Should we charge larger passengers for 2 airline seats?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by cooper on April 28, 2009 at 10:51pm

I think it fair if you use more than one seat that you pay for it, but possibly the airline needs to have slightly more expensive larger seat options.

Then of course there is the question of if two anorexic individuals can fit onto one seat should they be able to purchase only one ticket...

too much philosophy for one night

Permalink Reply by adi on April 29, 2009 at 4:14pm

this is something i have been able to concur with..
no offence to anyone!
My dads large and i would HATE having him embarassed like dat!

Permalink Reply by Chatham on April 29, 2009 at 12:16am

I have a close family member that is "larger" and would fall into the category of needing to buy an extra seat. I have had to fly with this person on multiple occasions and it is not enjoyable to share space. Literally, I once spent an entire flight smashed into the window. Another time, in a middle seat, I was forced to infringe on the person next to me because there was no where left for me to go. It is not just the person next to them that is affected; it is all the people in that entire row.

This is a person I love dearly, but I also found myself resenting him the entire flight. Coach seats suck bad enough when you have your whole seat to yourself. Imagine it cut in half. Also, I could not imagine this person being a stranger. If that had been the case, I would have asked for a seat change.

Permalink Reply by David Stehle on April 29, 2009 at 12:21am

Ah, yeah!

If you're paying for one seat, you should only USE one seat. That is fair. But if you need more room, then pay for more room.

And I know I'll hear some flack for saying this, but being fat IS a choice...well in a way. You can choose not to stuff your face full of so much food and lay on the couch all day. However, there are cases where people have medical problems that weren't brought on by being overweight and I do feel for them. Those are the people that didn't CHOOSE to be that way.

But comeon now, the majority of people that are overweight are so because they allowed themselves to become that way - that was their choice.

Permalink Reply by Erini CS on April 29, 2009 at 9:28am

Weight issues are tough things...

I have a friend who's really large, and most of that is due to a thyroid problem (she also doesn't eat the best either, but her thyroid issue makes it extremely hard to lose weight, but it is possible).

Then again, my dad is.. well, large (he carries it well, mostly).. and that's all his doing. He used to be 180 when he married my mom... now, all these years later... he eats out a lot when he travels (every other week), and sits all day... He's probably in the 280s or more. When I worked at a thrill park, we went to ride a ride we've enjoyed in the past, but with the new seating regulations and harness, he was too large. So we went and got donuts instead (yep. seriously.)... He's got sleep apnea and I'm always worried when he naps somewhere without his face mask on if he's just going to stop breathing and not start back again...

Basically, I'm not disagreeing with you.

Permalink Reply by Oats on April 29, 2009 at 11:28am

I've been on a flight before where a morbidly obese couple could not fit into their seats so they DEMANDED they be moved up to first class because they would fit in first class seats. The airline was willing to accommodate them so long as they paid the difference in fare. The couple went ballistic.

In the end, airlines provide the dimensions of their seats and their storage, their baggage weight requirements etc. publicly online. If you do not comply with their standards, it is your responsibility to purchase extra space. Since the couple was not willing to pay for first class tickets or two more seats, they were escorted off the plane. The airline also offered to let them purchase 2 extra seats, where they would then have to move 2 random people up to first class because coach was full. The couple was furious with this as well. After the huge debacle and the plane was ready to go, the flight attendants offered the first class seats to 2 soldiers. People that deserve a break when they can get one.

Had the couple approached it differently, maybe they would have had better results. Demanding things usually doesn't get you very far. ???


Final Thoughts: Space is space. Space costs money. If you need extra space, you will have to pay extra money. Maybe the airlines can come up with a discounted rate if one occupant requires 2 seats because they don't need the extra baggage space...

Basically, don't fuck with the airlines - they've covered their asses, now it's time for you to cover yours.

Permalink Reply by David Stehle on April 29, 2009 at 2:57pm

Crazy tale! I love that the soldiers got moved up to first class though - well deserved indeed.

And what about the issue of safety? It surely can't be safe for the morbidly obese person or for all the other passengers in the plane if they can't fit in their seat comfortably/safely. If there would need to be an emergency exit and a fat dude or lady couldn't exit their seat fast enough, they are holding up other passengers from exiting the plane as well! Not cool.

Permalink Reply by Cee on April 30, 2009 at 5:37pm

I agree - glad the soldiers got to move up.

I also agree on your safety points. I almost always sit in a window seat. If I can't get out because some morbidly obese person is holding me up, I'm doing to be royally pissed off!

Permalink Reply by Mindy on April 30, 2009 at 11:08am

You have a good point. A discounted rate because someone needs two seats isn't a horrible idea. Sure, the airline takes a slight loss, but at least they're being a bit more considerate of the issue then.

All in all, seems most people agree that if you need more than one seat, you pay for more than one seat.

Permalink Reply by Kim with a K on April 29, 2009 at 1:12pm

If the seats were normal sized--ie, didn't just fit a child comfortably, I'd think differently about this *maybe*. But considering the airlines have downsized seating so many times, it seems unconscionable that they'd start charging for two seats.

What about people with long legs--charge them for the leg room? Or what about people that constantly take over the arm rest? Start selling the arm rest?

Permalink Reply by Tristan Goode on April 29, 2009 at 2:01pm

If they take up more than one seat they should pay for it. And while some people really can't help their weight, most people can and choose not to. Whether for emotional or habitual reasons, they don't control portion, frequency or quality. While I definitely don't agree with treating over weight persons unfairly I don't see why the world should go out of their way to accommodate them.

Permalink Reply by Jamie on April 29, 2009 at 2:09pm

I vote for charging for the extra seat. As all others before have said, if you require more room than normal, you should be required to pay for more room.

And yes, those seats are normal healthy-bodyweight sized.

And no, there is no medical condition that would cause you to be obese outside of your own control. Even if you have a thyroid problem or a condition that restricts you from exercising, if you still eat the proper foods and a controlled amount you should not be overweight.

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