[ladygreek]

I travel quite a bit and live in the location of the headquarters of one of the big airlines. A common ploy used by all of the airlines is to "cancel a flight due to mechanical problems" when in fact the real reason is that the flight is not full enough to warrant the cost of the trip. Giving away free seats because someone cannot fit in one will probably not be an option they will consider because the profit margin is so tight. That is why when you use a frequent flyer ticket your options for booking a flight is limited (they only allocate a small number of such seats per flight.)

So while I empathize with the person who cannot fit in one seat, I also feel that a person who pays for a seat should be able to fully occupy it and not have to "share" it with their neighbor who is getting part of your seat for free.