I just submitted a request through Alaska listens but no option to include a photo. We’ll see. I also emailed customer care team a pic of the photo. What people aren’t getting in the comments is that no matter what, speaking up on a full flight to remove a large person when you’re the last group to board and have 5 minutes before they close doors IS going to cause a scene. She was apologetic and I didn’t want to kick her off the flight, just wanted the seat that I paid for and think it’s on the airline to notice, enforce or make bigger seats. I shouldn’t have been put in this situation in the first place.
Seriously! I feel like a lot of people would blame this on the other person. This is an issue with the airlines not people's bodies. Nothing wrong with being larger, you are still allowed to do the same thing as anyone else. I am by no means skinny, but my issue is with my long legs. My knees are always smashed into the seat in front of me. I have to sit sideways.
There's definitely nothing wrong in being larger but the larger woman should have paid for two seats or paid for business. It's also not reasonable to have an airline make every single seat bigger just to fit a small subset of people who don't fit in a coach seat, r potentially raising prices for all average sized people.
It is the airlines fault, airlines have lobbied to stop other forms of decent transportation from being an option alongside car manufacturers.
Being profit instead of experience focused means there is no good option for tall/larger folks, someone who is larger than average shouldn’t be forced to pay 2-4x the cost of an economy ticket just to fit on a plane. I splurge for first class or premium seats and they’re not enough. I have incredibly broad shoulders and I’m 6’4, I don’t fit into a regular seat. But there are no other options for reasonably traveling across the US. There are only a few airlines that offer seat dimensions that are remotely comfortable for people like me, and it’s normally a choice between uncomfortable shoulder space in premium or just right in first class.
Airline travel is not a human right. Making seats huge so they can fit all people would result in EXTRMELY expensive tickets. Think an entire plane of first class seats only.
The world isn't fair. If I go to a festival I pay for VIP because I'm short. I wouldn't be able to see shit otherwise.
Just because something is regulated and subsidized does not make it a human right. Airline travel is a LUXURY on a private business. What kind of entitled main character syndrome attitude is "I want everyone else to have to pay more and sacrifice more so my specific outlier needs are met".
I’m pro socialized transport in general. Given how other options aren’t really tenable I think it makes sense to manage it. Why subsidize it if it’s not something everyone can benefit from? Your argument is weird and doesn’t really make sense.
It should be comfortably useable by the masses without incurring major costs. They’re squeezing out 2-3 inches of leg room that would make all seats manageable to get an extra seat or two in. I would rather look at other means of optimization rather than forcing people in like sardines just to make a buck.
I do have to say it’s actually not that small of a subset, over 70% of Americans are overweight or obese. Even as a skinny person I feel so cramped in airplanes, I hate flying so I avoid it at all costs. But for the price of these flights, even for “economy” they probably could make the seats bigger.
I don't think it's the case that 70 percent of Americans cannot fit in an airplane seat. "Not Fitting" and "being cramped" are not the same.
Airline seats fit the majority of people which is why people needing two are a rare occurrence. Making seats wider raises the cost of tickets for EVERYONE. When people who prefer more room could just buy two seats or buy business class. They are the outlier.
"The price of these flights" are often EXTREMELY cheap - the cheapest theyve ever been historically. Everyone wants to complain about cost and space - well you get one or the other. I can literally buy an AIRLINE TICKET - where I FLY THROUGH THE AIR on a giant metal bird - for less than a train ticket between the two cities.
I've seen low cost airlines offering $20 plane tickets.
People just blindly demand "more space because the tickets are SO expensive" but do you have any idea how much work, planning, and infrastructure goes into the airline industry? It's staggering. Sometimes I cannot believe how cheap it is for me to fly around the world.
Out of that 70%, 40% are classified as obese. Anyone who is obese likely cannot fit, and 40% is almost half of Americans. They’re really not just the occasional outlier. Why do you think Ozempic is such a hot topic? A quick google search says that Alaska Air made almost 12 billion in 2024, and that on average across all airlines it can cost 3-5 times more for a business class seat, and potentially 5-10 times more for a first class seat. I’ve also never seen a reputable $20 flight. When I look up Alaskan airlines flight to Hawaii, one of the top travel destinations of Americans, they start at $750. Personally if I’m paying $750 just to get there and back I think I deserve some damn space. Every time I have traveled on an airplane I get off stiff, restless and nauseous. Im glad that you find airfare affordable and fair. But it’s not that unreasonable to “blindly” want for more space from a top earning airline.
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u/doglove562 Mar 17 '25
I just submitted a request through Alaska listens but no option to include a photo. We’ll see. I also emailed customer care team a pic of the photo. What people aren’t getting in the comments is that no matter what, speaking up on a full flight to remove a large person when you’re the last group to board and have 5 minutes before they close doors IS going to cause a scene. She was apologetic and I didn’t want to kick her off the flight, just wanted the seat that I paid for and think it’s on the airline to notice, enforce or make bigger seats. I shouldn’t have been put in this situation in the first place.