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Comments (11)
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Save/ShareHow tall is a 6-foot, 9-inch man? Too tall to sit in a coach-class seat on Horizon Air, apparently.
On a mid-March flight between Portland, Ore., and Ontario, Calif., flight attendants removed a 6-foot, 9-inch-tall gentleman from a plane because his legs were blocking the aisle.
To complain, the man's daughter contacted The Consumerist blog.
"What should have happened in this scenario is the flight attendants should have asked for passengers seated in an exit or bulkhead row to voluntarily give up their seats to provide the passenger with the much needed leg room he requires. Moving him to a seat with more leg room would have ensured the aisle was clear."
The man says that he had expected his seat assignment would be a problem. He says he contacted Horizon Air in advance of the flight to ask to be reseated. The agent declined to move him to a roomier seat. But it all turned out happy in the end. The airline reimbursed the man with a free future flight.
There have been other incidents like this. The most dramatic one happened in December. Spirit Airlines forced passenger Brooks Anderson to stand for a two-hour flight because his 6' 7" frame was too tall for its seats, according to ABC News. Anderson had also been denied an exit row seat.
Does this mean that tall people ought to have a right to roomy exit row seats?
As you know, most airlines only have a policy of reserving exit row seats for passengers who can help evacuate the plane in an emergency. None we could find has a policy about giving preference to tall passengers.
Or should tall people be expected—as obese ones are—to buy a second seat? They could put one of their legs in the space beside them. (Though I'm not sure this is much of an improvement.)
Sound off in the comments. Or vote in our poll!
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Hey, I'm a 6'1" woman and I work for Alaska Air Group. This incident didn't happen in my city, but I still find it appalling. As for forcing tall people to buy a second seat, that is a totally unacceptable solution. Unlike obese people, we cannot diet a half-foot off the tops of our heads! Seems to me us tall folk are given the message every day in every way that we don't fit in this world and it's our problem. Yet unlike other folks who're fighting for their rights, we tend to apologize for taking up the space.
I for one am fed up with it. We're looked upon as benign freaks and when we complain, we're told how lucky we are and to shut the heck up. Really? Then why aren't there cars, clothes, home fixtures, shoes and especially airline seats that are accessible to us?
Posted By Anja on April 6, 2011, 8:05 PM
Okay, calmed down a bit. I've flown on Horizon many times, and they've always been great to me, almost taking me by the hand to the exit row. Also, the flight attendants are primarily concerned with the safety of all passengers, and maybe someone wouldn't move from the exit row so there's nothing they can do to force them. I don't want to give a hard time to our great commuter carrier, and it's awesome they gave the man a free flight. Just please put him in Row 2 on the Q400 next time, okay :-)
Posted By Anja on April 6, 2011, 8:35 PM
The tall are not like the obese. Indeed, you can't diet a foot off your legs and you didn't eat your way to six-feet-nine. But exit row seats on many carriers these days come with a price tag. You need that seat. Pay the price and be done with it. You need it, you want it, pay for it.
Posted By Toni on April 7, 2011, 7:00 AM
I just got off a month long trip around the planet. At 6'4", I actually hate flying. Economy seating is actually painful and in some cases harmful for my back. Imagine not being able to sit down and place your feet flat on the floor in front of you. Instead, you find tall people twistingly legs and sitting in extreme discomfort. I have even considered suing for adequate space between seats.
Posted By Jim on April 7, 2011, 7:55 AM
Jim, with all that flying, why don't you use miles to upgrade, or just book an exit row seat in coach? If you have to pay extra for it, pay extra for it. You probably pay extra for your clothes because you're tall.
Posted By Toni on April 7, 2011, 3:36 PM
Jim, with all that flying, why don't you use miles to upgrade, or just book an exit row seat in coach? If you have to pay extra for it, pay extra for it. You probably pay extra for your clothes because you're tall.
Posted By Toni on April 7, 2011, 3:37 PM
Toni, you can't always expect there to be upgrade space or an open exit row seat. The exit row is first come first served, and if the guy who wants to sit there is 5'8" we can't tell him he's not allowed to be there in case someone taller needs it. I'm not for discrimination of any kind. Also, flights are really full these days since the airlines have cut so many from their schedules. Sometimes there's really no options when it comes to seating.
Alaska Air Group doesn't charge extra for the exit rows, a practice I find really discriminating. Tall people don't have a choice: dig deep in your pocket or book a chiropractor on the other end! I realize we're a small minority, but others have advanced their own rights, I don't think we should be treated like second-class citizens any more than any other minority.
Posted By anja on April 7, 2011, 4:31 PM
why not have the airlines reserve exit isle seats for people 6.1 or taller?
Posted By Patrick Kennedy on April 11, 2011, 1:01 PM
A few years ago, I was seated on a Delta flight aisle seat. A very large man became quite angry because he had missed his flight where he had an aisle seat, and was reassigned to a cramped seat. He was so angry, he hit the overhead baggage compartment with his fist. As I saw the panic on the flight attendant's face, I immediatly stood and said, "Here, you may have my aisle seat." We never know what our fellow passengers are going through and sometimes we need to use common sense with a dose of kindness.
Posted By Alice on April 11, 2011, 3:39 PM
Yes, of course tall people should be given the roomier seats, versus being forced to stand or being kicked off the plane. How is that even debatable? Being somewhat short, I expect tall people to make room for me in front of them at standing concerts, etc. Likewise, I would gladly relinquish my roomier seat for them. It's just common sense combined with manners.
Posted By Odysseus on April 11, 2011, 10:41 PM
My husband is 6'6" and I'm 5'3". When choosing seats, we always choose aisle seats across from one another. That way, he can put one leg in the aisle when no one is going by. If he needs to, he can change seats with me and put his other leg out. Also some airlines have economy plus that gives 4-5 extra inches of leg room. This has worked for us.
Posted By Doris from New Jersey on April 12, 2011, 8:35 AM