Should we charge larger passengers for 2 airline seats?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alianna on April 29, 2009 at 3:44pm

I'm 100% agree with this. The only thing I'd change is the last sentence.

If you have a condition, but you try to be healthy, you should not be obese. The airline seats will fit overweight people. The issue is really about those that are obese, which is a category all it's own. I know of no condition that would make someone obese without the addition of an unhealthy diet and/or a lack of exercise.

If you bring too much luggage, or it's too heavy, you have to pay for it. People that need the extra room should pay for that as well.

Permalink Reply by Pepper Perez on April 29, 2009 at 2:30pm

Frankly, if you need more space you need to pay for it. Whether or not one chooses to be fat is irrelevant. People don't choose to need food, but they still have to pay for it. Likewise, you may not choose to be fat, but if you take up more than one seat, you need to pay for it. Lots of people have to pay for things they'd rather not have to. I don't choose to have allergies, but I still have to pay for allergy medicine.

Permalink Reply by David Stehle on April 29, 2009 at 3:21pm

This is really rude...

How about if you're obese, instead of buying an airline ticket, you buy yourself some Nikes and jog to your destination? Problem solved for all!

This debate has now ended. ;)

Permalink Reply by Mere on April 29, 2009 at 4:12pm

SNAP!! But then again, not a terrible idea.

I spent a MISERABLE ten-hour flight from Paris to Houston wedged in a seat next to a lady who didn't fit in one seat and it was AWFUL. She spent the first hour spilling over the armrest into my bubble and then raised the arm rest and it was like a dam broke, all of a sudden this wave of human flesh just kind of pushed me up against the other side of my seat. I was seriously like "Uhh excuse me, ma'am, half of you is in my lap." Plus she was a total beeyotch and kept talking loudly about how she had a horrible time in France and how French people suck and she couldn't wait to get back to the US. So I wished she'd bought two tickets anyway so I wouldn't have had to sit right next to her.

Anyway, I am ALL KINDS OF BEHIND the airlines for this one. I don't even mind this: Will airlines start charging passengers by weight? If the airplane's going to have to use extra fuel to get my fat ass to my destination, it's only fair that I pay more. Or the other way around. And while I understand that most of the airplane seats were designed in the 70s and 80s when waistlines were smaller in general, airplane seats are NOT unreasonably tiny. The bottom line (heh!) is that air travel isn't a right, and the policy is in place for EVERYONE'S comfort.

Permalink Reply by Tristan Goode on April 29, 2009 at 4:50pm

This issue first and foremost affects other passengers, as several of the stories illustrate. So it would be the passengers sucking it up. And why should they have to? Why should they be put in physical discomfort for the ego or pocket of someone else on the plane. Why should the person next to them be forced to use only half of the whole seat they paid for?

Permalink Reply by Tristan Goode on April 29, 2009 at 4:58pm

Oh I think I may have mistaken ur comment. Are you suggesting the airline pay for their ticket? First of all they would still have to reserve two seats so they would be sure to have the consecutive space and second, that is ridiculous. You bring extra luggage, you pay for it. Whether it's your extra weight or shoes. And the money would still come from somewhere, probably higher ticket prices for everyone. I'm not paying for someone else's seat. Besides that, it's not like airlines are in the best financial shape right now. The few that haven't gone bankrupt need to make enough to keep in the air and keep fully staffed.

Permalink Reply by chad on May 25, 2009 at 12:34am

And people can't choose to lose weight?

Your argument just suffered a huge blow.

Permalink Reply by JJ on April 29, 2009 at 4:51pm

In the shipping industry, the bigger/bulkier/heavier the package, the more it costs to ship.
In the end, airlines are in the shipping industry and our bodies are their packages.

Bigger = High Cost

Permalink Reply by Cee on April 30, 2009 at 5:34pm

how do you suggest they do that? I don't see anything positive coming out of "You are way too huge for 1 seat and therefore need to pay for another one so that you can fit"

Permalink Reply by Amanda Green on April 29, 2009 at 11:01pm

Yes, yes, a big fat yes! (Sorry, I couldn't resist).

I live in NYC, and I also believe that people who take up two subway seats should be charged twice.

I know it's not always fair, as certain disadvantaged groups tend to be overweight, but people who can't fit into a single seat on a place or subway are pretty large and need to make serious changes for their health. Attaching a dollar amount to morbid obesity may encourage them to take better care of themselves.

Permalink Reply by Oats on April 30, 2009 at 10:00am

There have been a lot of comments on the morbidly obese not choosing not to be that way. Genetically predispositioned people are much more likely to be obese than others. There are other issues such as thyroid, diabetes, etc. It doesn't matter what causes their obesity - and it's most likely (100% chance) that they did not choose to be that way and already have a poor self image because of it. This is all beside the point.

Discrimination would be telling people that they can't reserve certain seats because of their gender, race, sexuality. Sorry, bisexuals are not allowed in first class. While it's seemingly similar for weight, it's not because of a bias against such people, it's because of the comfort and safety of the others on the plane.

Someone pointed out earlier about a theme park. I've seen it as well, a friend ~275 lbs (6'8), a football player build, did not fit in the seats of the roller coasters at the Six Flags theme park and was not allowed to ride. This isn't discrimination. The ride wasn't built to accommodate someone his size.

It was mentioned charging more for extra leg-room. Some airlines do. If you would like the emergency exit row, it occasionally costs about $10 more per ticket - for the extra room. And they further "discriminate" by not allowing children in that row.


What I don't understand is why they don't require people to have bathed before flying. While I've not personally been seated next to an obese person, I have had my fair share of people that rival the BO of a NYC taxi driver.

Permalink Reply by Harper and Beatrix on May 2, 2009 at 8:03am

i had to sit next to a girl with a stinky dog once. i'm still a little surprised that you can bring any animal you want on a plane, but if i had a puppy, i'd carry him on. but really, if you're bringing a dog, you should at least wash him.

~b

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