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New Photo Brings Flying Overweight Debate Back
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 3, 2009
Modified Dec 4, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 3, 2009
Modified Dec 4, 2009
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There's been much debate about how to handle overweight passengers on flights. While some airlines may charge for an extra seat, not all do — and now a flight attendant allegedly snapped a photo on an American Airlines flight (destination and take-off point unknown), which of course has been leaked to the press.
A Flight Global blog got a hold of the photo, which they say the attendant took to "show her manager what was happening on the aircraft and why she was unhappy about it. Seems the guy paid for only one seat and the gate staff let him board." Earlier this year Southwest was called out multiple times when their gate employees told two passengers they were essentially too fat to fly.
While it's hard not to feel bad for the passenger, the site notes that "he's a major safety hazard in an evacuation, a gross inconvenience for the cabin crew, and I would suggest a totally unacceptable traveling companion for the guy next to him." The NY Post contacted American Airlines but they would not comment except to say, "We cannot verify the authenticity of that photograph, nor do we know who might have taken the photo. We would never operate a flight like that with anyone or anything blocking an aisle and not seated properly."
Update, 12/4: Now AA says the flier was on one of its flights, but he was booked on a later flight and got an entire row of seats,
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american airlines
fat
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flight attendant
flying
overweight
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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