The Power Report : Getting the cabin space you paid for

What are your rights - and recourse - when the guy in the next seat overflows into yours?

Most airline passengers have endured the onboard irritation of a screaming infant, jabbering teenager or wheezing businessman.

Add to that male travellers incapable of sitting without legs splayed, using up double the legroom they're entitled to.

All very annoying, and all part and parcel of economy flying which, let's face it, most of us have little choice but to grin and bear.

But what happens when the only "space" you can call your own - your seat - is no longer entirely yours?

When booked into "cattle class", you forgo the spacious luxury of business or first class. But you're still entitled to an entire seat, albeit with just enough wriggle room to keep your limbs from going numb.

So when you're forced to give up part of that treasured space to accommodate the overflow of a "passenger of size", it's enough to make even the most saintly among us grumpy. As it did to Port Elizabeth reader Hans Frahm.

He lodged a complaint with SA Express after a man who "easily weighed over 200kg" was seated next to him on a Cape Town-to-PE flight last month.

"At full extension he could not buckle up his seat belt and an extra section had to be requested," said Frahm. "He overflowed so much into my area that we had body contact and I was not able to sit straight in my seat, and the top part of my body was forced into the aisle."

Frahm was moved to an empty seat but told he'd have to return to his original seat for landing, due to balance issues.

He objected and asked flight attendants on the 50-seater jet to inform the pilot of the change. Apparently they didn't, and half an hour before landing, he was told to return to his seat.

On arrival in PE, Frahm complained to an airline representative. Unfortunately he used terms like "baby elephant", which understandably upset the staffer. No matter how valid a gripe, offensive or discriminatory language seldom secures co-operation or sympathy.

"I paid full price for my ticket and see no reason to be forced to accommodate the fat of another person in my space. Nobody told me I would have to share my seat when I booked in," said Frahm.

He has a point. Should passengers have to endure obese flying companions spilling over into their seats, causing discomfort, or should larger passengers have to foot the bill for an upgrade, or buy two seats?

Airlines have long struggled with this issue, leading to several airlines abroad having specific "passenger of size" policies to ensure maximum comfort for all.

At these airlines, if no vacant seats are available to accommodate a large passenger, the customer is expected to either upgrade or buy a second seat on the next available flight. If a customer refuses, he or she is not allowed to board.

Unfortunately for Frahm, SA Express has no such policy and, although it regrets that Frahm was "uncomfortable", it won't compensate him.

The airline's public relations and communications manager, Lulu Bam, said an average weight for men, women and children was used to guide safety regulations relating to baggage and cargo but did not compel the airline to "insist" larger passengers bought an additional ticket.

"Passengers uncomfortable for whatever reason are allowed to request another seat during the flight. Crew members can use their discretion to decide whether they can remain there after consulting the pilot. For safety reasons pertaining to the weight and balance of the aircraft, they are usually requested to return to their original seats (for landing)," said Bam.

Airlink, which also operates smaller aircraft, has similar policies. It moves passengers back to original seats for landing and does not refund in cases where an obese passenger encroaches onto another.

1time's marketing and public relations manager, Anya Potgieter, said it would be "discriminatory" to suggest an obese passenger buy two seats.

"It is the same as asking a black passenger if he would prefer to sit with another black person or a white person," she said. "A more discretionary approach is to put the passenger into a two-seater, and try not to fill the seat next to them."

Potgieter said passengers had been known to buy a second seat for their own comfort and were charged two fares.

Mango said it too would never ask a large passenger to buy two seats - but added it was usually able to "reconfigure" seating arrangements to accommodate all sizes.

SAA clearly isn't as politically correct. In the interests of comfort and safety, it advises staff to "suggest" overweight passengers buy a business class seat or two economy class seats. Should the customer refuse, boarding may be declined.

"Most overweight customers usually call us for the seat dimensions to ensure their comfort and non-contravention of safety requirements. These SAA guidelines are based on industry best practice," said corporate affairs acting head Dileseng Koetle.

Neither British Airways nor Kulula, both managed by Comair, go that far. The best they'll do is look at discounting an extra seat if requested. But they're open to refunding an unhappy passenger "where appropriate".

But what is appropriate? And where do you draw the line? Do broad-shouldered people or those with extraordinarily long legs also need extra seats? And should they be made to pay for this?

It's certainly a tricky issue, and one not going away any time soon.

So if it happens to you, and you can't be moved, what are your options?

If the airline has another cabin class, ask for an upgrade. If not, and your diary is flexible, request off-loading onto the next flight with some compensation for the inconvenience.

Either way, deal with the issue before takeoff, rather than fighting about it later.

Once you've taken the flight, getting heard by an airline becomes that much harder.

Sunday Snarl

At the SA Post Office which re-routed former Witbank resident Eric Parker's mail to his new Durban address as requested, but included the new Witbank homeowner's mail as well.

When Parker returned the homeowner's mail to Witbank post office, it sent it back again. Talk about turning a good service into a circus.

Sunday smile

At the National Consumer Commission's demand that the City of Johannesburg explain the recent power outages and provide justification for its planned 22% tariff increase. It's beyond high time this municipality was made to answer to consumers.