Thaindian News

New York, Nov 25 (IANS) An American businessman had to stand for an exhausting seven-hour flight from Alaska to Philadelphia because an obese fellow passenger was taking up half his seat.

Arthur Berkowitz, 57, said a 400-pound man (around 181 kg) squeezed next to his seat on a flight from Anchorage, the New York Post reported.

“He was the last one to board, and as he walked down to me, he said, ‘I really want to apologize. I’m your worst nightmare’,” Berkowitz was quoted as saying.

“He was a cordial person. But the facts are, he took half my seat, and half the seat of an exchange student who was pinned up against the window.”

Berkowitz said he spent the majority of the time of flight on his feet.

“As the arm rests were up, and due to his girth, he covered about half my seat,” he said. “I notified the stewardess that this is unacceptable and unsafe.”

Berkowitz could not also move up to the business class as the plane was full, and he was also not allowed use of a flight-attendant seat.

“So I walked up and down. I tell people I didn’t fly from Anchorage to Philadelphia — I walked there!” he said.

Berkowitz said the obese man should have been charged for two seats, and he is calling on airlines to amend their rules.

Later Berkowitz, who spent $800 on the trip, got in return a $200 voucher.