Eurowings and Equal Rights in Aviation: Addressing the Challenges for People of Tall Stature

The recurring issues faced by tall passengers on Eurowings flights have once again come under scrutiny. Multiple travelers have reported that, despite their best efforts, securing adequate legroom remains a persistent challenge.

Recurring Issues and Customer Experiences

On multiple Eurowings flights, travelers with tall stature have repeatedly encountered insufficient legroom. Following an initial negative experience, many made it a priority to secure a seat with adequate leg space from the start. However, their attempts were often unsuccessful:

– At the check-in gate, requests for an exit row seat were either denied because all such seats were booked or met with an additional fee.

– At the boarding gate and onboard, similar issues persisted, with staff sometimes refusing to provide a better seat.

– In one instance, a passenger pre-booked an exit row seat for over €20 one-way, only to find that the extra legroom was still inadequate.

Post-Flight Dispute and Service Failures

After the flight, the affected tall passenger submitted a refund request, citing a long history of difficulties as a tall traveler with Eurowings. The request was refused by Eurowings service, and the airline also declined to establish contact with their Equal Opportunities Officer.

Evidence and Implications

During the most recent flight, the situation repeated itself. In this case, a flight attendant—who was even taller than the already very tall passenger—expressed clear understanding of the uncomfortable conditions. Although the passenger was eventually assigned a backup seat with extra legroom, photographic evidence confirmed that even this seat was uncomfortably narrow. This demonstrates that not all seats labeled as having „extra leg space“ truly meet the needs of tall passengers. In fact, first-row or exit row seats seem to be the only truly acceptable options.

A Call for Equal Treatment

The central question now is how Eurowings can ensure, from a technical and operational standpoint, that very tall passengers are provided with an equal opportunity to secure a seat with sufficient legroom—without incurring additional costs. Otherwise, the only recourse for tall passengers may be to pursue legal action in order to secure equal rights among all Eurowings passengers. Moreover, while the reported cases mainly involve legroom issues, there is an additional concern that passengers who are both tall and require wider seats face further discomfort, as the overall seat dimensions are limited.

Official Statement Request

An official statement was requested from the Eurowings press service regarding these issues. However, as of the publication of this article, Eurowings has not provided any official response.