United Airlines to Enforce Fat Fees for "Seatmates of Size"

Got this excerpt from a blog on yesterday's Chicago Sun-Times website:
Beginning today, United Airlines is going to start aggressively
enforcing its obesity seating policy that requires passengers that need
a second seat because of physical size to pay for that extra space.
According to WBBM AM-780, at the airline's ticket counters at O'Hare
International Airport, that means gate and ticket agents will be asked
to size up their larger customers - deemed "seatmates of size" - for the
potential fat fee.

If a passenger cannot fit into a single seat, buckle their seatbelt -
even with a seatbelt extender - or put the seat's armrest down, the
airline will ask that passenger to pay for an extra seat or stay behind.

The policy applies to tickets purchased on or after March 4, 2009 for
travel on or after April 15 and United says they did it because of
passenger complaints - though a spokesperson tells Lewis Lazare that
they got only 700 gripes out of 80 million or so travelers last year -
and the increased fuel costs brought on by the heavier payload obese
passengers create.
Note that the article indicates this is partly due to passenger
complaints. Perhaps a mock-up seat or something like the sizing device
used to screen carry-on baggage would be in order? It will be
interesting to see just how "aggressively" this will be enforced this
time around.

What say you? -- Rik


--
Rik Brown

Share your experiences in the forums, blogs, videos, and online
community at 'TRAVEL.com' (http://forums.TRAVEL.com).
Message origin: www.TRAVEL.com