Traveling with overweight luggage regularly happens and can be easily remedied by paying a surcharge. Supposing you are the over weight you are required to pay extra for accumulated fat? That is decidedly strange.
To demand that over-weight people pay for two plane seats is almost unheard of; until last week.
A traveler, a 42-year old Egyptian accountant was not allowed to fly because the seat was too small. He declined the travel agency’s proposal to book two plane seats in order to sit comfortably and avoid disturbing other passengers. He refused to pay for two seats and chose to get off the plane.
The cabin crew tried to find him two adjacent seats but the flight was full and the issue was only resolved by his catching another flight that had an extra seat. The accountant agreed and the plane take off without him.
This incident is a warning sign that touches 20 percent of Saudis. Statistics presented by the National Anti-Obesity & Weight Gain Campaign state that there has been a 20 percent rise in obesity in the Kingdom. This is damaging not only to one’s appearance, but to one’s health and pockets.
A similar incident took place with another airline recently when it only allowed an overweight woman to travel if her son took the adjacent seat. An aviation specialist confirmed that company’s conduct was legal if it is impossible for the passenger to sit in a single seat or that they would disturb the passenger beside him or her. The solutions are that the passenger be moved to first class or pays for a second seat at a discount price.
South West, an American company has begun to firmly apply a policy in relation to ‘heavy’ people; they have to book and pay for two seats. “If you?re going to fill the space of two seats then you?ve got to pay for two seats,” says Beth Harpin, speaking on behalf of the company. If the flight is not full, the company refunds the money.
However Mazen Al-Ghanem, sales developer at Lebanese Airlines in Khobar confirmed that, “when booking a seat there’s nothing referring to the passenger’s weight.
Anything related to weight has to do with the luggage and this is what everyone is familiar with and knows.î
Nasri Meqbal manager in another agency, confirmed that, ?travel agencies are not concerned with the passenger’s weight.î
Bakheel Alali, supervisor of Al-Tayyer Group for Traveling Ltd. said “airline companies don’t ask the passenger to book two seats whether he is 20 kgs or 200.
Both of them book the same-sized seats and there’s no difference in the expense.”î He pointed out that “seats in the Horizon or First Class may suit a heavy person more, but that doesn’t prevent him or her from booking seats in second class.”î
Hussein Al-Shihaimi flies once a month for his job throughout the whole year as well as vacations. He flies First Class for domestic flights and second class for international. He says “I’ve flown via Lebanese, British, Saudi, UAE, and Gulf airlines as well as others. I always book by phone so the employee doesn’t see me to tell me that I’ve got to book two seats or not.î Despite the fact that he weighs 150 kgs the employee at the airport does not ask him to book two seats.
Despite of his weight he feels fine in the seats especially the updated planes and passengers beside him are not disturbed either.
As for Abdullah whose weight was previously around 138 kgs stated that it used to be uncomfortable during any plane flights because he always flew second class. “Some planes had more comfortable seats than others,î says Abdullah who used to always choose the window seat or the aisle so that he could have a free? side to lessen the discomfort for passengers around him.
However during his flights he was never asked to reserve more than one seat because of his weight. Now that he is 120 he finds that the problem has lessened if not gone completely.
