To Buy or Not to Buy:

AAnn ExtraExtra SeatSeat

By William Hignett and Ted Kyle, RPh, MBA

Southwest spends tens of millions of dollars on Enforcing the rules several television ads promoting the fact that bags fl y free on their . A handler yells in one advertisement, Th ese policies provide guidance, but can still create confu- “Why pay up to $120 round-trip for bags?” Th at’s ridiculous sion. If you have not fl own for a while, how do you know to pay for baggage, Southwest’s Web site claims. Yet, if you whether you will fi t the airline’s seat? If a passenger pur- carry extra pounds on your body rather than in your bag, chased one ticket and is not able to sit in one seat (by the then Southwest may require you to purchase an extra seat. policy criteria) on a full fl ight, does this always result in the person having to leave the plane? How will you know if you must buy another seat? Enforcement of seating rules can result in disruption. And, how do you purchase two tickets for a fl ight online? Th e answer to this is not always clear for millions of Ameri- Most airlines recommend calling their reservations staff and cans with excess weight. Airlines will tell you their policy is will waive the fee for phone reservations for this purpose. clear, but it is often diffi cult to fi nd the policy on an airline’s To some people, these airline policies are clearly discrimina- Web site. US Airways and Delta do not post their policies, tory. If customers with excess weight must pay for another and on other airline Web sites the policy is diffi cult to fi nd seat, why aren’t tall people required to buy a second seat so (try searching “customers requiring extra seating”). It turns their legs don’t push into the seat in front of them? A cus- out that most airlines have similar policies. But, a non-uni- tomer with a baby who cries for the entire fl ight also makes form application of the policy can occur due to the power of passengers very uncomfortable, as does a customer wearing agents, pilots and fl ight attendants to decide whether a too much perfume. Yet, they fl y for the price of one seat. person needs to buy an extra seat. Whether or not the policy discriminates depends on the A look at major U.S. airlines and what their policies are for meaning of purchasing a ticket. Does the ticket buy trans- individuals of size may be found on the next page. portation to a destination or merely a designated space on Policies of Major U.S. Airlines

American Airlines Delta/Northwest If unused seats are available on the Passengers may be required to buy an ex- A customer must be able to safely and fl ight, then a customer meeting any of tra seat if they cannot fi t into a single seat comfortably fi t in a single seat, or if not, the above criteria will be re-accommo- in their ticketed cabin, and/or unable is required to purchase an additional dated next to an empty seat. to properly buckle their seatbelt using a seat for each leg of their itinerary. Th e single seatbelt extender (available upon second seat may be purchased for the More information is available on the www.united.com request), and/or unable to lower both same fare as the original seat, provided United Web site at . armrests without encroaching upon the it is purchased at the same time. A cus- To view the policy, click “Services and adjacent seat or another customer. tomer who does not purchase an extra Information,” then fi nd the link for seat in advance may be required to do “Children, pets and assistance.” Th en For more information, visit so on the day of departure for the fare you will want to fi nd the section for www.aa.com . To view the policy, click available on the day of departure. “Customers with Special Needs.” “Travel Information” and then “Special Th e criteria for fi tting in a seat are Assistance.” consistent with other airlines – arm- Southwest rests must be all the way down and the Customers who are unable to lower Continental seatbelt with one extender must be able both armrests and/or who compromise A customer is required to purchase an to be fastened. any portion of adjacent seating should additional seat or upgrade if they do not book the number of seats needed prior meet one of the following criteria: US Airways to travel. Th e armrest is considered to be the defi nitive boundary between 1. Th e customer must be able to Customers who are not able to safely and comfortably fi t in a single seat are seats and measures 17 inches in width. properly attach, buckle and wear Th is purchase serves as a notifi cation of the seatbelt, with one extension if required to purchase an additional seat for each leg of their itinerary. Th e a special seating needs and allows us to necessary, whenever the seatbelt process a refund of the additional seat- sign is illuminated or as instructed criteria are the same as other airlines described above. ing cost after travel (provided the fl ight by a crew member. doesn’t oversell). As long as the fl ight 2. Th e customer must be able to United does not oversell, we will refund the remain seated with the seat For the comfort and well-being of all additional seat purchase after travel. A armrest(s) down for the entirety of customers aboard United, we have “Refund Advice Slip,” a guide for conve- the fl ight. aligned with other major airlines’ seat- niently requesting refunds, is provided 3. Th e customer must not signifi - ing policies relating to passengers who: to the Customer at check-in. And, if it appears a fl ight will oversell, the option cantly encroach upon the adjacent • are unable to fi t into a single seat to purchase a second seat and travel on seating space. in the ticketed cabin; a less full fl ight is available. • are unable to properly buckle the For more information, visit seatbelt using a single seatbelt www.continental.com. To view the More information is available at extender; and/or www.southwest.com policy, click on “Travel Information,” . To view the • are unable to put the seat’s arm- then click on “Special Travel Needs.” policy, visit the “Travel Tools” section rests down when seated. and click on the “Southwest Policies.”

Please note: Th ese are actual excerpts from each individual airline’s policy.

the plane? Th e Canadian courts have ruled the former and forced airlines to accommodate passengers with excess The OAC Responds... The OAC has weight by off ering a second seat at no additional charge. developed a policy statement regarding airline seating policies. To view the OAC’s full policy statement, please Th ey considered it a human rights issue. Th e result of the visit the OAC Web site. Canadian ruling makes it more pleasant for all passengers, including large individuals and passengers sitting near them. U.S. courts have not acted, and airlines have created the personal space should be directed at airlines for having small policies themselves. seats. All Boeing jets in use have 17” wide seats in coach. Th at How the airlines measure up is limited space for all passengers. (Airbus jets have 18” seats, Embraer 190 jets have 18.2” seats, and fi rst-class seats can be says that 90 percent of the complaints as wide as 20.5 inches. But, the majority of airlines fl y jets with received in one year came from travelers angry that their only 17” wide seats). seat space was violated by fellow passengers. Perhaps the complaints to the airlines about passengers encroaching on Due to the economy, airlines have reduced the number of If you have a bad experience related to airline seating policies, fl ights and oversell more fl ights, making comfort on crowded consider registering your complaint clearly and factually. As a airplanes a challenge for all passengers. Since as many as 64 paying airline customer, you have an opportunity to infl uence percent of the U.S. adult population is now considered either how airlines conduct their business. You can fi nd tips on how overweight or obese, perhaps airlines should widen seat size as to make an eff ective complaint about airline service at: car and furniture makers have. www.airsafe.com/complain/complain.htm. Summing it All up About the Authors: Airlines advertise with friendly faces and tag lines that stress Ted Kyle, RPh, MBA, is a pharmacist and health marketing customer service and concern for your well-being. To actually expert. Ted has worked for more than 10 years on programs and provide exceptional customer service, airline policies should be products to help people quit smoking and lose weight. Ted is a clear and uniformly applied, respecting customer dignity. member of the OAC National Board of Directors.

Th e airline policy for customers requiring extra seating penal- William Hignett is a disease management expert with a mas- izes a signifi cant number of passengers because of their weight. ter’s degree in public health from the University of Pittsburgh. Th ough the size of airline seats is not easy to change, airlines He has years of experience as a health educator for universities, can take steps to avoid adding insult to injury by eliminating hospitals, Fortune 100 companies and health insurers. He has the humiliation, confusion and neglect passengers feel. seen fi rst-hand how obesity contributes to many chronic diseases and how weight bias stands in the way of eff ective solutions. ABOUT THE OBESITY ACTION COALITION (OAC)

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is a National non-profit organization dedicated to giving a voice to individuals affected by obesity and helping them along their journey toward better health. Our core focuses are to elevate the conversation of weight and its impact on health, improve access to obesity care, provide science-based education on obesity and its VIBRANT COMMUNITY treatments, and fight to eliminate weight NATIONAL bias and discrimination. AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS ANNUAL CONVENTION ADVOCACY LEARN,

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