Obese Man Booted Off Plane And Unable Say Goodbye To Dying Relative
Written by Jane Tucker | Sunday, 27 June 2010 | There are 7 comments
he felt so humiliated that he burst into tears 
The controversy surrounding obese individuals flying on regular airline economy seats has been ignited again following the incident of a British man who was told to leave a plane after being unable to fit within his seat. What gives this case even more mileage is that as a result of being kicked off this flight he was unable to visit his dying aunt before she passed away.
Mr. Sandy Russell who weighs over 200 kilograms was trying to fly from London to Toronto on Air Transat and when he was asked to leave his seat because the armrest wouldn’t go down and he was squashing another passenger. He said he felt so humiliated that he burst into tears and that he was made to appear “like a criminal or a terrorist,” and said that airlines should warn passengers when they booked their flights that they could be booted off a flight if they couldn’t fit in a seat.
The airline did say that he could get on the next available flight if he paid for two seats but for unknown reasons he didn’t do this and in any case his aunt has now died. Air Transat have given Mr Russell a refund of the ticket price and said that it was impossible for the airline to request their physical measurements when booking flights.
Very obese individuals should use common sense and check with the airline before to see exactly how big the seats are. If necessary they should be ready to buy two seats, or upgrade themselves to business or 1st class where the seats are bigger.
The reason why airlines cannot allow very obese people to fly is not because they are insensitive to the plight of these people but because they have to take into account the comfort of all of their passengers. If you have ever sat next to an overweight person on an regular airline you will know just what we are talking about. Even if they manage to get the armrest down they still spill over it and invade your seat space. This can make eating your meal or just trying to relax extremely difficult.
There seems to be no remedy in sight and it looks like that the economic pressures being placed on airlines are likely to make obesity policies even stricter as time goes on.
There are 7 comments on this article.
Patricia said:
You take up two seats, you should pay for two seats - simple as that. Mr Russell is clearly aware of his size and the airline in question provides information on its website confirming the width of its seats. He should have checked this before he left to make sure he fitted, as it was such an important trip
Douglas said:
Patricia, theoretically what you say is correct, however it is sad that you have no heart, I hope that something like this, will not happen to you, as you will live in regret for the rest of your life. One can purchasse a seat but not a heart, I feel sorry for your friends... if you have any.
Julian Kamloops said:
This is not only sad but ridiculous. I will never fly Air Transat again.
Air Transat keeps prices down by selling more seats than a normal airline would; there's an extra seat in every row and probably 2-3 extra rows too. Not the most convenient trips, I tried Toronto-London a few times, but many people can afford this only.
But they should let people know about it and at least warn passengers at the time of booking.
not important said:
Why do you say she has not heart!??!
Are you saying because someone else is not responsible in life and takes the decision to eat to much, others have to pay for it??? the guy does not have an illness,He is overweight.By the way it has nothing to do with the airline, this would happen with any company
Worked for an Airline said:
If you check the airlines website, I am sure they have something informing passengers about the regulatory issues surrounding overweight passengers. They should be given the option to purchase another seat (should one be available side by side). Unfortunately not everyone reads the fine print on websites and therefore run into problems such as this. It is a touchy subject and always will be. Part of the problem is check-in agents. Most Airlines use out sourced companies to run their check ins. Hence, the check-in agent probably either didn't care, or just neglected to take notice of the gentlemans size. Either way, based on the outcome it is a shame and I feel bad for the customer. Going forward, anyone traveling on Air Transit... they have the smallest transatlantic seat pitch, so be prepared to be cramped!
Laura said:
It is the responsibility of individuals to advise service providers of special needs--after all, how would each of us like to have to go through a lengthy question & answer session before booking a ticket, service, etc. It makes no sense. If you are wheelchair bound, arthritic, incapable of negotiating stairs, obese, vision impaired, travelling with children, whatever, then it is YOUR responsibility to make the detail known. This seems like a no-brainer, but then common sense seems to be a rare commodity these days. Perhaps it should be renamed "uncommon sense" ...
Pregnant said:
I am pregnant expecting twins and YES I am big! Not normally but through my pregnancy. Should I be punished for being pregnant? Surely the airlines should have some proviso for pregnant people as well as overweight ones.
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