NationStates Jolt Archive

I recently returned from a vacation, during which time I traveled via three different airlines. One of these was Southwest Airlines, and I ended up having an interesting discussion with the fellow seated next to me* on that flight about Southwest's policies for fat passengers.

Southwest has caught a lot of heat for their policies on fat passengers and seat requirements. They introduced a policy where employees at the gate could require a passenger to purchase a second seat if the employee believed that the passenger was too large to fit into one seat. Southwest has been sued by passengers over this policy at least two times so far.

What do you think about this kind of idea? Should passengers be expected to purchase additional seats if they require more room? Weight limits are currently imposed on luggage for most airlines, and there is an additional charge if your luggage excedes the limit; should a similar policy be put into place regarding passengers themselves?

I think it's fair enough. It costs the airline more to carry them, and can mean an unpleasant flight for the poor person stuck next to them.

If nothing else, why not change it so that rather than a baggage weight limit you have a total weight limit, that includes the person as well as their luggage?

They shouldn't make it too complicated, but they could, I guess, say: 0-100kgs Price A (so actually, you pay for 100kg plus luggage). 101-200kgs Price B

Then, if you don't want any luggage you could just, say, add 30kg to Price A :p

Or something.

Either way, the fairest would be to charge per kilo/pound, but that would be tedious.

As it is, no, the system isn't in place to deal with this.

They shouldn't make it too complicated, but they could, I guess, say: 0-100kgs Price A (so actually, you pay for 100kg plus luggage). 101-200kgs Price B

Then, if you don't want any luggage you could just, say, add 30kg to Price A :p

Or something.

Either way, the fairest would be to charge per kilo/pound, but that would be tedious.

As it is, no, the system isn't in place to deal with this.
100kg? At 230lb and 6'0 I can assure you that I do not need a second seat. What about the poor people that just happen to have a large mass of muscle but weigh the same as these fatties that would need two seats?

I understand what your saying about Weight restrictions and all, but really its not necessary. They have survived for a few decades before doing this, and therefore, they can keep doing it. That or force fatties to buy first class tickets.

They should weigh the passengers and the luggage. :p

Hmm..
Does that mean you get a discount if your thin?!
Then yes.

(is 6 stone, 6 foot'2)
(is going out with 7 stone 5'9)

Hehehe... we can afford that honeymoon afterall!

It really does not make any difference to a plane of umpteen tons if another 200 lbs gets on, especially if it prevents another person from getting on anyways. The only way this would make a difference is if the obese brigade took every seat on the plane and halved the number of passengers. Otherwise, it is discrimination.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a small person (5'2" on a good day and about average weight). So I've got my own bias on the subject.

My neighbor on my Southwest flight was a very tall but extremely thin gentleman. We actually started talking about the subject because when he first sat down his left leg was taking up about half of MY leg room, because his legs couldn't fit into the space in front of his own seat.

We lucked out because our flight wasn't full and nobody sat down in the aisle seat, so he could move over and both of us could have more room, but it got us talking about what can happen if a large passenger ends up encroaching on a neighbor's seating space...airline seats are cramped enough as it is, and I know that I get pretty pissed off when ANYBODY (fat or thin) tries to take over some of the paltry space that I've got. I get just as annoyed when a "normal-size" passenger falls asleep on my shoulder, or won't share the armrest.

if you take up more than one seat you need to pay for more than one seat.

that's my opinion.

I reserve the right to change my mind if someone can show me why I should.

I understand what your saying about Weight restrictions and all, but really its not necessary. They have survived for a few decades before doing this, and therefore, they can keep doing it. That or force fatties to buy first class tickets.
Just to be Devil's Advocate here: many people point out that the average weight and girth of Americans has increased by a bit since airlines first started opperating. I don't have the faintest idea how much of a difference the weight increase really might make for a commercial plane, though.

Hmm..
Does that mean you get a discount if your thin?!
Then yes.

(is 6 stone, 6 foot'2)
(is going out with 7 stone 5'9)

Hehehe... we can afford that honeymoon afterall!
What are these crazy stone measurements? And what is all this "kilo" nonsense? You know, just because all of the sane world uses the metric system doesn't mean that we Americans should actually bother to learn it. It would save time if all of YOU converted to OUR measuring system. :)

if you take up more than one seat you need to pay for more than one seat.

that's my opinion.

I reserve the right to change my mind if someone can show me why I should.
That's pretty much how I feel. I don't much care about a person's weight, level of fitness, or anything else, I just think that it is rude for someone else to think that they deserve to use the space that I have rented for the duration of the flight.

On the other hand, my lover is a fellow who has rather broad shoulders, and his arms almost extend over the armwrests on either side when he sits in a coach seat. So this means that he could (theoretically) be expected to pay for extra space to accomodate his shoulder span.

And what about pregnant women? Most people who fly a lot have horror stories about getting wedged between two fat people, but I had the unique experience of being wedged between two PREGNANT people on one memorable 4 hour flight. It was every bit as uncomfortable as being seated between two overweight individuals, yet I felt different about it than I do about being crowded by an overweight neighbor...is that really fair of me?

To be honest i doubt it would make much sense the small degree of extra weight of a number of "heavier" individuals would only make any impact on the aircraft's oeprating costs or performance at the very extremes of the situation.

As a large person myself to be honest i wouldn't mind paying extra if they could fully justify it and i am very aware of my size and do try to avoid putting anyone at an inconveince because of it and so far have avoided causing any such issue on board an aircraft, its a shame that the same can't be said of a large number of others both large and small, particularly the elbow beasts , you know the ones who can't hold thier book in a position that woudl prevent them jabbing you in the ribs each time they change a page.

YES YES YES!!! BUT I think it should be width of the body and not weight. Weight can be very missleading. I had to sit on a 5 hours flight with a layer of flab on my thigh!!! EWWWWW!!! I should get a damn discount for having to live like that!!! Discusting!!!

That's pretty much how I feel. I don't much care about a person's weight, level of fitness, or anything else, I just think that it is rude for someone else to think that they deserve to use the space that I have rented for the duration of the flight.

On the other hand, my lover is a fellow who has rather broad shoulders, and his arms almost extend over the armwrests on either side when he sits in a coach seat. So this means that he could (theoretically) be expected to pay for extra space to accomodate his shoulder span.

And what about pregnant women? Most people who fly a lot have horror stories about getting wedged between two fat people, but I had the unique experience of being wedged between two PREGNANT people on one memorable 4 hour flight. It was every bit as uncomfortable as being seated between two overweight individuals, yet I felt different about it than I do about being crowded by an overweight neighbor...is that really fair of me?

It's not fair to go by weight or pregnancy or whatever, my husband is 6'3" and 230lbs but he isn't fat, he is really muscle-y. I weigh more than I should but also have a lot of muscle, I don't take up more space than I should.

I think they should have an airline seat at the boarding place or ticket counter and anyone suspect has to "try it on for size" if they don't fit or "spill over" then they have to get another ticket.

What are these crazy stone measurements? And what is all this "kilo" nonsense? You know, just because all of the sane world uses the metric system doesn't mean that we Americans should actually bother to learn it. It would save time if all of YOU converted to OUR measuring system. :)

EH? aren't stones part of the imperial system? just the same as pounds are (16 pounds to the stone IIRC).

It's not fair to go by weight or pregnancy or whatever, my husband is 6'3" and 230lbs but he isn't fat, he is really muscle-y. I weigh more than I should but also have a lot of muscle, I don't take up more space than I should.

Well, I was really refering to the space occupied. The pregnant women in question were crowding me a lot, just like most people describe in their horror stories of sitting between two very fat passengers. It was uncomfortable as hell, but I felt like it would be really wrong of me to get upset at pregnant ladies.

Yet, is that really reasonable? I mean, one could argue that modern medicine has made it easier to control pregnancy than weight gain in some situations. Some people may have physiological conditions that make them naturally very large or may make them gain lots of weight, and they may not have any control over their size. Meanwhile, most women who have enough money to travel by jet are also women who have access to contraception that would allow them to choose not to be pregnant.


I think they should have an airline seat at the boarding place or ticket counter and anyone suspect has to "try it on for size" if they don't fit or "spill over" then they have to get another ticket.
As I've said, I'm not a very large person, so maybe I don't really get this, but I feel like that would be really humiliating.

EH? aren't stones part of the imperial system? just the same as pounds are (16 pounds to the stone IIRC).
Given that the human body is mostly water, why don't we just measure people in liters?

I can't decide, to be honest.

My sense of fairness really wants to say that people shouldn't have to pay more just because they're fat...

...but I still remember a flight I (a small person) spent wedged between two very, very large women, both of whom were overlapping significantly into my space to the point where I quite literally could not move my arms or shift position at all. I'm sure they were both nice people, but after three hours of being trapped like this, I was feeling murderous towards them both, and even more murderous towards the airline that had made me pay several hundred dollars for the privelege of having no more than one-third of a seat to myself.

So I'm leaning towards thinking that obese people should pay for extra seats on full or near-full flights, but even that presents a problem. There's no good way to check for obesity when passengers purchasetickets online, so what happens if a flight is truly full and obese passengers are required to buy an extra seat at the gate? Do they just get kicked off the flight?

Yes, it would be additional discouragement for people to become obese.

Ditto on the bus, train, etc

So I'm leaning towards thinking that obese people should pay for extra seats on full or near-full flights, but even that presents a problem. There's no good way to check for obesity when passengers purchasetickets online, so what happens if a flight is truly full and obese passengers are required to buy an extra seat at the gate? Do they just get kicked off the flight?
They could just walk. :D

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4818036.stm

Just to be Devil's Advocate here: many people point out that the average weight and girth of Americans has increased by a bit since airlines first started opperating. I don't have the faintest idea how much of a difference the weight increase really might make for a commercial plane, though.

But of course... although it would seem aircraft are getting bigger as well.

EH? aren't stones part of the imperial system? just the same as pounds are (16 pounds to the stone IIRC).

Close, its actually 14 pounds to a stone. I dont know how you crazy americans got started on using pounds instead of stones, they're both imperial, strange really.


Hmm..
Does that mean you get a discount if your thin?!
Then yes.

(is 6 stone, 6 foot'2)
(is going out with 7 stone 5'9)

Hehehe... we can afford that honeymoon afterall!

Are you really 6 stone?

I think you should pay extra if you don't fit in your seat. Or maybe even fly first class, simply out of safety precautions.
Just imagine you put the really obese person in the middle seat of let's say a
3-5-3 airplane - how in the world are you gonna get that person out of there in case they need medical attention? Forget it, would never work.

And I have sat in between fat people - it is not nice at all. The only advantage was that they were so fat that when they fell asleep their heads couldn't even reach my shoulders...

I'm 5'8 (172cm) and weigh about 165pounds (81kg) - why would I have to pay extra for a 2nd piece of hand luggage in addition to my 1st 5kg rucksack when a fat person weighs more without any hand luggage?
It either is about weight or it's not about weight...

(As for the ladies: A rucksack and a handbag do count as two pieces of luggage, no matter what you say!)

And since when don't they serve peanuts anymore? I love peanuts and beer on the plane!

100kg? At 230lb and 6'0 I can assure you that I do not need a second seat. What about the poor people that just happen to have a large mass of muscle but weigh the same as these fatties that would need two seats?

I understand what your saying about Weight restrictions and all, but really its not necessary. They have survived for a few decades before doing this, and therefore, they can keep doing it. That or force fatties to buy first class tickets.

Well, yeah, that's why I said no :p the system isn't in place to deal with it yet.

That is, unless you weigh everyone and charge them based on that (That would be fair, but extremely tedious and annoying).

I've talked to several obese people about their travel experiences via aircraft, and trust me it's not fun for them either. Imagine being cramped into a seat that was about 2/3 the size of your hind-quarters. It makes everyone more comfortable if they just buy first-class tickets. The question is whether or not it makes people more comfortable to MAKE them buy first class tickets, to which I don't have an answer (sorry). I think that maybe having a section of the plane which has larger seating but no first-class service would be a viable solution, seeing as how people who are not overweight might be interested in them too and the price wouldn't be quite as high as first class is.

Given that the human body is mostly water, why don't we just measure people in liters?

Because we weigh less than that.

People like to think they don't weigh much :p

I've talked to several obese people about their travel experiences via aircraft, and trust me it's not fun for them either. Imagine being cramped into a seat that was about 2/3 the size of your hind-quarters.

Obviously the best solution to this problem (from the passengers' standpoint) would be for airlines to just make the damn seats bigger for EVERYBODY. :)


It makes everyone more comfortable if they just buy first-class tickets. The question is whether or not it makes people more comfortable to MAKE them buy first class tickets, to which I don't have an answer (sorry).

That doesn't seem much different than asking them to buy a second seat, really.


I think that maybe having a section of the plane which has larger seating but no first-class service would be a viable solution, seeing as how people who are not overweight might be interested in them too and the price wouldn't be quite as high as first class is.
I know that I would buy seats in that section as often as I could afford to! EVERYBODY wants more space on a plane. But the airlines insist that they can't possibly afford to use bigger seats, and they're already going bankrupt as it is...I don't know how much truth there is to that, but there you have it.

I haven't flown since childhood, but just how small ARE the airplane seats? More relevant to me, how much/little legroom is there? If the airlines are anything like some movie theaters I've seen, I'd say that they need seats that can at least hold an average person. I'm sure they'd like to squeeze people in like sardines and charge extra for the ones who couldn't fit.

Yeah it really makes you wonder what the overhead cost of an airline is anyways....

Every company that has tried to introduce more space has failed! BIGGER PLANES I SAY

Close, its actually 14 pounds to a stone. I dont know how you crazy americans got started on using pounds instead of stones, they're both imperial, strange really.




Are you really 6 stone?

Yusyus.
Depression and lack of sleep rocks.

I haven't flown since childhood, but just how small ARE the airplane seats? More relevant to me, how much/little legroom is there?

Extremely little. If you're over 6'2", you're going to have a big problem.

I haven't flown since childhood, but just how small ARE the airplane seats? More relevant to me, how much/little legroom is there? If the airlines are anything like some movie theaters I've seen, I'd say that they need seats that can at least hold an average person. I'm sure they'd like to squeeze people in like sardines and charge extra for the ones who couldn't fit.
Here's a list that includes some seat measurements. Not sure how up-to-date it is, but it's a start:
http://www.airlinequality.com/Product/seats_global.htm

I reserve the right to change my mind if someone can show me why I should.
Shouldn't this be standard operating procedure on NS? You don't have to point this out. It's sad how so many posters see conceding a point as the ultimate dishonour. It leads people talk and talk and talk until they're arguing utterly stupid points to save face.

Shouldn't this be standard operating procedure on NS? You don't have to point this out. It's sad how so many posters see conceding a point as the ultimate dishonour. It leads people talk and talk and talk until they're arguing utterly stupid points to save face.
It SHOULD be standard procedure, but it's not. In fact, there have been threads asking the question, "Do you believe that NS discussions ever change anybody's opinion?" And many of them have filled with posts from people who answer in the resoundingly negatory.

I haven't flown since childhood, but just how small ARE the airplane seats? More relevant to me, how much/little legroom is there? If the airlines are anything like some movie theaters I've seen, I'd say that they need seats that can at least hold an average person. I'm sure they'd like to squeeze people in like sardines and charge extra for the ones who couldn't fit.
IIRC the average budget/lowcost/economy seat pitch is 31"s which isn't really enough for anyone over 6' to be comfortable in...

The worst thing is i get more leg room on the bus...

Yusyus.
Depression and lack of sleep rocks.

Seriously man? 84 pounds? Thats tiny, worse than Christian Bale in 'the Machinist'. I'm rather skinny and I weigh twice that. You should see a doctor as being at that weight isnt healthy.

I'm undecided on this. On one hand, it does strike me as somehow unfair, but on the other hand, it makes good business sense. Fat passengers take up more space and thus limit the number of passengers that can comfortably be seated. That eats into the profits of the airline. I'm not big on profit, but I understand their situation and motivations.

Close, its actually 14 pounds to a stone. I dont know how you crazy americans got started on using pounds instead of stones, they're both imperial, strange really.

I'm trying to make the switch over to metric, myself, and think stones are a silly measurement.

IIRC the average budget/lowcost/economy seat pitch is 31"s which isn't really enough for anyone over 6' to be comfortable in...

The worst thing is i get more leg room on the bus...

Ouch! Those busses are a PITA! It sounds like if I ever DO have to fly, I'd be better off springing for first-class. :(

I think I'd be more pissed if I was told the flight I wanted to take was sold out because a bunch of fat people had to buy extra tickets than I would be if I had to sit next to a fat person during that flight.

I think I'd be more pissed if I was told the flight I wanted to take was sold out because a bunch of fat people had to buy extra tickets than I would be if I had to sit next to a fat person during that flight.
Hmm, that's a good point as well. What about some kind of option where other people can "buy out" a large passenger's extra ticket, with the warning that they are purchasing a seat that they may end up sharing with the large passenger?

if a person chooses to eat so much that they are too fat to fit into a single airline seat without taking up other passenger's space then the airline has the right to chooses to charge them for a second seat. otherwise taking on a fat person denies the airline the price of a seat. i'm no fan of capitalism and corporate greed but this is just common sense.

Hmm, that's a good point as well. What about some kind of option where other people can "buy out" a large passenger's extra ticket, with the warning that they are purchasing a seat that they may end up sharing with the large passenger?

that'd work

Seriously man? 84 pounds? Thats tiny, worse than Christian Bale in 'the Machinist'. I'm rather skinny and I weigh twice that. You should see a doctor as being at that weight isnt healthy.

I agree, Im 5"10 and I weight 11 stone, and I look like a concentration camp survivor. eat more cake for Gods sake!

Anyway, fatties should pay for however many seats they take up. Its only fair. If I could afford to Id buy 2 seats just for the extra space, and to avoid having some wanker talking to me.

There is tax on almost anything so why not tax body fat.

:p

if a person chooses to eat so much that they are too fat to fit into a single airline seat without taking up other passenger's space then the airline has the right to chooses to charge them for a second seat. otherwise taking on a fat person denies the airline the price of a seat. i'm no fan of capitalism and corporate greed but this is just common sense.
What if a person chooses to get pregnant, and becomes so large that they cannot fit into a single airline seat?

I think I'd be more pissed if I was told the flight I wanted to take was sold out because a bunch of fat people had to buy extra tickets than I would be if I had to sit next to a fat person during that flight.
I wouldn't be, but that's because I'm a big person myself. I fit into the seats, but only just--if I'm in the middle, I have to pull my elbows in for the duration of the flight and sit like I was in 6th grade in Catholic school (I'm 5'10 and 240). I don't overlap, but there's no way I can sit next to someone who does--it's tight enough if I'm next to someone that's as large as I am.

The real key for me, though, isn't leg room--I can extend beneath the seat in front of me. It's seat width. I'll never fly on Continental again because of their narrow seats. They're ridiculous.

What if a person chooses to get pregnant, and becomes so large that they cannot fit into a single airline seat?
Offer an abortion upgrade for frequent flier miles?

Heres my opinion

Fat: From some sort of diasese/hadicapped, no, they should not pay
Fat: Because they are gluttons, yes, they should pay

What if a person chooses to get pregnant, and becomes so large that they cannot fit into a single airline seat?
Now, there's always 1st class and if that doesn't work - don't fly. Or get one of those:
http://www.portalbrasil.net/images/a300-airbus.jpg

I think people should pay an excess on their ticket on a sliding scale if they exceed a certain mass. At the end of the day, extra mass = additional fuel consumption. It is true, people have become far heavier since the airlines started operating, and aviation fuel prices are rising fast too. It is only fair for that additional operating expense to be reclaimed. It is already done for luggage, so why not?

Heres my opinion

Fat: From some sort of diasese/hadicapped, no, they should not pay
Fat: Because they are gluttons, yes, they should pay
How would you suggest the airlines determine the cause of a person's fatness?

Offer an abortion upgrade for frequent flier miles?
Ooooh...that was almost in poor enough taste to make me cringe.

But not quite. ;)

How would you suggest the airlines determine the cause of a person's fatness?
well if they're haddicapped, they should have the paperwork, they can just show that

Assume that it is approved to charge for two seats for peple over a specified size. Now let us look at this from the Airline's point of view.

Hey we can double our revenue on our unpopular lines, those that we have to have to retain our licence, if we just make our seats a little smaller. Then the majority of people will have to pay for two seats.

Who is going to decide what is oversize for a passenger. If it is the airline then this leads directly to profiteering. If it is the courts then only the lawyers get rich (as always). If it si some industry ombudsman figure then the decision will not be legally binding.

Would an American flying JAL automaticaly be charged oversize rates? What about reduced rates for light passengers? Perhaps we should charge passengers by the pound/mile (or kilo/kilometer) which with the confusion of units would make it difficult to compare prices.

Overal I think the idea is unworkable in the long term. Perhaps for the excessive cases (3 standard deviations away from the worldwide average for an adult of that gender) there could be a case to be made. But just ordinary heaviness, I think not.

For reference I am 1.89 M in height and 112 Kilos (That will annoy thr Americans)

We should eat fat people?

What if a person chooses to get pregnant, and becomes so large that they cannot fit into a single airline seat?
Then they should purchase and extra seat, first class seat, OR take a train/bus/rental car. They have to understand that if they "overflow" into the other passenger's seats then they are tequnically "stealing" that rented space from them. It is like your next door neighbor has sooo much crap in their apartment that they GET to use your living room as extra space. It is WRONG.
No one said life is fair...get over it!!!
My dad and brother are both broad sholdered and I think they should have to purchase extra seating becuase of it. I got stuck between them on a flight from Las Vegas to Dallas. It was like 3 hours of hell.
Of course if the planes had wider seats we wouldn't have this problem or to a lesser degree.

Then they should purchase and extra seat, first class seat, OR take a train/bus/rental car. They have to understand that if they "overflow" into the other passenger's seats then they are tequnically "stealing" that rented space from them. It is like your next door neighbor has sooo much crap in their apartment that they GET to use your living room as extra space. It is WRONG.
No one said life is fair...get over it!!!
My dad and brother are both broad sholdered and I think they should have to purchase extra seating becuase of it. I got stuck between them on a flight from Las Vegas to Dallas. It was like 3 hours of hell.
Of course if the planes had wider seats we wouldn't have this problem or to a lesser degree.
I happen to agree with you, I am mostly just asking questions to get a sense for how other people feel. I have this gut reaction about making pregnant women pay extra for seats, but at the same time my brain can't find any particular reason why pregnant women should get a special exemption that fat people wouldn't get.

I happen to agree with you, I am mostly just asking questions to get a sense for how other people feel. I have this gut reaction about making pregnant women pay extra for seats, but at the same time my brain can't find any particular reason why pregnant women should get a special exemption that fat people wouldn't get.
The only downside I see to charging them extra is that the wingnuts would start using it as another bullshit argument that there's two people there, and so they need two seats. That it makes no sense whatsoever is beside the point.

I don't know too be heavy enough to be charged for an extra seat might cause a problem if you sit at the front of the plane (I take it everyone has seen the fast show)

The only downside I see to charging them extra is that the wingnuts would start using it as another bullshit argument that there's two people there, and so they need two seats. That it makes no sense whatsoever is beside the point.
WOW. I hadn't even thought about that! I totally think we should start pushing this as a law. If fetuses are people, as the conservatives like to claim, then pregnant women should have to buy two tickets for everything. Or, at least, an adult ticket and a "child" ticket. Let's see them try to stick to their guns on that one...

WOW. I hadn't even thought about that! I totally think we should start pushing this as a law. If fetuses are people, as the conservatives like to claim, then pregnant women should have to buy two tickets for everything. Or, at least, an adult ticket and a "child" ticket. Let's see them try to stick to their guns on that one...

Brilliant!

Its a tough subject that can be argued either way.

Weight is always an issue-you pay for extra "excess" luggage, sure-but I've flown with just a briefcase before and no one has offered a discount.

How about a small child? If they arent a "lap child" and have to have a seat and they only weigh 45 lbs?

I dont know what the solution is. If given a choice-No I wouldnt choose to sit between two obese people spilling over into my seat, BUT-I have flown next to some pretty obnoxious people who could be considered slim.

As I mentioned, the airline doesnt give you any credit or discount if you are smaller than average and have little or no luggage-so why should we agree to let them charge more for a human thats larger?

They should take the good with the bad and hope it evens out- be more efficient somewhere else. I'm sure they could easily reduce waste in another department.

Assume that it is approved to charge for two seats for peple over a specified size. Now let us look at this from the Airline's point of view.

Hey we can double our revenue on our unpopular lines, those that we have to have to retain our licence, if we just make our seats a little smaller. Then the majority of people will have to pay for two seats.

Who is going to decide what is oversize for a passenger. If it is the airline then this leads directly to profiteering. If it is the courts then only the lawyers get rich (as always). If it si some industry ombudsman figure then the decision will not be legally binding.

Would an American flying JAL automaticaly be charged oversize rates? What about reduced rates for light passengers? Perhaps we should charge passengers by the pound/mile (or kilo/kilometer) which with the confusion of units would make it difficult to compare prices.

Overal I think the idea is unworkable in the long term. Perhaps for the excessive cases (3 standard deviations away from the worldwide average for an adult of that gender) there could be a case to be made. But just ordinary heaviness, I think not.

For reference I am 1.89 M in height and 112 Kilos (That will annoy thr Americans)
I was about to make this point, so I'll echo it.

The idea of a few seats in coach that are a little larger isn't half bad, given out at the discretion of the ticket seller (worthless for online ticket purchases...come to think of it, how do they pull that off online?)

But then the question-should tall people pay extra? My dad is 6'4", two of my friends are 6'8" (I don't know how that happened-one of them is married to a chick who is 6'5") They have leg and limb spill over, are they dinged, too? And then we're back to the post I quoted. I don't think it's workable-its a soak by the airlines.

WOW. I hadn't even thought about that! I totally think we should start pushing this as a law. If fetuses are people, as the conservatives like to claim, then pregnant women should have to buy two tickets for everything. Or, at least, an adult ticket and a "child" ticket. Let's see them try to stick to their guns on that one...


Maybe for conjoined twins that would actually occupy two seats.


Its always interesting to see how any subject in here can stray toward a conservative/liberal issue.

WOW. I hadn't even thought about that! I totally think we should start pushing this as a law. If fetuses are people, as the conservatives like to claim, then pregnant women should have to buy two tickets for everything. Or, at least, an adult ticket and a "child" ticket. Let's see them try to stick to their guns on that one...
Did you hear that story about the pregnant lady trying to use the carpool lane with that excuse? (didn't work-saw it here but didn't follow it closely so I'm bracing for a snopes slam)

Did you hear that story about the pregnant lady trying to use the carpool lane with that excuse? (didn't work-saw it here but didn't follow it closely so I'm bracing for a snopes slam)

Brace not! (http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/01/11/D8F2LSD84.html)

They should take the good with the bad and hope it evens out- be more efficient somewhere else. I'm sure they could easily reduce waste in another department.


Eliminate bathrooms and lend everyone a container they could empty themselves when they land and surrender for a deposit.

Stop with the stupid filthy little pillow and blanket.

Stop all meals on all flights. People can eat before or after flight and bring a Power bar and a drink on board the plane.

Brace not! (http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/01/11/D8F2LSD84.html)


I would have let her go for guts and originality with a warning. She didnt need a ticket-now its a big issue.

The idea of a few seats in coach that are a little larger isn't half bad, given out at the discretion of the ticket seller (worthless for online ticket purchases...come to think of it, how do they pull that off online?)

They "pull it off" by blocking passengers from boarding the plane. That's why Southwest got sued, I think...passengers who had already purchased a ticket were blocked from getting on their flight unless they paid for a second additional ticket to accomodate their size. The decision was made by a gate attendant, I think.

They "pull it off" by blocking passengers from boarding the plane. That's why Southwest got sued, I think...passengers who had already purchased a ticket were blocked from getting on their flight unless they paid for a second additional ticket to accomodate their size. The decision was made by a gate attendant, I think.
See, that's ass-especially if the flight is sold out and that person is then refused their seat. That, and I'm not comfortable with it being something they just eyeball.

They "pull it off" by blocking passengers from boarding the plane. That's why Southwest got sued, I think...passengers who had already purchased a ticket were blocked from getting on their flight unless they paid for a second additional ticket to accomodate their size. The decision was made by a gate attendant, I think.

I have a friend that was a gate attendant and yes- that was one of their duties-awful as it is.
Imagine telling someone that?

I'm not sure, but I dont think there is any special price for the second seat-its probably the maximum.

They shouldn't make it too complicated, but they could, I guess, say: 0-100kgs Price A (so actually, you pay for 100kg plus luggage). 101-200kgs Price B

Then, if you don't want any luggage you could just, say, add 30kg to Price A :p

Or something.

Either way, the fairest would be to charge per kilo/pound, but that would be tedious.

As it is, no, the system isn't in place to deal with this.
define fat.
i'm 1.95m x 102 kg. no fat on me, solid muscle only. not really my fault I was born big framed.

define fat.
i'm 1.95m x 102 kg. no fat on me, solid muscle only. not really my fault I was born big framed.
I think the standard that Southwest uses is that one should fit in a seat and be able to lower the armrest. If someone can't fit in a single seat space, then they need to pay for what they use.

The airlines should have to pay us tall folks for the legroom that they take away, though. I got on a 757 that had the seats so close together that my knees were jammed into the seat in front of me. When the guy in front reclined, I felt like I was looking down his throat.

So I guess it works both ways. The airlines need to configure their planes with a decent amount of room, but we should be able to fit in a single seat.

Airlines and passangers should just put up with the fact that people come in different sizes. The world is designed for midgets already anyway.

Well, perhaps if the airlines stopped designing seats that can't reasonably accomodate anyone except for midget anorexics, Laotians with slender builds, or non-corporeal spirits - coupled with not forcing 400+ passengers onto planes better suited to half that number, maybe you might have something there.:p

P.S. you people voting "yes" on the poll are total dicks. Hope you can remain a size 2 all your lives, lest skinnier people start taking the piss out of you.

Airlines and passangers should just put up with the fact that people come in different sizes. The world is designed for midgets already anyway.

Heh. Speaking as a fairly small person, I've often gotten the impression that the world is designed for giants.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective...

What are these crazy stone measurements? And what is all this "kilo" nonsense? You know, just because all of the sane world uses the metric system doesn't mean that we Americans should actually bother to learn it. It would save time if all of YOU converted to OUR measuring system. :)


Typical response from a person who is pretty damn ignorant. Why shouldn't the Americans learn the metric system?
There are about 300 million Americans and about 6 billion in the rest of the world. Who should change?????

As for the charging of extra for using 2 seats I agree. The airline would be able to charge for another passenger. But if the person is able to fit into one seat, then no, they shouldn't have to pay.
If someone is anorexic, do they get a discount depending on how little they weigh???????

Typical response from a person who is pretty damn ignorant. Why shouldn't the Americans learn the metric system?
There are about 300 million Americans and about 6 billion in the rest of the world. Who should change?????


Okay, let's work on this thing called sarcasm.

Eh, I don't really know quite honestly. I have a very heavy set aunt, who has just been a larger women her whole life, so on one hand I sympathize with her, however I'm too tall to sit in coach so since about 9th grade I've had to pay extra for business class or first class and I've never complained.

I feel bad for them, but what about the people who have to sit next to them and are inconvenienced. Either way, somebody isn't comfortable, and it seems a lot easier if somebody that is very obese payed for the extra ticket. However, I still don't know if it should be required.

I am a heavy person (read fat). But I do feel that if you can't fit yourself into one seat, then you should pay for the extra seat you're taking (unless the plane isn't full). As heavy as I am, I've always managed to fit into one seat, if I could no longer adjust myself to fit one seat, I would pay the extra. It may be unkind, but it's not unfair

I am a heavy person (read fat). But I do feel that if you can't fit yourself into one seat, then you should pay for the extra seat you're taking (unless the plane isn't full). As heavy as I am, I've always managed to fit into one seat, if I could no longer adjust myself to fit one seat, I would pay the extra. It may be unkind, but it's not unfair
And if the seats start getting smaller is it still fair?

I could see if they weighed everyone and paid for shipping them like freight but otherwise no (unless you are carrying someone overweight as luggage). Although if you physically displace more area than one seat then it's a different issue, unless there are spare seats on the flight.

I can just see people fasting before getting weighed when they buy airline tickets. A good diet would be plane food. They certainly aren’t going to gain weight eating those tiny packets of peanuts on the plane.

Heh. Speaking as a fairly small person, I've often gotten the impression that the world is designed for giants.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective...

Have you seen those tiny new cars? I feel like ripping out the front seats and driving from the backseat in some cars! The world is definitely being designed for the little people (except sports, shelves, and cupboards).

I hate the lack of legroom on commercial jets. Makes me want to stick my feet out the window for comfort or cut holes for my knees in the seat in front of me. I don’t like taking the bus for the same reason.

If you need more than one seat you need to purchase that extra space fatass.

It's not fair to the rest of us. If you've ever had to sit next to someone who spilled over into your space on a full flight you'd understand. They want to lift up that armrest and slide half a cheek onto your seat. Hey, I paid for a full seat so I want a full seat. If a full seat is too small for you then lose some weght or buy two, I'm not giving you a portion of mine. I'm not for charging by weight, but if you can't fit between the armrests, back to the ticket counter for you chubby.

Have you seen those tiny new cars? I feel like ripping out the front seats and driving from the backseat in some cars! The world is definitely being designed for the little people (except sports, shelves, and cupboards).

Heh. I like tiny cars (I've always kind of wanted a VW Beetle), but the last time I rode in a pickup truck, I felt like I was suddenly five years old again. :)

Take up two seats, pay for two seats.

and what about people who smell real bad? There is a guy who works in a supermarket near my home that smells so bad that he leaves a trail behind him...can you imagine being stuck on a plane for 7 hours beside someone with real bad BO? ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

if you take up more than one seat you need to pay for more than one seat.

that's my opinion.

I reserve the right to change my mind if someone can show me why I should.

I agree with Smunkee.

If your flub is in my seat I'm going to shit myself just so you have to smell it. A little bit of dignity can buy a whole lot of laughter.

What if a person chooses to get pregnant, and becomes so large that they cannot fit into a single airline seat?

thats entirely different. pregnant isn't fat. and if a pregnant woman is too big to fit in an airline seat shes probably too far into her pregnancy to fly anyway.