The joy of flying on cheap airplane tickets and staying at cheap discount hotel rooms is reduced when you end up seated next to a fellow passenger who is so large that his or her bulk oozes into your seat.
According to a recent survey of travelers by Skyscanner.com, 76 percent believe that the airlines should charge passengers more who can not fit into a single seat.
This issue gained attention in January of this year when reports came out that Air France was considering requiring passengers who could not fit into a single seat to purchase a second seat. Since 2005 Air France has allowed overweight fliers that ability to purchase a second seat at a 25 percent reduction. As of February 1st Air France is refunding overweight fliers who have purchased a second seat if the economy section of the plane is not sold out.
The major issue here is the comfort of passengers seated next to people unable to occupy a single seat. A minority argue that carriers should make seats for all shapes and sizes of fliers without additional cost.
United and Southwest Airlines have a policy that says that oversized passengers must buy a second seat and can claim a refund if the plane is not full. This policy was supposedly implemented in response to complaints from other passengers.
The way many airlines identify overweight passengers is whether the passenger can fit between both lowered armrests with the seat belt fastened over that person.