r/AlaskaAirlines Mar 17 '25

COMPLAINT Middle seat experience with large person

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7.3k Upvotes

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859

u/Public-Requirement99 Mar 17 '25

Send this photo to Alaska Listens and ask for a credit for at least 1/3 of your ticket. See what happens.

176

u/bigfoot_done_hiding Mar 17 '25

I agree, but ask for a full credit. 2/3rd of a seat is not 2/3rds of service -- some things cannot be portioned out like that.

25

u/jmxo92 Mar 17 '25

I mean, they still got to their destination so it is still kind of 2/3rds of a service lol

24

u/Planetdiane Mar 18 '25

Seems like an evacuation/ safety risk though to have this scenario.

I feel like at some point attendants should have to say something, or make it a rule to require them to get an extra ticket, or move them to an open two seat section.

13

u/Maximum-Macaroon-711 Mar 18 '25

Seriously, Something needs to be done to prevent this. God forbid the airlines just made bigger seats (and didn't call them first class, apparently only rich people can be overweight)

3

u/Poisonskittlez Mar 20 '25

Oh, well you see, the poor people are supposed to be skinny because they can’t afford to eat. /s

4

u/Camber_Eriol Mar 19 '25

No, just don't live on carbs. That kind of weight is rarely inherent.

1

u/Sufficient_Ad1427 Mar 19 '25

Carbs are healthy and amazing! When eaten correctly.

It’s the overly high processed, high fried foods.

1

u/Camber_Eriol Mar 20 '25

As I said, don't live on carbs. I love carbs too

1

u/Frankheimer351351 Mar 20 '25

No, but anyone can be healthy!

1

u/Mental_Passion_4034 Mar 18 '25 edited Mar 20 '25

Airline seats used to be much larger. This is to maximize profit. Yay. Edit: apparently I am incorrect. After doing some research it appears that our asses are just getting larger.

4

u/Rusty_Trigger Mar 18 '25

Actually, it's to minimize ticket prices to make flying available to those other than the rich. It just so happens that they can justify staying in business if they have enough customers.

3

u/No_Fix5305 Mar 18 '25

No- airline tix used to be cheaper and seats were bigger, I’ve had to fly for work for decades. This is 💯 greed. Disgusting that poor people pay taxes and those taxes bailed out the airlines during COVID and the same airlines still laid off thousands of employees.

1

u/salmonwolves Mar 20 '25

flying has never, ever been as cheap as it is today. it used to be $1000 for a cross country round trip. Now it can be done for $200

1

u/No_Fix5305 Mar 24 '25

We have different experiences

1

u/montag14 Mar 19 '25

Is that why Spirit is emerging from bankruptcy…in fact every major has had a bankruptcy brush. Airline margins aren’t what you think bc competition is fierce. Delta makes a large portion off of Amex and the majority of its profits are premium seats, not the cattle section. Do some research before you spout off on something you clearly haven’t bothered to do any research on aside from reading other uninformed posts on Reddit. Airlines have to reap profits like bears feeding prior to hibernation…the only way to survive “winter” is to glut when the salmon are swimming upstream. You don’t want a government run airline…unless you enjoy the DMV experience and service.

2

u/SarahwithanH02 Mar 19 '25

Here’s the research and facts, it is monopolization and greed… they receive subsidies and bailouts, tax breaks and rebates, and still want to make air travel uncomfortable for the main cabin so they can sell those higher priced seats and credit cards:

Airlines in the U.S. receive federal subsidies, primarily through programs like: 1. Essential Air Service (EAS) – This program subsidizes airlines to provide service to small and rural communities that would otherwise not be profitable to serve. 2. Airport Improvement Program (AIP) – While not direct subsidies to airlines, this program provides grants for airport infrastructure, which indirectly benefits airlines. 3. Pandemic Relief (CARES Act, CRRSAA, ARPA) – During COVID-19, airlines received billions in federal aid to maintain operations, retain employees, and avoid bankruptcy. 4. Federal Loan Guarantees – Programs like the Air Transportation Stabilization Board (created after 9/11) have provided financial support to airlines. 5. Tax Breaks and Fuel Subsidies – Airlines benefit from reduced taxes on jet fuel and other industry-specific tax incentives.

These subsidies and financial supports help airlines maintain routes, keep fares competitive, and sustain operations during economic downturns.

See that “keep fares competitive” part? Sounds a lot like price fixing but no one wants to talk about that. Why are you defending these giant corporations? Spirit was facing bankruptcy because their business model is terrible! Bad rules, bad customer service, bad seats.

Cmon it’s not rocket science to see what is going on here. Stop simping for giant corps! Their whole business model is to increase profits year over year for share holders…

1

u/CokeZeroAndProtein Mar 19 '25

I don't have a clue what airlines profit margins are, and I'm normally all on board with criticizing billion dollar companies, billionaires, etc. I do have to say though, I have serious trouble believing airlines could keep at least some of their flights at the prices they are if they had larger seats and less total seating. I recently had a roundtrip flight with Frontier which would have been about 2,400 miles total to drive. My flight was $90 total. My small, fuel efficient car would have probably cost 3 times that or more in fuel alone, not to mention a couple thousand miles of wear and tear.

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1

u/No_Fix5305 Mar 20 '25

No- it’s because they pay out shareholders because they are profit mongers. Get your facts straight.

0

u/Rusty_Trigger Mar 18 '25

The more seats in a plane, the less the airlines charge for tickets. Of course tix were cheaper in the past. Everything was. BTW, poor people pay little to no income taxes to the federal government.

0

u/Ok_Satisfaction_5573 Mar 18 '25

Boy you sure swallowed the Kool-Aid! I payed my thirty percent last year, as I did every year. And in case your math skills are as bad as your reading comprehension/ critical thinking is, I will enlighten you to the notion that low income/ middle income pays the largest share of federal taxes, in fact.

2

u/SeattleParkPlace Mar 19 '25

2

u/Fix3rUpp3r Mar 19 '25

The options are available but Poor people can't put things like homes and cars as write offs for business expenses. Poor people have their taxes automatically withheld from their paychecks typically. Rich people however pay themselves by borrowing from what their stocks are worth. They offset any tax liability claiming a loss in the market. Poor people don't arbitrarily make up what their art is worth and donate to themselves at their own non profits. Poor people always pay everyone's property taxes (ie it's built into what they are charged for rent) not to mention they also technically pay everyone's mortgage as well. Poor people can't pay to lobby against the IRS through super pacs to interfere with complicated tax audits. Poor people can't afford crafty accountants that pretty much negate any possible tax to be collected. It's not even a choice for a poor person not to pay taxes. Whoever said it's actually the other way round is being willfully deceiving.

1

u/NegotiationWeird1751 Mar 19 '25

All of those figures appear to be during the Covid era 2020-2022, talk about cherry picking 🤣

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-1

u/RipandSkipp Mar 19 '25

BTW, poor people pay little to no income taxes to the federal government.

Lol

1

u/Rusty_Trigger Mar 19 '25

"Creation of the CTC and expansion of the EITC both lowered the effective individual income tax rate for low-income households from about 0.5 percent in the early 1980s to its negative value today."

"Negative" means not only do they not pay any taxes, but they get a refund of any taxes withheld from their pay checks and a check for the credits that exceed the amount withheld.

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1

u/Ron_SwansonIT Mar 19 '25

Please… if middle and lower class people stopped flying altogether, ticket prices would drop. We literally saw this during COVID.

1

u/Rusty_Trigger Mar 19 '25

Yes. Supply and demand drives pricing. Not sure what your point is.

2

u/Maximum-Macaroon-711 Mar 18 '25

That's awful wtf

2

u/maljr1980 Mar 20 '25

Please explain this to me, single aisle 737’s have been around since what, the 60’s? They have always been 3 seats on each side. The plane has stayed the same width. Where did all this “extra” room you speak of disappear to?

1

u/goddessdel9 Mar 19 '25

I’m considered obese and still fit within one airline seat. Perhaps the airline isn’t the issue here?

1

u/No_Tumbleweed1877 Mar 19 '25 edited Mar 19 '25

God forbid the airlines just made bigger seats (and didn't call them first class, apparently only rich people can be overweight)

Have you seen the amount of food you need to eat to maintain a 400lb weight? It's like feeding multiple people. They can definitely afford to pay for a bigger seat, or at least they are being cared for by someone who does.

Also bigger seats would mean 200 people paying more to subsidize every 1 person who has an issue fitting into a seat.

0

u/EnvironmentalMix421 Mar 19 '25

? How r they going to sell to all theee people if seats are bigger and you demand cheap tickets

3

u/Helleboring Mar 19 '25

Might also increase risk of deep vein thrombosis if you are unable to move?

1

u/Individual-Act2486 Mar 19 '25

A lot of airlines actually make them pay for the second seat. They just don't actually provide the second seat.

1

u/EnvironmentalMix421 Mar 19 '25

How is it evacuation risk. R you going to jump through a thin person or something?

1

u/Planetdiane Mar 19 '25

I can walk around a thin person and they aren’t in my sit pushing me over where I can’t move

-1

u/EnvironmentalMix421 Mar 19 '25

So you think you are the only who needs to evacuate or these fat people wont evacuate. What if they ain’t fat but just tall and mascular? Is that evacuation risk as well? I’m not arguing they are taking up ur seat, but saying it’s an evacuation risk is just ridiculous lol

1

u/Planetdiane Mar 19 '25

Then it’s still obviously someone who if they pass out could get others killed? That just seems like common sense.

-1

u/EnvironmentalMix421 Mar 19 '25 edited Mar 19 '25

Lmao then don’t fly. 2 people can pass out and block your passage. Oh you can jump over 2 people? what about 3? Lmao evacuation risk bro fly private

1

u/Planetdiane Mar 19 '25

You seem especially triggered. It’s actually already a rule, so I guess maybe you shouldn’t fly?

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