If the cause of her weight is related to a documented disability she is a protected class.
If the woman is as heavy as she proclaims, then how can it possibly have escaped the boss and the “boss’s boss” that she is not a good candidate for air travel in a single seat?
I have no sympathy for her employers. They should be booking her two seats, or send someone else. It doesn’t sound like these meetings are so frequent that it should impact her entire job. And…have they ever heard of Skype, or whatever the latest technology is for tele-meetings?
The woman in the article took pains to make herself as small as possible and to cram up against the wall next to her window seat. There is no evidence from the article that she was still spilling over into the adjacent seat. I’ve traveled with an obese aunt of mine who takes ridiculous pains to make sure she does not inconvenience anyone. The typical manspreading is much more invasive of my personal space than my aunt ever was on our travels. I’m very surprised that folks would not have compassion on the woman in the article.
Her size has nothing to do with her skill in her job. If she is the best person to travel and represent her company, she should be the one to go. They should pay for 2 seats so she is comfortable.
It would be hard to say this is a disability, and even if that could be shown, this doesn’t have to do with hiring or any prohibited discrimination.
To clarify, am wondering if the weight was RELATED to a documented disability (eg maybe she has some documented disability that might fall under a protected class). So, postulating that if she has some disability that substantially impairs/ limits her walking, breathing, etc and the obesity is related to it, it might be argued as associated with a chronic medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity … whatever the verbiage is… (diabetes? Lymphodema??) . Just postulating what situations/diagnoses might fall under a protected class and her weight is a function of, or related to this disability. Could she claim that the employer would have to then purchase her 2 seats or they are not accommodating her? Just musing…
I wasn’t completely caught up on the thread and I thought maybe you were saying the airline would have to accommodate the disability. Yes, it is possible that the employer would have to treat this as a reasonable accommodation and spring for the extra seat.
Frankly, there is so much prejudice against really obese people that I’m surprised she was hired in the first place. It is likely that she is an excellent employee and that her employer is humane. For that reason I think that approaching HR/her boss/whoever books travel regarding her needs is her best recourse.
Back in the dark ages when I used to travel quite a lot for business, the people who booked travel for the company kept lists of people’s preferences regarding seating and so forth. I strongly doubt that a 6’4" male non-smoker would have been expected to cram himself into the middle seat in the smoking section because it was the cheapest option.
Or perhaps they could buy her a business class ticket, rather than making her and whoever is seated next to her in economy class uncomfortable during the flight.
It is not clear to me whether that would be big enough.
I wonder what would happen if three large people all happened to be seated next to each other on a full flight.
I wouldn’t have hired her.
Every helicopter tour I have taken, requires me to either self report my weight or to step on a scale at the hangar. Balance is important.
I now travel on long flights with a cutting board and slip it between the seats. It is on of those rigid poly ones, but half the thickness so it really weighs next to nothing. I can deal with elbows/shoulders, but I do not like when my neighbors bottom half come over to my side of the armrest divide.
This is a situation where the “have nots” do not want the “haves” to share the wealth 
I like how you roll, Kajon. B-)
Some people are too big for business class seats… Those seats usually have armrests that do not move. I once watched a very large man trying to squeeze his huge bottom into a first class seat (Alaska’s 737) - ouch, it was painful to watch.
@Kajon I like this idea. I use some thick magazines or my computer and just press them against my armrest, but your solution seems much better. What is the best width or size to use? How far down does it go?
I paid all of $9.99 for 3 sizes of these thinner, but still quite rigid boards at Target http://www.target.com/p/farberware-3-piece-essential-kitchen-cutting-boards/-/A-16672636 I just ran up and looked in my travel bucket. The 8 1/2 x 11 is close to the top so that must have been the size I brought. There is also a 9x13 which should work.
I sit in the Delta comfort seats near the front of coach and I suppose I put it down the narrow way about 4". If you use the larger ones then you could lean it against your arm rest.
How is that allowed on a flight? Could turbulence turn it into a harmful flying object?
@Madison85 My guess is the flight crew doesn’t know it is there but yes, it could most certainly be a projectile in the event of turbulence or an emergency situation. There’s a reason why items should be stored under the seat in front of you, in the overhead bin, or in the seatback pocket.
Wouldn’t these people pose an evacuation hazard to the other passengers if the obese passenger cannot get thru the emergency exits?
Wouldn’t EVERYTHING onboard that’s not bolted down pose a “harmful flying object” risk?