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Derrie-Air, an airline that's just a dream
A few days ago, Grant posted about Derrie-Air, a new airline that is to charge passengers by the pound--not just the baggage weight, but the passenger weight as well. "The more you weigh, the more you pay."
As Grant noted in his post, and Daily Travel & Deal, the L.A. Times travel blog, reported yesterday, the airline isn't real, but was created as an ad campaign study by Philadelphia Media Holdings to see how effective print advertising can be. There was enough of a buzz that it's clear that people, in general, have problems traveling on the same plane with people who are overweight. Feeling squished in an airplane seat next to a person who is taking up more than his or her fair share of space is annoying at best and anger producing at its worst.
When I read about Derrie-Air, before I caught on to the hoax, I flashed to my high school friends who wrestled in the lower weight class. They barely ate for the season and told tales of how they worked on getting their weight down before they stepped on a scale before a meet to see if they qualified. If people did have to pay for their airline ticket according to their weight, I could see there might be some who would do the same thing wrestlers do about a week before their travel date. There they would be in their neighborhoods wearing sweatsuits, walking around the block over and over again, just to loose the water weight.
I also imagined the arguments couples would have at the airport, blaming each other for the extra weight one of them packed as their souvenir money was eaten up by the cost of the seat. "If it wasn't for you we could have that extra day at Disneyland."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
deana Jun 10th 2008 1:43PM
but think how cheap the kid's tickets would be!!!! of course, the people who might want to be on an airplane with people who are all light-weights are likely the ones who bemoan the fact that there are children on planes.
Smart guy Jun 11th 2008 11:41AM
Maybe it would give people incentive to get in shape in general and look better in that swim suit when on vacation...
jennifer Aug 5th 2008 6:10PM
NEXT THING THEY WILL ASIGN SEAT BY RACE, LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GOING BACKWARDS IN TIME. WE ARE LOSING ALL ARE FREEDOM!! WAKE UP AND YOU CAN E0M ME IF YOU WANT.
JENNIFER
pape Aug 5th 2008 6:29PM
I agree 1,000 % with Jennifer.
Anyone who doesn't agree, quite honestly, is a either less than 150 pounds, a spoiled brat, or both.
Think of how much the overweight ALREADY have to put up with. From everyday disgusted looks on the street, to work and school and back. From people always turning you away, because you aren't some skinny anorexic . From "friends" and family who are thinner than you telling you, either flat-out or subconsciously, that "maybe you should do something about your weight," when you've been struggling for years and years to do 'something', although those efforts constantly failed. It is everyday frustration. Frustration and anger. Nobody who has always been an ideal weight will ever understand the feelings of hopeless, anger, or sadness that comes with being overweight.
Now this t airline is making you pay for what you suffer already?
bob Aug 6th 2008 12:52AM
its about time!!!!!!! my wife and i went to san francisco last summer ,she weights @ 108# but her bag was 52# thats 2 # overweight we were charged $50.00 more ok her bag has too much crap in it, but so what together they weigh under 160# but the smelly 350# ass-h--- that cant fit into the coach seat my god he had to wiggle into the seat his belly almost touched the front seat that i had to sit next to for the flight. but his total weight and bags weigh 3x as much as my wife & bag...did he get charged an extra $50? probably NOT!!!!