PROTEST: United Airlines Charges FAT-FEES

9:14 am PDT, Oct 7, Name not displayed, Florida
To make any PAYING customer feel ashamed or embarrassed about their appearance is NOT KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMER BASE and not having respect for the diverity of humans! TO put them in a posiiton to have to pay more, ask for a seat belt extender etc is rude and quite frankly bad business. I have not flown for atleast 4 years because of this. Think of all the money you lost, but the fuel industry gained by me going in my car instead. Too bad for you!

12:53 pm PDT, Sep 29, James Spence, Georgia
I do alot of international travel and have never had to buy an additional seat but I see US based airlines making changes to pack more people onto every flight and charge every possible fee to sqeeze an extra dime from their customers while lowering the standard of service. I have begun only flying on the asian carriers for the better service. If the US airlines don't learn that they need to fix their business model instead of finding ways to pass everything on to the customer they will not survive. This is just one more reason to avoid United.

3:18 am PDT, Sep 18, Jerome Glassman, Maryland
This policy is absolutely ridiculous. It is not appropriate to punish fat people for simply being fat.

1:10 am PDT, Sep 17, Name not displayed, Kentucky

10:13 pm PDT, Sep 13, Brenda Flores, Mexico

5:28 pm PDT, Sep 8, Fat Pig, Washington
I'm a huge fat-ass with a sense of entitlement and would like to make everyone else's flying experience worse with my fat rolls because I'm too lazy to exercise and use self-restraint when making dietary decisions. The world should bend to my will just like everything I step on.

1:51 am PDT, Sep 5, Vanessa Hart, New Zealand
I cannot believe that in a country that is getting bigger that an airline is descriminating against most of the population!! Once again it is obvious that fat people are the last group that it's OK to pick on. And yes - I am a larger lady, and am sick of being the object of derision just because I don't look like Paris Hilton. (mind you who does want to look like her anyway).

4:27 pm PDT, Sep 2, Name not displayed, New York
What if 700 United Airlines passengers complained that they were dispondent over having to share a seat bank with an ugly person? Would you implement an "ugly fee?" What if 700 passengers complained that the air stewards you hired had a winey, annoying voice? Would you then start laying off air stewards with less than harmonious voices? Stupid, right? A fat fee is discrimination, plain and simple. I'm a casting agent and I know a lot of powerful people that can make this a PR nightmare for your airline that could cost millions. I have to protect their privacy for now but as soon as I get the word, oh, yes-- it's on!

1:15 pm PDT, Sep 2, Sue Libby, Illinois

12:24 am PDT, Sep 2, Name not displayed, Montana

9:12 am PDT, Aug 31, Name not displayed, Texas
If "everything is bigger in Texas" then why should United be allowed to pick up passengers from Texas IF they already know "everything is bigger in Texas". Perhaps United shouldn't be allowed to fly in to any Texas City since they are taking monetary advantage of a "known situation"!

10:40 am PDT, Aug 26, Obese Jellylegs, California
I am fat. Do i really deserve special treatment?

6:26 pm PDT, Aug 21, Joan Burtard, Colorado
The average American is getting larger, not smaller. You have a responsibility to provide transportation to human beings--not just fashion models. Don't listen to the fat bigots who complain about sitting next to a fat person. How many times have I had to sit next to someone who "invaded my personal space" with their smell? Get real. Get fair.

12:12 am PDT, Aug 19, Kelley Yarnell, Washington

3:48 pm PDT, Jul 27, Name not displayed, Canada
For every fat person sitting on a plane there is at least one skinny person. If you sit a fat person next to a skinny person, and have moveable armrests, everyone is fine. There is NO valid reason, especially not corporate greed, which justifies discrimination. Fix the armrests so they completely lift up, and leave people alone. If a passenger complains about another passenger's body, kick them off the flight. Above all, do not set a policy against any type of person.

10:38 am PDT, Jul 24, Suzzann Lee, Washington
I think this is wrong on so many levels. To humiliate a person is wrong but to do it in public and at the airport is worst then discriminination. You wouldnt see an employer do this at work and would be sued if they did this at all. so why do this at all. Its because of greed.

10:27 pm PDT, Jul 16, Name not displayed, Texas
I was appalled when I heard of this fee. This is blatant discrimination. Not to mention it is emotionally upsetting and embarrassing for the passenger that has to pass the "fat" test to see if they can stay on board. Shameful, shameful airline policy.

12:45 pm PDT, Jul 11, Zulay Perez, Florida
I don't believe that is right. Regardless of what the "other" airlines are doing, overweight passengers are still your customers.

7:58 pm PDT, Jul 10, Name not displayed, California

2:34 am PDT, Jul 10, Name not displayed, California
I have not flown for 25 years. I do not fly because I'm afraid of being asked to pay double, or not being able to have a suitably sized seat. You should simply provide enough seats for plus-sized or pregnant passengers to each be able to have a seat. To charge for a second seat is outrageous. If you made the seats larger for plus-sized people, most of us would not need a seat that takes the space of two regular seats! However, you should provide plus-sized seats that will accommodate people of all sizes.

2:19 pm PDT, Jul 9, D. Goetsch, California
Plus size people should not be charged extra for two seats because of their size difference. Having a few larger size seats available with the same cost as regular size seats would solve any possible problem that might arise. These seats could also be used for pregnant women when not used by plus size passengers for extra comfort measures.

11:07 pm PDT, Jul 8, Name not displayed, California
I will not fly United and encourage my friends not to fly United. I work hard for my money in a tough economy.

8:12 pm PDT, Jul 8, Name not displayed, West Virginia

8:35 am PDT, Jul 8, Jasmine Delgado, New York

9:17 am PDT, Jul 7, Alexi Intintoli, Florida
I don't think instructing your agents to size up passengers while lining up to get on the plane is fair in the least. It's no different than telling them to watch out for people of middle-Eastern decent because they could be terrorists. It's discrimination for the sake of discrimination. Your ability to require passengers to purchase an extra seat or wait for a flight with an extra two empty seats should only begin once a passenger has boarded your plane and it has been proven that they are unable to safely take their seat. If they are unable to keep the arm rests down and buckle their belts with the standard allowance of a single seatbelt extender, then obviously some sort of action should be taken, though I don't agree with making people pay for an additional seat. What happens in cases where people are on fixed incomes or have already spent a year saving for this single trip and simply don't have another $300 to shell out? Are you going to cover the costs of all the other cancellations, not to mention the possibly emotional suffering caused by being told that you're not good enough for something you've worked hard to earn? Simply looking at someone and having your agents, who are probably size 8 at the largest, decide that they're too 'fat' for your airline is completely unfair and wrong. How can they tell on sight if someone is going to safely fit into their seat? It's impossible - someone may look like their overweight but fit fine into the seat and have no issues buckling the belt. Last year I had to fly from Florida to Washington for a trip my husband and I had planned. Two months before the trip I was laid off from my job, so money was not plentiful at our house. I spent the two weeks prior to the trip in a state of extreme worry, terrified that a trip I was so desperately looking forward to would be CANCELLED because of a stupid policy that would require me to purchase an additional seat I couldn't afford. I spent those two weeks scouring the internet for information regarding the seat sizes, seatbelt lengths, and testimonies of other people of size who had traveled with you. Fortunately it turned out to be for nothing, as I simply found myself needing a seatbelt extender, but was able to fit into the seat with the arm rests down. However, adopting a policy of having your ticket agents policing your passengers could have given that story a completely different ending. I can assure you that had that been the case, I would have been sure that my family, friends, and everyone I could reach on the internet would NEVER travel your airline again. I seriously hope you reconsider this policy and how you're having it enforced.

1:51 pm PDT, Jul 3, Name not displayed, North Carolina
Even when I was skinny, your seats were too small. You are trying to fit too many passengers into too small a space and creating an uncomfortable ride for everyone. I will choose another airline since I found out you are going to harrass people for being fat. After all, one-third of the population is "overweight", like it or not.

10:48 am PDT, Jun 30, Name not displayed, New York
what a disgrace United!!!!...all coach seats are made for a man weighing in at 160-175 pounds....most planes were built in the 1950' the average male passenger was around 165 pounds. How about making the seats bigger for this genoration United?..I would not give them and extra dime i'll take my bussiness elseware.

3:49 pm PDT, Jun 29, Name not displayed, Massachusetts
I have elite status on American Airlines. I found the news article about United Airlines penalizing fat people when I was considering using United Airlines for some upcoming business travel. The thought that I could be humiliated at boarding has made me decide to avoid United at all costs! We live at a time when obesity is a common problem. Although we can identify what obesity looks like, medical science has yet to find a way to address it. The "diet industry" is fantastically successful for the very reason that diets do not "cure" obesity. It is not a matter of "will power" any more than curing cancer is a matter of will power. Yet, our culture accepts prejudice and ridicule aimed at fat people that would not be tolerated against cancer patients. As a fat woman I have been discriminated against in many ways throughout my lifetime. As a successful business person I do lots of traveling. I have elite status on American Airlines, which I value for the fact that I can usually upgrade to the larger First Class seats. Although I can squeeze into coach it is not comfortable. I have witnessed large athletes -- fit but wide -- have difficulty squeezing into the coach seats. I have seen very tall people made miserable by the limited pitch in coach. Travelers with casts or other medical issues often have problems fitting into one seat. It is not only fat people who have to contend with the small seats -- but only the fat are expected to accept humiliation and higher fees. If the issue of large people is a problem for your airline then I feel it should be addressed up front at the time of reservation. Rather than pull passengers from the boarding process, list the size requirements as part of the ticketing process. A better alternative, in my opinion, would be to keep the size of passengers in mind when designing aircraft. Fat and large people are not going to "go away" anytime soon, yet they will remain as passengers. Why not provide a few wider seats, and/or seats with more pitch (as the exit row seats have) and make them available in coach. A surcharge could apply, although I think it important to keep any such charge reasonable. The policy of culling passengers at the time of boarding is outrageous. Shame on those who designated this policy!

10:24 am PDT, Jun 28, Name not displayed, Massachusetts
I understand that a "larger" passenger might make the person sitting next to them feel even less comfortable than the airline's tight quarters already do, but this policy is an unfair way to address the problem. The policy targets "obese" people, but in practice, it's not just overweight people who make their on-flight neighbors feel uncomfortable. There are those who spread their legs wide when they don't need to do so; there are those who do not buy a seat for their children who are too large to sit on a parent's lap for a whole trip; there are those who manage to spread out their carry-on baggage in such a way as to eliminate leg/foot space for their neighbors; and there are people whose behaviors (drunkenness, rudeness, noisy and undisciplined children) otherwise infringe upon the physical space and the rights of their seat mates. Airlines need to make seats better with more space between rows, and they need to enforce existing rules about in-flight behaviors. THey do not need to victimize people whose only offense is carrying extra weight (or height). Thank you.

3:37 pm PDT, Jun 26, Name not displayed, Tennessee

3:34 pm PDT, Jun 26, Name not displayed, Tennessee

1:07 pm PDT, Jun 26, Name not displayed, Oregon
Airlines take advantage of people financially in so many ways. It's bad enough that you charge for us to check ONE bag, let alone for extra weight on our bodies, especially when seats get smaller just to make more money. Believe it or not, it's uncomfortable for the fats, too, not just the thin people.

1:31 pm PDT, Jun 24, Liz Richards, Virgin Islands, U.s.

9:19 am PDT, Jun 23, Melissa Paradis, Texas
If you don't stop making seats in airplanes so small, even the average person won't be able to fit in them. Only small children!

1:20 pm PDT, Jun 22, Name not displayed, Texas
I THINK IT'S VERY UNFAIR

2:45 am PDT, Jun 21, Karen Witt, Kansas

7:31 pm PDT, Jun 19, Gina Marbury, Georgia
I will no longer fly United or any of it's partner companies. I find this new fee horrible! Even an average sized person finds the seating uncomfortable. United and airlines that impose this fee will contiune to see declining sales since this discourages a large majority of american's to fly...I guess car rental agencies will see a marked increase in retals because I would rather drive across country than give my hard earned money to an airline that charges a fat fee!

5:18 am PDT, Jun 19, Marchell Norris, Indiana
I had to sign this petition after my 1 HOUR check in with United yesterday. The reason was the irony in the fact that I was traveling with my 52lb dog a black lab, that just in case you don't know dogs is, according to most vets, woefully average if not small for her breed. At the United counter yesterday flying with my dog, the agent informed me that i needed to take my dog from her crate and put her back in the crate to ensure that she had enough space to get in/out and once in turn around, basically that she had enough space. I immediately complied because well, after all, this is the same crate that she uses everyday, AND is the same crate that she used when we FLEW UNITED to this destination. The ticket agent told me it was "ify" and he wasn't sure if my dog had enough room, and would leave it up to a supervisor to decide, however it it was decided that my dog did NOT have enough room to stand up and turn around i would need to PURCHASE a larger crate for my dog FROM UNITED, with the very snappy "not our rules these are TSA rules" Which left me wondering why is it that United/TSA cares if my dog has enough room for a flight but not me? i guess i should just follow the money....the more people that can be crammed into a flight the more money and the more dogs that are deemed "too big" for their carrier crates, the more crates are sold.

11:38 am PDT, Jun 18, Name not displayed, Virginia
As a government worker, I fly regularly and for long distances. If United implements the policy above, I will petition the US Government to ensure that United can no longer bid for government fares. I feel confident that our government would not support your discriminatory, hateful, and greedy policy of charging larger than average people for two seats.

6:46 am PDT, Jun 18, Melissa Krueger, Rhode Island
As someone who has experienced first hand that United's seats are smaller in hip width and seatbelts are shorter in length, your new policy is deplorable. My mother, who is a very petite size 6, finds United's seats tight and uncomfortable. Thank you, United, for letting me know that you do not value your customers. My husband and I have elimiated you from our airline searches, and have suggested to our families, friends, and co-workers that they do the same. And it's working.

1:49 pm PDT, Jun 15, C Miller, Pennsylvania
I'm not overweight. I know they do so for profiteering not weight concerns. They'll undoubtedly blame some crashes on the overloaded plane. Are they incapable of planning or weight adding up properly?

12:43 pm PDT, Jun 12, Name not displayed, Minnesota

7:21 am PDT, Jun 12, Catherine Dunham, Virginia

12:57 pm PDT, Jun 11, Name not displayed, Oklahoma
I GUESS IF WE OVERWIEGHT PEOPLE CAN GET 700 COMPLAINTS AGAINST SITTING NEXT TO SICK PEOPLE, THEN UNITED WILL START HAVING DOCTORS LOOK AT PASSENGERS AND IF THEY LOOK SICK THEN THEY CAN'T FLY BECAUSE I WILL BE UNCOMFORTABLE THINKING I MAY GET SICK. BETTER YET I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO WERE PERFUME OR COLOGNE ON A PLANE, AND WHAT ABOUT THEM SERVING COKE ON A FLIGHT, AREN'T THEY JUST PROMOTING A BEVERAGE FULL OF SUGAR THAT CAUSES OBESITY.

8:19 pm PDT, Jun 9, Melinda Stuart, Texas
Stop picking on the fat people. We have a right for inexpensive seats just like everyone else.

11:31 pm PDT, Jun 8, Shawa Stoneking, Washington
Ones size should not hamper their ability to travel in an economic time such as these. To say that a person of large size must pay twice as much is the same as telling them they are not permitted to travel on the air plane.

7:41 am PDT, Jun 8, Name not displayed, Tennessee

4:29 am PDT, Jun 8, David Brooks, United Kingdom

12:58 pm PDT, Jun 4, Wendy Teller, New York
I had to take a flight from Albany to Florida (on Southwwest Airlines)to help take care of my mother who is sick with cancer and I was picked out of a crowd and told I had to pay for 2 seats. It was humiliating and disheartening- especially knowing that leaving in the middle of the week, the chances were there would be plenty of open seats on this flight (like there ALWAYS are during the week). I begged them to have mercy on me since paying for 2 seats would drain my checking account and make my rent check bounce. They didn't care. I told them about my sick mother. Again, they didn't care. It was cruel and hateful to pick me out like that (there were other fat people on this flight). My rent check bounced because even though the flight wasn't full (or the return flight) it took at least 5 business days to get my money reimbursed. I've been fat all my life, since I was 8 and although I've tried dozens of diets and programs, I always gain it back. I've decided that the only way is through bariatric surgery so at least I can afford to go on a plane. It's sick the way this society is allowed to hate us. If I was another race or sexual orientation, this would be illegal. People can be so ignorant and hateful. I've never humiliated or hurt another human being because of their skin, race, size, age, sex or orientation. I deserve to be treated like a human being no matter how fat I am or who doesn't like it.

8:16 am PDT, Jun 4, Mabel Leong --, Singapore

5:29 am PDT, Jun 4, Natra Hikari, Singapore

4:19 pm PDT, Jun 1, Kina Smith, Arizona

9:49 pm PDT, May 31, Lynn Steffanos, Pennsylvania

8:12 pm PDT, May 31, Barbara Sawatis, Pennsylvania

6:56 pm PDT, May 31, Andie Markijohn, Ohio

5:49 am PDT, May 30, Kristen Leppanen, New Hampshire
This is horrible.

9:40 am PDT, May 27, Susan Ferrel, Oregon
Fat people are people too, and not less than YOU or I! When will we FINALLY be done with sizeism???

8:21 pm PDT, May 26, Name not displayed, South Carolina
I have not flown in over 2 yrs because it is already a traumatic experience for an overweight person and these new fees just add to it.

2:14 pm PDT, May 24, Allison Hill, Tennessee
I find the bigotry disgusting and I will not be flying with United until this issue comes to a close. I am a six foot tall woman so I already have trouble fitting into your seats and I routinely make the person in front of me slightly uncomfortable with my knees pressed into their back. You wouldn't dare charge me extra for this. I am disgusted.

5:47 pm PDT, May 23, Heather Sorensen, Georgia

2:37 pm PDT, May 20, Christy Taylor, Oregon
united?....really?... united,what?....more like seperatist!!! you suck!!

6:18 am PDT, May 18, Elena Levy-Navarro, Wisconsin
When is the United States going to be as enlightened as Canada and require airlines to accommodate all its passengers?

9:01 am PDT, May 14, Jenny VerNooy, Delaware

1:37 pm PDT, May 13, Storm Browne, Florida
This is absolute bull! If you want to bar someone passage or charge them more money for being physically different, then you need to do it to everyone who is. People in wheelchairs should be charged per wheel, and if it's motorized, have some sort of fine for operating an electronic device during takeoff and landing. While your at it, charge someone for not taking up enough room if they are missing limbs. This is ridiculous and should be stopped immediately!

6:57 pm PDT, May 12, Name not displayed, New York
When I buy a ticket to travel from one place to another, I am purchasing "passage" on that flight, not a seat. I am entitled to have accommodations suitable for my personage, even if that means giving me a second seat. Instead of penalizing fat people, why not provide one or two rows with larger seats to accommodate larger travelers. That way everyone would be comfortable. Perhaps you'd get more bookings from those of us who avoid flying unless it's an emergency. Your revenues may be suffering by discouraging larger passengers from flying.

5:06 pm PDT, May 12, Name not displayed, Alabama

2:24 pm PDT, May 12, Laura McElroy, California
Dear United- I am an obese person who flies dozens of times a year for my work. While my weight has fluctuated by plus or minus less than 10 pounds over the last several years, I have found that my ability to fit comfortably in the seat of an aircraft varies significantly from both airline to airline and plane to plane. I have learned over my travels to mitigate my bulk in many ways for the comfort of others. I have also learned that many of my fellow passengers of every size will not attempt to do the same. Do you charge extra for those with poor hygiene, or who won't control their children, or who spread out, take a nap, and end up drooling on my arm? Do you charge extra for my weight-lifting brother, whose shoulders are one-and-a-half times your seat width and always intrude into the seat next to his? I don't think so. Your current move to charge overweight patrons at your discretion is designed to capitalize on our fat-phobic society to fill your coffers. Until your policy changes, I fully intend to avoid patronizing you and your partner carriers, and I will be encouraging my friends and family (large, catholic) to do the same.