Dallas-based Southwest Airlines has a simple rule for obese passengers who can't fit into one seat: Be prepared to pay for two seats.
To be fair, Southwest's policy is nuanced enough so that if a flight departs with empty seats, an obese passenger will be refunded the cost of that second seat. But the issue has gotten more attention ever since airlines started charging passengers for checked luggage.
The logic is pretty basic: If passengers have to pay for the added weight of their baggage, they should also pay for the added baggage hanging over their belts if they can't squeeze into one seat. After all, space on any commercial aircraft (uness you're in the first-class cabin) is at a premium. And when passengers complain about their precious-and-limited elbow room being gobbled up by a seatmate, the airlines listen.
More important than mere elbow room, though, is the issue of safety. "An aircraft has to be evacuated in emergencies within 90 seconds. If you have difficulties sitting on your seat ... it could have a serious impact on security," an Air France-KLM spokesman told Britain's Guardian newspaper.
Other carriers, such as United Airlines and Air France, have policies similar to Southwest's.
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