Should large people have to buy two airplane seats for themselves?

[smoke20 0]

you people gotta be kidding. you're sitting here justifying bashing over weight people with the front of it's costing the airlines money. no i'm not a "fat, sweaty, hanging over into your seat & all the other hateful #######"person you're insulting. & all of you doing it are pathetic. if it bothers you that much find a small person, find out where they are sitting & go to the ticket counter to get your seat changed. and concentrate your hate on other elitist moroons.

Excuse me? It's elitist and hateful to expect to be able to use the entirety of a seat I've paid full price for?

Also that making significant concessions for very large people would end up costing me money.

In a way this argument reminds me of the negative reaction from smokers to smoking bans in pubs and clubs - as though people offended by their filthy habit should just stay home, rather than for the smokers to concede that what they are doing actually impacts other people in a negative way.

scott & lai- no getting what you paid for isn't elitist or hateful...but calling people fat & suggesting they pay more for transportation is. an airline ticket is for transportation of a human from point a to point b. not how many heads of livestock from point a to point b.

erekose- how does providing a service to a larger person cost you more money? smoking in public places is a health issue. not wanting to sit next to someone or charging them extra because of their size or weight is elitist & crappy. like i said earlier you can change your seat.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

you people gotta be kidding. you're sitting here justifying bashing over weight people with the front of it's costing the airlines money. no i'm not a "fat, sweaty, hanging over into your seat & all the other hateful #######"person you're insulting. & all of you doing it are pathetic. if it bothers you that much find a small person, find out where they are sitting & go to the ticket counter to get your seat changed. and concentrate your hate on other elitist moroons.

Excuse me? It's elitist and hateful to expect to be able to use the entirety of a seat I've paid full price for?

Also that making significant concessions for very large people would end up costing me money.

In a way this argument reminds me of the negative reaction from smokers to smoking bans in pubs and clubs - as though people offended by their filthy habit should just stay home, rather than for the smokers to concede that what they are doing actually impacts other people in a negative way.

scott & lai- no getting what you paid for isn't elitist or hateful...but calling people fat & suggesting they pay more for transportation is. an airline ticket is for transportation of a human from point a to point b. not how many heads of livestock from point a to point b.

erekose- how does providing a service to a larger person cost you more money? smoking in public places is a health issue. not wanting to sit next to someone or charging them extra because of their size or weight is elitist & crappy. like i said earlier you can change your seat.

Because significantly enlarging seats to accommodate outsize people would reduce the available passenger space on the aircraft - less seats = less profit for the airline = a cost passed on to the consumer. While seats are hardly luxurious - I never had a problem flying around Europe, just seems that here in the US people are generally larger than their equivalents in other countries.

That said, I don't think some airlines take passenger safety perhaps as seriously as they should - and seat size to some extent is the reason. Economy Class Syndrome is very real - but as far as I'm aware there has been no instances where a successful damages suit has been brought against an airline for passengers who have developed DVT from cramped seating. In fact, at least one ruling I read about actually protected the airline from any future liability on that issue.

And you often can't change your seat - last few flights I've taken have all been full and you don't know who you're sitting next to until the other person shows up.

[smoke20 0]

i still don't agree w/ you about the extra charge thing. we've all got our opinions. but to maybe help you later, when you book your next flight ask for an aisle seat infront of or behind a bulk head, they tend to be the roomiest seats in economy.

[Raspect 0]

Yes, maybe it should be like McDonald's.

You go to McDonald's and you Super Size your meal knowing very well you don't need the caloric intake, when you get to the check-in counter at the airport, you Super Size your seat knowing that your going to make the air traveler next to you very uncomfortable.

My fellow Americans are to fat and lazy now, it is the first thing I noticed moving back to the States, just about everyone is FAT.

19 COUNTRIES!!!! 41 STATES!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? NO WAY!!!!!

I DIDNT EVEN KNOW WE HAD THAT MANY STATES.

MUCH LESS COUNTRIES

WOOOW

MEXICO, CANADA, USA, JAMAICA, FRANCE (FRENCH FRIES) AND HOLLAND FOR THE HERB SMOKERS. I THOUGHT THAT WAS IT!!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

i still don't agree w/ you about the extra charge thing. we've all got our opinions. but to maybe help you later, when you book your next flight ask for an aisle seat infront of or behind a bulk head, they tend to be the roomiest seats in economy.

Yeah - but the issue is bigger seats. I'm on board with that to a point as I think some economy class seating is inhumane; but I don't agree with making specific concessions to accommodate very large people or obese people. Bigger seats ultimately mean less seats. Less seats means the flight overall is less profitable for the company. Less profit = higher prices.

[Scott & Lai 12]

Yeah - but the issue is bigger seats. I'm on board with that to a point as I think some economy class seating is inhumane; but I don't agree with making specific concessions to accommodate very large people or obese people. Bigger seats ultimately mean less seats. Less seats means the flight overall is less profitable for the company. Less profit = higher prices.

I don't really see how there can be a dispute on that...it's basic economics.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Maybe someone should start a niche airline that caters to the overweight. Big seats but there will be all the twinkies and milshakes you can buy... that should make up for the cost differential due to the fact that there are now fewer seats.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Yeah - but the issue is bigger seats. I'm on board with that to a point as I think some economy class seating is inhumane; but I don't agree with making specific concessions to accommodate very large people or obese people. Bigger seats ultimately mean less seats. Less seats means the flight overall is less profitable for the company. Less profit = higher prices.

I don't really see how there can be a dispute on that...it's basic economics.

I wouldn't be opposed to a modest increase if flights didn't cost so much already. Back in 2000 I was able to get a flight to Los Angeles for around 300 quid - today...

[Alex+R 0]

Also that making significant concessions for very large people would end up costing me money.

In a way this argument reminds me of the negative reaction from smokers to smoking bans in pubs and clubs - as though people offended by their filthy habit should just stay home, rather than for the smokers to concede that what they are doing actually impacts other people in a negative way.

I don't think it's a fair comparison to ask the obese to stop being obese in the same way smokers can stop being smokers. Quitting smoking is very, very hard but asking the obese to stop being obese is asking them to change everything they know (in most cases) or overcome a medical problem they have no control over or eat a diet you yourself would probably have trouble conforming to and exercise at a level that would look easy to you but impossibly daunting to a very heavy person. At any rate, people can't just stop eating. It's a whole reeducation. Don't forget also that these people have it pretty hard in the day to day and many have no frame of reference for what healthy eating or living is as they have been that way their whole lives. It just isn't the same.

[Alex+R 0]

Maybe someone should start a niche airline that caters to the overweight. Big seats but there will be all the twinkies and milshakes you can buy... that should make up for the cost differential due to the fact that there are now fewer seats.

I'm really trying to find that funny.

[tom&tata 2]

Since I pay for 1 seat for myself, I expect not to share it with somebody else's body part.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Also that making significant concessions for very large people would end up costing me money.

In a way this argument reminds me of the negative reaction from smokers to smoking bans in pubs and clubs - as though people offended by their filthy habit should just stay home, rather than for the smokers to concede that what they are doing actually impacts other people in a negative way.

I don't think it's a fair comparison to ask the obese to stop being obese in the same way smokers can stop being smokers. Quitting smoking is very, very hard but asking the obese to stop being obese is asking them to change everything they know (in most cases) or overcome a medical problem they have no control over or eat a diet you yourself would probably have trouble conforming to and exercise at a level that would look easy to you but impossibly daunting to a very heavy person. At any rate, people can't just stop eating. It's a whole reeducation. Don't forget also that these people have it pretty hard in the day to day and many have no frame of reference for what healthy eating or living is as they have been that way their whole lives. It just isn't the same.

Its not a comparison - but its the same basic principle. An obese person who sits next to me on a plane and who is spilling out of their seat and into mine (for whatever reason) is negatively impacting me. I just don't see why I should pay for that.

[Mrs.J06 4]

I once sat in front of a very tall guy, his legs were so long that I couldn't put my seat back even an inch - should he pay for the seat in front of him then? It sure is a pain if you are on an 14h+ flight and have to sit upright the entire time!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I once sat in front of a very tall guy, his legs were so long that I couldn't put my seat back even an inch - should he pay for the seat in front of him then? It sure is a pain if you are on an 14h+ flight and have to sit upright the entire time!

Or if someone puts their seat back into your lap. There's a degree of discomfort involved in coach class - that's why they have premium classes. But fitting into your assigned seat would seem to be a minimum standard IMO.

[Alex+R 0]

Side note--I think the recline function should be disabled. It's not like you really get into sleeping position anyway. Or, there should be a 5-hour period where it's allowed or something, and only on night-flights.