Air New Zealand's policy on obese passengers
A friend had a rough experience from Honolulu to Auckland, as she describes below:
I was under the impression that they are required to purchase two (economy) seats on flights or is that an old wives(sic) tale? I was subjected to sitting next to a lady on a packed flight from Honolulu to Auckland overnight. I'm not judging her personally for her size but more for it's(sic) affect(sic) on my experience. Her stomach extended right to the seat in front, the armrest couldn't go down between my seat and hers, consequently she was spilling into my seat which only got worse when she fell asleep. I sat all kinked to one side over my partner, missed my second meal as the first had been a farce to try and negotiate, didn't get any sleep and spent 6hrs out of the 9.5hr flight crying (as silently as I could so the lady wasn't aware, hopefully).
The poor flight crew were lovely and apologetic but could do nothing. I would like to know who I can contact to at least give me information on wheather this is just tough bikkies or if this should've been handled differently when that lady came to checking in? I paid a good fare to be on that flight and even though it sounds horrible I think she should have been told she couldn't fly until two seats together were available on a later flight.
I've been looking but can't find anything about a policy on this, if they even have one. Anyone else have better resource knowledge of this area?
Best Answer
Most American airlines have policies requiring people who are "obese," however defined, to buy a second seat, so they don't "unreasonably" infringe on another passenger's rights. That may be because the United States probably has the largest concentration in the world of "obese" people. Not every non-U.S. airline has similar policies, perhaps because it is less of a problem for say, Air New Zealand in the Pacific. The New Zealand airline actually had a "stated" policy similar to those of American airlines, but didn't interpret it as an American airline might.
In general, your "rights" abroad are defined by "local" custom. You had the experience of flying in a part of the world where the airline don't see things the way you (or other Americans) would.
Pictures about "Air New Zealand's policy on obese passengers"
Is Air New Zealand weighing passengers?
OMG Air NZ announces to everyone in the terminal it's conducting a survey to weigh both passengers and hand luggage today. That won't be embarrassing AT ALL. (They also said it's a requirement they do it every 5 years.)What happens if your luggage is overweight at the airport?
Overweight baggage fees can be far costlier than base charges for checked luggage. For example, American and United issue a fee of $100 for each checked bag weighing 50 \u2013 70 pounds on domestic flights, or $200 for bags weighing more than 70 pounds.How much extra do you pay if your luggage is overweight?
More American Airlines baggage feesBaggage categoryFeeMax WeightLugLess checked bag$20-$4550lbsOverweight bag+$10051-70lbsOverweight bag+$20071-100lbsLugLess oversized bag$28-$5575lbs6 more rowsWhat is the maximum weight allowed in an international flight?
Weight Concept The sum of the 3 dimensions (length + breadth + height) of each piece must not exceed 62 inches or 158 centimetres for each piece. The maximum weight permissible for a single piece of baggage is 32 kgs. or 70 pounds.The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made #AirNZSafetyVideo
More answers regarding air New Zealand's policy on obese passengers
Answer 2
Southwest Airlines in the US is well-known for requiring larger passengers to purchase two seats. There was a reality show focusing on Southwest, and this act was filmed several times. Here's a general article that states that most US airlines have an 'obesity' policy.
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