

[NickN]

A women who is 160kg is morbidly obese (may even be super obese), their is no fix she can herself do to sort her weight problem out, it needs major intervention e.g. lap banding, gastric bypass or similar.

If they can lose weight on the biggest loser in 3 months or so, I am sure she could do it over 1 or 2 years herself (himself?). So I disagree.

And as for our intolerance of them, I find the word intolerance should be replaced with the word concern. I would be concerned having someone like that try and fit next to me, their fat flowing over into my space, their elbows and shoulders pushing into me. Everybody expects some level of comfort on any flight, even on a squashy domestic flight, which is bad enough with a normal sized person beside you.

It's hard to debate a topic like this without appearing to be intolerant when in fact we are just stating what we believe to be an uncomfortale situation for every other passenger except the overweight one.

[Jason Carruthers]

I'm not debating the fact that someone twice the size of a standard adult should buy an extra seat. But from the article it sounds like Ms Scafe actually contacted Jetstar while making the booking and then again the night before the flight and was told both times that there was no need to buy a second seat only to be told at check in that she needed to buy an extra seat if that was the case then I can understand why she would be upset. And the seats weren't even next to each over? does this mean that unless Jetstar moved passengers around to get 2 empty seat next to each over or did Ms Scafe just squeeze into the one seat while her other seat remained unoccupied despite being paid for?

I think Jetstar stuffed up here will be interesting to see where this goes



Jason

[Raymond Rowe]

My dad was a big person. He was not fat.Very solidly built and very tall.When we went to the states many moons ago he was unable to fit in an ordinary seat.He actually took half of my seat as well. So what would you all do in his case.He was also in the armed services.

[Scott L.]

I was forced to sit next to a large man on a flight from Darwin to Denpasar many years ago in an Ansett 737. I felt sorry for him but to accomodate his size I had to raise the armrest and move over towards my wife's seat who had also raised her armrest. Completely unfair and unpleasant flight and although the staff were sympathetic to me, they were unable to do anything about it as it was a full flight.

I was told that if the passenger is of large proportion and likely to require more space, it is the responsibility of the check-in staff to enforce the purchase of two seats. Dont know if this is still the case though today with Qantas, etc.

Needless to say, unfortunately in this electronic world, if it is not printed either in the Terms and Conditions or elsewhere and, if the call was not recorded, then there's no proof. Logically, anyone who believes that they can be entitled to another seat for free due to their size or expect the airline to re-organise the aircraft to accomodate the passenger is fooling themselves.


I dont know if Jetstar have just inserted this clause but it's on their website

Customers of size
Customers who are unable to lower both armrests (the definitive boundary between seats) and/or who compromise any part of adjacent seating should proactively book the number of seats needed prior to travel, by purchasing a second seat or alternatively, purchasing a StarClass seat (where available).

[Greg W.]

Originally Posted by Stephen Brown

So where does it end?

I've sat next to people who smell like they've rolled around in Pig Excretia, should I ask them to buy two seats so at least theres a smell buffer?

...

I think that more people need to learn tolerance and be less judgmental.

I agree with your entire post.

I would be more interested in the airlines establishing and enforcing a policy where pax who smell offensively must purchase one seat in every direction from them.

[Jason Carruthers]

Originally Posted by Matt R

Sadly, it seems Sam has more problems than being obese.

From that sounds like she/he is a complete media addict who always has something to bitch about.





Jason

[Ash W]

I notice this line in the above paper article...

"... Then on Saturday, they advised me to book and pay for a second seat for other people’s comfort because of my size … and, would you believe, they then made a further mistake which I later noticed on the web by splitting up my seats so they weren’t next to each other. ..."

Seems odd to me. I thought Jetstar domestic had a non allocated seating policy. So how could this be true. Or have things changed at Jetstar domestic?

The whole thing is wrong though and is a sign of people not taking responsibility for themselves.