-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Ah... why would they change the policy? Surely they should apply it more carefully and consistently in the future after paying out? I'm interested in the fact that VS believes its 31'' pitch caters to 'well into the high 90% of the population'. I didn't think I was that unusual but they certainly don't exactly fit me. I find the 33-34" on MH to be quite acceptable lengthwise. It's amazing what a few extra inches will do for you chaps.... David On Wednesday 23 Oct 2002 7:50 pm, Roger James wrote: > Virgin won't change obese passenger policy after settlement > > LONDON (Reuters) =97 Virgin Atlantic Airways said on Tuesday it would > not=20 change its policy for overweight passengers, despite paying $20,100 > to a=20 woman squashed by an obese woman on a transatlantic flight. Virgin > said=20 nearly all portly passengers already booked more spacious seats in > the=20 front of the cabin or two economy seats but in rare cases when an > obese=20 passenger had not booked extra room, it would charge them for an > extra seat= =20 > or an upgrade. "Our seats are designed to cater well into the high 90% > of=20 the population," a Virgin spokeswoman said. "Those passengers in the > still= =20 > very rare cases who need more space generally flag that up when they > book=20 with the airline." But Virgin recently paid compensation to Barbara > Hewson= =20 > in an out-of-court settlement after she sustained injuries during a flight= > =20 > from London to Los Angeles in January 2001, when an oversized woman > sitting= =20 > next to her spilled over into her seat. There were no spare seats on the=20 > plane. "She was on a flight sitting next to an oversized lady who > basically= =20 > caused her some injury during the flight," a Virgin spokeswoman said. "The= > =20 > lady sitting next to Hewson was too big for her seat and overspilled on > top= =20 > of Hewson." > > The airline, in which Richard Branson's Virgin Group owns 51% and > Singapore= =20 > Airlines owns 49%, said the reason for the long wait for compensation > was=20 that Hewson had to provide medical evidence of the injuries. Virgin > said=20 there would be no policy changes resulting from the "unprecedented > case"=20 but it would continue to advise large passengers to upgrade to > bigger seats= =20 > or purchase two seats. "We haven't had a case like this and we don't=20 > receive very many complaints of this order, so it's something that doesn't= > =20 > need to result in a policy change," the spokeswoman said. U.S. no-frills=20 > carrier Southwest Airlines earlier this year angered the National=20 > Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, with its decision to require=20 > passengers too large to fit into one seat to purchase tickets for two=20 > seats. "This is the de facto policy of nearly all airlines," said an=20 > executive from a European airline, who asked not to be named. The Virgin=20 > spokesman said: "At the end of the day if a passenger needs two seats then= > =20 > they need two seats and we haven't got any choice but to charge them for=20 > that and we think our other passengers would rather we did." > > > > The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: > Roj (Roger James) > *************************************************** > escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca > Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com > CBC Website > http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ > The Trinbago Site of the Week: > (I95.5FM) http://www.i955fm.com > (Radio Station I95.5FM) > courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory > Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com > TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt > ********************************************************* -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.0.7 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQE9ucr0KsvwCXwmAPgRAmY1AKCR8r/fU3z98kdUkmnTZcJdOpGhhgCgjZyJ iOA/GII1vmq/mQzFdMbg+4k= =KdrW -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----