I have just been informed that Air Canada’s policies and procedures for assisting larger travellers who might need two seats are really problematic. The story I have just been told by one of our delegates is just appalling.

First, they state on their website that a second seat is available for free with a doctor’s sign-off. This option is apparently not available on cross-border travel. If you are flying from outside Canada and need a second seat, you would have to purchase it. Secondly, the steps required to get this sign-off is unbelievably degrading, and includes asking the doctor to trace the patient’s butt on a piece of paper to demonstrate how wide it is, so even if you do live in Canada, you may want to think twice about going through it.

I am going to bring this to the attention of a number of fat rights organisations. In the meantime, I suggest shopping around for deals or using another airline if possible. Also, Vancouver is very close to the US border, so if you are in the US, travelling to Seattle and then either hiring a car or using another form of public transport might be an option.