Overweight man sues Air France over seat row

[Ryan2065]

No, what the Air Carrier Access Act says in 14 CFR §382.38 "Seating accommodations (i) "Carriers are not required to furnish more than one seat per ticket or to provide a seat in a class of service other than the one the passenger has purchased.""

I do believe that this says the airlines don't have to give a passenger another seat if they do not want to... It does not say "Except if the person is overweight" or anything like that...

Also, under the ACAA the only thing they can charge extra for is if the equipment the disabled person uses takes up another seat.

Wait, you are fine with this but the second they charge someone who is physically too big for their seat it's discrimination?

It's a case of them needing to upgrade their seating, not punishing the disabled for things they can not control.

Yes, we are punishing the overweight people by charging them for what they use! And we are punishing the alcoholics for charging them for each glass of alcohol they consume because they cannot control themselves! And we are punishing the hungry for charging them for each plate of food they consume, who are we to say when someone is full? We are punishing those addicted to caffeine by charging them each and every time they want to get a new cup for coffee... Oh what a world we live in... A sad sad world where no one is on equal footing with anyone else...

 

[jamaesi]

Wait, you are fine with this but the second they charge someone who is physically too big for their seat it's discrimination?

I never said I was fine with that, I just said that's the way it is. It is considered luggage- people are not considered luggage, though.

That's why I have fold-up canes and wheelchairs for travel, though.

Yes, we are punishing the overweight people by charging them for what they use! And we are punishing the alcoholics for charging them for each glass of alcohol they consume because they cannot control themselves! And we are punishing the hungry for charging them for each plate of food they consume, who are we to say when someone is full? We are punishing those addicted to caffeine by charging them each and every time they want to get a new cup for coffee... Oh what a world we live in... A sad sad world where no one is on equal footing with anyone else...

Oh what a sad world! The abled are no longer allowed to discriminate against the disabled! :sarcastic

Actually, my crippled and twisted little body is very happy when people are not allowed to treat me like a second-class citizen for yet another thing out of my control.

 

[Zephyr]

Actually, my crippled and twisted little body is very happy when people are not allowed to treat me like a second-class citizen for yet another thing out of my control.

I still don't get how having people pay for what they use is treating them as second-class citizens. I have extremely poor vision in my left eye due to various defects when I was born. I had no control over that. Should I sue my eye doctor if I don't get free glasses? I also have tremors which have been getting worse as I age. At times it'll act up and I'll have trouble holding on to things like a pencil or a guitar plectrum. Should I sue somebody if they won't give me ones with special grips (which are a bit more expensive, but I go for them anyways.) at no extra charge?

Without these things, I have some pretty hefty disadvantages. Poor depth perception or crappy grip may not be the worst things ever, but the principle is the same: I need things that many other people don't.

I pay for them, fair and square.

 

[jamaesi]

I still don't get how having people pay for what they use is treating them as second-class citizens. I have extremely poor vision in my left eye due to various defects when I was born. I had no control over that. Should I sue my eye doctor if I don't get free glasses? I also have tremors which have been getting worse as I age. At times it'll act up and I'll have trouble holding on to things like a pencil or a guitar plectrum. Should I sue somebody if they won't give me ones with special grips (which are a bit more expensive, but I go for them anyways.) at no extra charge?

Without these things, I have some pretty hefty disadvantages. Poor depth perception or crappy grip may not be the worst things ever, but the principle is the same: I need things that many other people don't.

I pay for them, fair and square.

I've have terrible vision and I shake constantly from being in untreatable pain and from arthritis. But I pay for my health care, too!

And I have gone without health care for the past couple months and will go without it for six more because I can't afford it- this is probably something that will cripple me even worse because of the state of health I am in, but gee golly whiz wow, no one else has to pay for it!

 

[Zephyr]

I've have terrible vision and I shake constantly from being in untreatable pain and from arthritis. But I pay for my health care, too!

That's good. You're disabled, but you're paying for what you need. What makes this man's case any different? He needs more space, so he should pay for it. Or would you rather have everybody else pay for all the little disadvantages that some people have?

 

[jamaesi]

That's good. You're disabled, but you're paying for what you need. What makes this man's case any different? He needs more space, so he should pay for it. Or would you rather have everybody else pay for all the little disadvantages that some people have?

Yes, it's fantastic I can't afford any medical treatment. It's fantastic! I love it! Thank you for making me feel so wonderful about my failing health!

There's also a huge difference between medical treatment and businesses discriminating.

 

[Zephyr]

Yes, it's fantastic I can't afford any medical treatment. It's fantastic! I love it! Thank you for making me feel so wonderful about my failing health!

There's also a huge difference between medical treatment and businesses discriminating.

If Air France is discriminating by making a guy who needs more than 1 seat pay for more than one mean does that mean that Guitar Center is discriminating when they have me pay more for the sticky picks?

 

[jamaesi]

If Air France is discriminating by making a guy who needs more than 1 seat pay for more than one mean does that mean that Guitar Center is discriminating when they have me pay more for the sticky picks?

No, it doesn't.

I could get an iBot wheelchair if I could afford it but I can't so I have to go with a normal one.

Oh but wait, this is medical equipment not luxury items like a guitar pick.

If Guitar World was discriminating against you then they would refuse to sell to people with your condition or make doors impossible for people like you to open or get through.

 

[Zephyr]

Oh but wait, this is medical equipment not luxury items like a guitar pick.

Airplane seats aren't medical equipment. Flying on an airplane isn't a right. It's not like they're saying "You're fat. You can't fly with us." They are simply saying that because he takes up more than one seat. He should pay for it. If he could fit in, then he would only have to pay for one.

 

[jamaesi]

Airplane seats aren't medical equipment. Flying on an airplane isn't a right. It's not like they're saying "You're fat. You can't fly with us." They are simply saying that because he takes up more than one seat. He should pay for it. If he could fit in, then he would only have to pay for one.

They aren't medical equipment. But airline companies are a business and the law says they can not discriminate against the disabled. That's the end of the story.

 

[Zephyr]

They aren't medical equipment. But airline companies are a business and the law says they can not discriminate against the disabled. That's the end of the story.

All depends on whether not giving somebody an extra seat, which is essentially the source of the airline's income, at no cost is discrimination.

EDIT: Well, I'm gonna go crash now. Got school tommorrow.

 

[jamaesi]

All depends on whether not giving somebody an extra seat, which is essentially the source of the airline's income, at no cost is discrimination.

They don't have to give anyone an extra seat. They just have to give them a seat. If they have to make some of them a little larger, then that's what they have to do.