United To Charge Heavier Passengers Twice To Fly

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It's not discriminating against obese people. The seats are designed to accomodate an average person. If your girth requires you to occupy 2 seats, then you should be required to pay for that extra seat.

Their definition of "average" is surely the question.

The issue is what can reasonably be accommodated.

Well to be honest it is a bit harsh and discriminatory to double-charge people for seats.

I sort of agree with you there. Double-charging is too much, although I do like the idea of

charging people by weight.

Basically, instead of a 'two piece' limit or a 20kg/44lb policy for checked luggage, limit the total

passenger+luggage weight to, say, 220lb (180lb body plus 40lb for hand and checked luggage.)

If you weigh 180lb, you get 40lb more luggage; at 215lb you get 5lb to carry/check in, unless

you pay more.

Or they could just do what some airlines are doing already in Economy Class and not providing for any baggage allowance (you have to pay a surcharge at the gate).

Continental already does this I believe.

[The_Dude 1,142]

It's not discriminating against obese people. The seats are designed to accomodate an average person. If your girth requires you to occupy 2 seats, then you should be required to pay for that extra seat.

Their definition of "average" is surely the question.

The issue is what can reasonably be accommodated.

So airlines are now supposed to design seats and cordon off a section for morbidly obese passengers? These passengers incremental cost is more, they should bear that cost themselves.

[GiGii 4]

It's not discriminating against obese people. The seats are designed to accomodate an average person. If your girth requires you to occupy 2 seats, then you should be required to pay for that extra seat.

The seats are designed to accomodate the average person in 1960 when most airline planes were designed. They have never changed the wideness of seats.

Its like parking spaces used to be 2 feet narrower in 1960, but now due to all the SUVs and pick up trucks, they made the spaces bigger. They should do the same for airline seats.

Even an average person is not sitting very comfortable in an airline seat, its small & cramped. Make them bigger and raise the price $20 per ticket, problem solved.

Edited April 15, 2009 by GiGii

[mawilson 2,133]

So airlines are now supposed to design seats [...] for morbidly obese passengers?

Not a bad idea. I'm not obese, but I wouldn't say no to bigger seats.

[fozzie 41]

The upper class passengers are the ones that pay for the flight. We get a deeply discounted price as it is. The upper class seats are much bigger.

Surely there are both health and safety issues with overly obese people (and im talking mildly obese) being on an plane. Narrow corridors and small seats and doors are not designed for people that are that big, if they were I would feel like a hobbit everytime I got a plane.

I am tall and have long legs so economy really kills me but they have options. Bulk head and exit rows. Why not have a fat person row with extra wide seats?

[The_Dude 1,142]

So airlines are now supposed to design seats [...] for morbidly obese passengers?

Not a bad idea. I'm not obese, but I wouldn't say no to bigger seats.

Then purchase a first class ticket you cheap #######

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It's not discriminating against obese people. The seats are designed to accomodate an average person. If your girth requires you to occupy 2 seats, then you should be required to pay for that extra seat.

Their definition of "average" is surely the question.

The issue is what can reasonably be accommodated.

So airlines are now supposed to design seats and cordon off a section for morbidly obese passengers? These passengers incremental cost is more, they should bear that cost themselves.

Are they? I don't know - there's only so much that can practically be done and you can't accommodate every extreme. That said - I find the seats small at the best of times, and I'm not obese.

[mawilson 2,133]

The seats are designed to accomodate the average person in 1960 when most airline planes were designed. They have never changed the wideness of seats.

Yes, they have - they made them smaller to cram in more passengers. And seats don't recline

as much as they used to. What, you didn't notice?

[The_Dude 1,142]

It's not discriminating against obese people. The seats are designed to accomodate an average person. If your girth requires you to occupy 2 seats, then you should be required to pay for that extra seat.

Their definition of "average" is surely the question.

The issue is what can reasonably be accommodated.

So airlines are now supposed to design seats and cordon off a section for morbidly obese passengers? These passengers incremental cost is more, they should bear that cost themselves.

Are they? I don't know - there's only so much that can practically be done and you can't accommodate every extreme. That said - I find the seats small at the best of times, and I'm not obese.

I'm overweight myself and I can fit fine and comfortably in a seat. If I blew up to 350 pounds because I can't stop eating Big Macs and Hot Pockets, then that is my fault, and my problem. If I then required 2 seats to accomodate my size, then I should have to pay for that 2nd seat.

[Peikko 1,575]

Depends on the airline. Some seats are bigger than others - there's a website where you can determine the seat size, pitchability blah blah blah. I don't fly on airlines with small seats - and I am normal sized.

[mawilson 2,133]

Why not have a fat person row with extra wide seats?

[DeadPoolX 9]

I think the real question here is: what classifies someone as "obese?" The BMI does not take into account someone's body type or even if the weight is due to muscle or fat -- it purely looks at height and overall weight.

Is obese merely looking at someone and deciding, "that person is too fat"? That doesn't seem too accurate to me. Everyone has a different body, which may or may not give the appearance of being overweight. My wife, for instance, is hardly overweight (let alone fat), but she has a stockier bone frame than her sister. Her sister could easily remain at a weight that would have my wife looking like a skeleton. Once again, my wife is the right weight for her height, but if someone eyeballed her in comparison to her sister, they might say she's heavy (or at least heavier), simply due to bone frame.

So lets see... they can't use the overall weight number (without knowing if the weight is from muscle or fat) and refusing to take bone frame into account. How do they decide then? Do they use calibers on passengers before allowing them to purchase a ticket or onto the plane? Are they going to set up "display seats" for economy and business/first class in order to let passengers see if they're "too wide"?

It doesn't make any sense from an enforceable point-of-view. Not unless they wish to alienate many passengers (who will go to other airlines) and have lawsuits brought against the airline itself.

[fozzie 41]

If you are 6'8" tall and well bult, like Shaq say, then you will not be classed as obese. If you are 5'8" and weight 350lbs then you are. Which would not fit in the seat? The obese one. Shaq would be lean where as the obese person would spil out over the side of the seats.

[DeadPoolX 9]

If you are 6'8" tall and well bult, like Shaq say, then you will not be classed as obese. If you are 5'8" and weight 350lbs then you are. Which would not fit in the seat? The obese one. Shaq would be lean where as the obese person would spil out over the side of the seats.

Technically speaking, Shaq wouldn't fit into his seat either (or at least, not comfortably). Airline seats rarely take into account those who're taller than average.

[thetreble 19]

I have put on a bit of weight in the last couple of years, but am not obese. I have wide hips though and my hips brush up a little against the sides of the seats. They are pretty small.

If you charge someone a little extra for a second seat, okay fair enough. But I don't think people should be paying more per pound. To me, that isn't right.