I was more than excited to visit my 3 year old grandson in Washington , D.C. this past weekend However, the trip home St. Patrick's Day, Sunday, March 17, 2013 on USAirways EXPRESS-PSA AIRLINES flight # 2524 leaving from Washington National Airport (DCA) at 8:55 a.m. bound for Manchester, NH (MCT) was anything but pleasant.
Almost immediately, I noticed the passenger sitting next to me was obese spilling over into my seat. I asked the passenger to exchange seats and the passenger agreed for which I was most appreciative.
When I spoke to the flight attendant about the size of the passenger, I was told, "the plane is full." I only asked to exchange my seat so that I would have full use of my seat.
There are several issues here. First, when a customer buys a ticket, it is contractually assumed that the customer has rented ONE (1) seat for the duration of the flight. that is, the entire seat. I believe the legal community would call this, "theft of services."
Second, my safety was compromised as my seat was supposed to be by the window. Had there been an emergency, in no way could I have escaped to safety. Most assuredly, I would have been trapped. The obese passenger, when asked, did exchange the aisle seat for me for which I was most appreciative. Accommodations were so tight that I could not even put the central arm rest down. The passenger also requested and got a seat belt extension. In a state of overwhelming government regulations in favor of the airlines, it is interesting that the U.S. Government, USAirways and TSA were not at all concerned about my safety on the airplane.
When I spoke to the flight attendant about the size of the passenger, I was told, "the plane is full." I only asked to exchange my seat so that I would have full use of my seat.
There are several issues here. First, when a customer buys a ticket, it is contractually assumed that the customer has rented ONE (1) seat for the duration of the flight. that is, the entire seat. I believe the legal community would call this, "theft of services."
Second, my safety was compromised as my seat was supposed to be by the window. Had there been an emergency, in no way could I have escaped to safety. Most assuredly, I would have been trapped. The obese passenger, when asked, did exchange the aisle seat for me for which I was most appreciative. Accommodations were so tight that I could not even put the central arm rest down. The passenger also requested and got a seat belt extension. In a state of overwhelming government regulations in favor of the airlines, it is interesting that the U.S. Government, USAirways and TSA were not at all concerned about my safety on the airplane.
Had
the flight attendant been in the least bit interested in making the passenger comfortable instead of
commenting, "the plane is full" this senior citizen could have enjoyed the flight.
Being FORCED by the airline to share one's seat with an obese individual is anything but pleasant. It was definitely a day of green. Greenbacks, that is, for this airline.
I contacted the airline. The following is their response:
I contacted the airline. The following is their response:
Thank you for writing to US. I’m happy to have the chance to respond to your concerns.
I’m sorry you were faced with an uncomfortable situation when you were seated next to a person whose size exceeded the width of their seat. As you may know, carriers are not required to provide two seats to a large individual if only one seat is purchased. A second seat may be purchased by our customers for their and your comfort. If such a situation should occur on a future flight, please speak with your Flight Attendant.
... we appreciate the time you took to contact us regarding this matter. Above all, we appreciate your business and look forward to serving you on a future US Airways flight.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Whitt
Representative, Customer Relations
US Airways Corporate Office
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