Should Obese passengers pay more?

[Cloud9Gal]

http://boards.msn.com/Travelboards/thread.aspx?threadid=791963&GT1=41000

[Mickey D]

Yes of course. It's excess baggage. Set the max. weight at 182 lbs then I'll not have to pay. :wiggle:

[MudMarine]

So, I weigh 190lbs, should I pay more? NO! It's simple discrimination! I remember when airline seating had more than enough room! Now, because of their GREED the seats are smaller and closer together. It's a problem THEY caused!

PS Besides my tax money has bailed them out more than enough times!!!!!! We all should get free flights!!!

[Snuffy]

So what you saying MM .. at 190 yer overweight? How on earth did that happen? BESIDES, there is a difference between being a few pounds overweight vs being obese, which is what this thread title is all about.

Lets put it this way. Fuel is expensive no doubt. If you carry a few extra pounds that has to cost the aircraft extra fuel ... so, sure why not, I'm all for people pulling their own weight, (no pun intended.) Besides, it just might be an incentive for people planning a trip to actually do something about their health issues.

Problem is ... so many more people are overweight that we will all share the blame.

So the questions come up. Who gets to determine what height and weight ratios should be? Whats the difference in cost? When do we determine at what weight a person becomes obese? How much per pound do you charge?

BTW MM ... I can appreciate how the airlines would seem to have created the problem by seriously undersizing seats to get more passengers, again that is CEO greed as you mentioned. So re-visitation on the seat thing by the airline industries may be a good thing. Less weight, less fuel, everyone wins.

[hey_moe]

Me 6'3" / 230 LBS....I guess my ticket will be double. My doctor would like to see me below 190....but I weighed more than that in high school:costumes:

[Panther_99FS]

I believe the article is talking about whether or not another seat is being used....

And not the actual amount of weight...

[Francois]

People sitting next to 'them' should get a discount though... it can be very uncomfortable NOT only for the obese person him/her/themselves :wavey:

[lefty]

It's the filthy airlines whose utter contempt for passengers has caused all this.
We are crammed like chickens in a battery farm. Now, apparently, we have to be skinny chickens. Rot the whole bunch of them. Go by train.

[Panther_99FS]

I'm going to play "devil's advocate" here.

Regional/Commuter airlines don't have many seats to work with. The Saab 340B only holds 34 people.

So if the airline loses 5 seats a flight because large folks are takin' up 2 seats, the question you must ask is does the airline reserve the right to charge the obese folks for the lost revenue of the 5 seats :ques:

[Henry]

Personaly if ya cannot fit in one seat or space
you should pay more the same as luggage you pay by weight and space
i dont think its discriminating just fair
but if myself and wife fly together do we equal each other out :isadizzy:
h

[CWOJackson]

In the 80's I used to fly out to St. Paul Island, AK every year. It was an interesting trip; Boeing 737 from Juneau to Anchorage, then change to a Reeve Aleutian Lockheed Electra II.

The difference in the seating was startling; the Electra sat four people in roughly the same space the 737 crammed in nine.

[stiz]

if they fit in one seat then no they shouldnt have to pay more, however if they dont and have to have 2+ seats then i think they should pay the extra. After all, its not the airlines fault there big:kilroy:

[viking3]

I'm not 100% sure, but if I remember correctly Air Canada used to charge 1/2 price for the second seat if needed. Seemed fair to me.

Regards, Rob:ernae:

[Brian_Gladden]

I've been heavy my whole life. With some it's lifestyle and some it's genetics. (I fall mostly in the genetics category) I'm 5' 10 and 300 lbs. I weighed 250 when I was 18 (41 now). Last time there was a CRJ in the hangar where I used to work, I was able to cram myself into a seat and fasten the belt. I wouldn't want to fly coast to coast like that but I could tolerate it for a few hours.

Brian

[Willy]

Only if they give the small folks a comparable discount for saving them fuel. But I don't see that happening.

FWIW, I'm on the "fluffy" side and would get hit with the extra fee. But I have no intention of flying commerical ever again.

[MudMarine]

So what's next? The airline says that your legs can only be so long; because if they're too long it takes up other peoples space. And that means you should be charged more. Wake up people it's discrimination to treat someone diffrently just because of their weight, height, sex or the color of their skin. Some people are overweight becuase of genetics not because they're just lazy and like to eat!!:banghead: The jackass doctors tell me I'm overweight because I should weigh 175 instead of 183, my real weight. That's so they can pump me full of pills and weight loss crap..........greed, just like the airlines.

I'm with Willy. Screw the airlines I'd rather walk. It's hard for me to believe how much air travel has changed in 25 years. I remember getting actual meals on flights, now your lucky if you get a bag with three peanuts in it. I think I'm starting to discover why I "hate" flying tubeliners so much........!:dhehe

[MudMarine]

if they fit in one seat then no they shouldnt have to pay more, however if they dont and have to have 2+ seats then i think they should pay the extra. After all, its not the airlines fault there big:kilroy:

No but it's the airlines fault they decreased the size and spacing of their seats!!

[wombat666]

No but it's the airlines fault they decreased the size and spacing of their seats!!

Never had a problem, then again, we never ever fly 'Cattle Class' .......... :d
Must be a reaction to all those air miles logged aboard 'Kangaroo Airlines' fleet of Hercs.

[MCDesigns]

I think so!

I flew to Vegas a couple of years ago and it was just miserable, the guy next to me was freakin huge and "tried" to fit in one seat. Pretty sure it was a lifestyle deal since he kept bugging the steward for food and drinks the whole flight. I couldn't get off the plane fast enough!

I have an uncle that is about 300 lbs and it's mostly genetics, since he is rather active and watches what he eats. He doesn't fly because the seats are rather small and he doesn't want to be like the guy I had to deal with and for his own comfort.

[flyinjake]

I agree...the seats are to small and quite a few people are to big. Make the seats bigger, less people on the plane which will mean higher ticket prices. Then those who take more than one seat can pay for the second. Works for me. :isadizzy:

[Silver Fox]

I'm overweight and would say yes... but with certain adjustments.

Airlines should have their seating spaced so as to reflect the median of the served population. It's certainly not the airlines' fault that I'm overweight, but it's not my fault that the airline has spaced the seats so that only an Ethiopian famine victim would be comfortable.

Airline seating should be classified just like cars. Auto makers can't call a sub-compact a full-sized car.

Size the seats accordingly and then seat passengers where they fit rather than what price they would like to pay. If a huge passenger doesn't want to pay to fly first class and won't fit in lower class seats... well, there are other forms of transport available.

[Francois]

Airline seating should be classified just like cars. Auto makers can't call a sub-compact a full-sized car.



well...... a US 'compact' car is a full size saloon in Europe.... and a French MPV is a bus in Japan :d

[Panther_99FS]

well...... a US 'compact' car is a full size saloon in Europe.... and a French MPV is a bus in Japan :d

Yeppers,
The European car is definitely smaller than the American car....

However,
Most Europeans (generally speaking) are smaller (weigh less) than Americans too..:kilroy:

[MudMarine]

Car size........check out the size of the US compared to most Euro nations. Who wants to drive from NY to FLA in a sub-compact car? Not me!!:d

[Silver Fox]

You all seem to see my point. :)

Why size seats for European passengers when you service the Continental United States? It don't make sense and it isn't fair to charge extra just because you can't figure out what continent you're on.

[wombat666]

Car size........check out the size of the US compared to most Euro nations. Who wants to drive from NY to FLA in a sub-compact car? Not me!!:d

How about the cost fuelling one of those 'normal' sized Amercan cars?
:d

[Snuffy]

How about the cost fuelling one of those 'normal' sized Amercan cars?
:d


I have a job that allows me to afford the cost ... and I don't drive a car I drive a GMC Sierria 4WD pickup. :d OH! I only run preimum/hi test ...