Friday, November 28, 2008

Travel atrocities

This is absurd from the Travel Insider...

Only in Canada? Let's hope so. Canada's Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from the airlines, therefore allowing to stand intact a lower court judgment that obliges airlines to give 'people of size' two seats on a plane.
Yes, airlines must now give - for free - a second seat to people who are too large to fit in a single seat.
Is this fair? And is it sensible? It is neither. Why should a for-profit airline be obliged to forego the revenue it could make selling a seat to a passenger, and instead give it for free to another passenger? An airline could normally sell two seats to two 150lb each passengers, but now has to give them both to one 300lb passenger.
How will the airline plan for this - what say it doesn't have spare seats available at checkin? Does that mean the overweight person will have to be denied boarding, or can they voluntarily relinquish their right to two seats?
Could an airline have an overweight person on either side of a block of three seats and have the two people 'share' the middle seat's extra space?
Have you ever noticed in some clothing stores that you pay extra for large sized clothing? Will that too become illegal?
And, is it sensible? There are no clear guidelines as to what the trigger point is for a person qualifying for a second free seat. Will we see sizing templates for people as well as luggage?
What say a person of average or even below average size finds themselves wedged into a middle seat with 200lb + passengers on either side? They're going to be very uncomfortable, too. Will airlines (in Canada) have to give them a second seat?
How about tall people with their knees wedged into the back of the seat in front of them? Will the airlines have to upgrade them to first class for free so as to give them more generous leg room?
This ruling opens a Pandora's Box of consequential entitlements. Shame on the Canadians for displaying too much political correctness and too little common sense.

2 comments:

  1. I couldn't believe this either when I heard about it. I think there should be a penalty, not a break.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Right on! I need leg room! And what about pregnant women?

    ReplyDelete