14 DAY TRIAL // Obese people were granted the right to benefit from two seats on an airplane, even if they only buy one ticket. The decision came after companies such as Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz and West Jet protested against a previous ruling on the matter. The new decision is permanent, and the companies have to implement it starting January 2009. However, only overweight people with severe medical conditions will benefit from this measure, as companies made it perfectly clear they would not grant an extra seat to obese persons just because they are uncomfortable in one chair.
The one-person, one-fair policy, set in place by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), stipulates that people who are too large to fit in one chair should be given two seats, so as to avoid unpleasant situations during the flight. There have been several reports over the years, of people getting into fights because normal-sized passengers were sitting next to a heavy person, which made their ride very unlikable.
This policy also exists for other means of public transportation, such as buses and trains, where the same situations can occur. Opinions on the matter are split in half – while some say that the airlines should provide larger seats and more room for the feet, others say that obese people are to blame for the current situation. Authorities, however, tend to shift the balance towards the last group, thus this measure.
Thus far, in order to benefit from a trouble-free flight, overweight people had to buy two tickets instead of one, but, even then, complications occurred, as other passengers seldom respected the reservations. Even the judges in the Canadian court agreed that this was a very delicate situation that could not be resolved without hurting either the feelings of people with extra pounds, or the benefits of the airlines.
All companies involved in the law suit said that they could risk their profits if the measure passed, as the extra seat awarded to the obese means one less average passenger. And already these enterprises have some of the largest planes in service today. No matter how much they disagree with the new decision, they will still have to respect it, in order to continue operating legally.