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Should overweight passengers pay extra for airline tickets?
The argument about whether overweight passengers should pay for a second seat has been getting louder. Our friends at AOL Travel recently summarized some readers' thoughts on the subject of obese passengers, and now here's your chance to sound off!
Participate in our poll ...
| Yes. Passengers who overflow into a second seat should be charged for the space they occupy. | |
|---|---|
| Maybe. Is the flight full? If not, just place them near an open seat and be done with it. | |
| Absolutely not. How insulting is it to charge one person for two tickets?! | |
| Let's be honest: I don't want obese passengers on my flight. If they spill out into the aisle, or fall during an evacuation, my safety is at risk. | |
| How about if airlines offer "special seating sections" for larger passengers (and price them accordingly)? |
... leave a comment below, and then read more:
Reader Comments (Page 70 of 70)
chris Dec 12th 2009 10:27PM
Well I Think That The Airlines Should Charge For An Obese person For A Second Seat..First Of All They Can't Seatbelt Themselfs In The Seat And It Is Also A Safety Issue..I Think The Airlines Are Thinking Of Their Safety And The Safety Of Other Passengers On The Plane...My Friend Had To Purchase A Seat For Her Dog That Weighs 3 Pounds And Is The Size Of A Small Purse..It Is Not The Airlines Fault They Weigh As Much As They Do,The Airlines Did Not Make Them Over Eat...I Feel BAd For The Over Weigh People But Why Should They Lap Over The Isle Of The Plane What If There Is An Emergency,Or Someone Has To Pass To Go To The Restroom.........Maybe There Should Be A Seperate Plane For Overweight People..........
L Green Dec 13th 2009 4:38PM
Let's see...The post office, FedEx, UPS all charge by weight and distance.
The airlines should do the same. Shipping a 300 lb person fron NY to LA costs more than a 185 lb person. There should be no argument about it.
There is no discrimination...it's just good business.
meri Dec 19th 2009 1:22AM
Ok you actually have a point there. But what matters is that some people can't help but be super short or super tall. However, you do have a choice not to send a heavy package. A healthy 7 ft football player sometimes can't make himself lighter. So there's a difference there.
meri Dec 19th 2009 1:10AM
Why are we talking about overweight or obese!!!!
Can't a person just be a big person. There are huge linebackers that surely would not fit into one of those "average" sized airline seats. Some people are just born big, that doesn't always mean they are fat. To charge for extra space is just ridiculous. Might as well give someone a cheaper ticket the smaller they are, or the less baggage they carry on. Solution: there should always be a row of seats to accommodate bigger than average persons...just like there is handicapped spaces in a parking lot...and I'm not saying bigger people are handicapped. I would not consider a healthy 7 ft 350 pound linebacker handicapped. But I would say that they might not fit in one of those average sized airline seats.
And even if someone is overweight, that is who they are, and they should not be punished for it!!!
STEVE Jan 16th 2010 5:12PM
Weight (or width) is not the only problem. Height is also. I spent a grueling 6 hours on a ny to la flight with my knees jammed into the back of the seat in front of me. Should I have to buy 2 seats and sit diagonally. There should be a law that airline seats should accomadate 99% of all people comfortably or pretty soon airlines will make their seats fit only anorexic female midgets. Airlines are a public transportation system not a movie theater. Maybe they should be regulated again as public utilities.
Paul Jan 19th 2010 10:25AM
It is all supposedly based on economics. The high fuels costs were the excuse used for applying the extra baggage fees: more weight = more fuel.
Take it a step farther into pure economics. Set ticket prices based on the weight of a passenger and their luggage.
Have a minimum ticket price and a minumum weight, say 150 pounds. Charge more for every pound above that.
If couples are traveling together and one of them is below the 150 pounds, charge the minimum for that seat, but subtract the pounds under the 150 from the weight of the second person to determine the cost of the second ticket. Do the same thing for families with children.
Economics should go both ways.
The determination of obesity is more difficult. It could be decided by a "template seat" at the front desk similar to the system used to resrict the size of carry-on luggage.
If an obese person requires 2 seats, charge for two tickets, but set the price per seat by their weight (with luggage) divided by 2. If their total weight is 300 pounds or less, they pay the minimum for each of the seats. If it is more than 300 pounds, they pay an increased price for each seat.
Pure economics!
Forget this overly-PC crap and put it all on an even playing field.
I despise having to share my fully-paid seat with some obese person next to me.
Mikee Jan 21st 2010 9:48AM
No one really has to make this an obese issue or a name calling session. Here are a few thoughts:
1) A simple case of standards: If a 6' 6" (2m) person wanted to fly on any of the carriers I use, they would not have leg room to actually be able to sit in the standard coach seats short of having their knees tucked up under their chin for the duration. Many tall people I know typically have to purchase a first class or business class ticket to fit comfortably in a seat. I am 5' 11" (1.8m) and can barely get comfortable in today's standard coach seats (and it seems that they continue to shrink the space between seats). Some airlines are now actually charging extra for an additional 6" (0.15m) or so of legroom. Although I am sure that they (tall people) complain about the airline's seating options, I don't see it evolving into an international issue of "height discrimination".
2) Wide or tall - pick your poison: Overweight people are wide as tall people are tall (some are both). I'm not sure I see the difference when it comes to fitting into the tiny spaces that airlines sell tickets for. If the airlines has decided what the standard space is that a average person occupies, then an overwieght person is as likely not to fit in a seat as a tall person. Fair? No. Airlines should make accomodations for larger people in all classes of service. But that isn't the way it works. Until it does, or until obesity or excess height end up on a government's list of officially recognized disabilities, that isn't going to happen.
3) Safety: I have a pilot's license (private not commercial) and I do know something about weight issues for aircraft. Before any flight, the pilot is required to evaluate the total weight (and distribution of that weight) and make a determination as to whether the aircraft is safe to fly. Since the airlines has to consider the weight of the passengers, baggage and fuel, and since they don't weight passengers prior to boarding, they have to guess what an average person weighs. The average weight of a male and female by these estimates is about 185lbs (84kg) for males and 135lbs (61kg) for females. Of course if one 450lb (204kg) person is on board, the weight is lost in the averages. But lets suppose that 25% of the passengers are over 350lbs (159kg) - perhaps a sumo wrestling club. If the plane carries 200 passengers, then it would be over the estimated weight by more than 12,000lbs (5,443kg). That may or may not be a safety issue, but it certainly has to be factored in to the safe weight and fuel consumption for the flight.
4) Economics: It costs the airlines a certain amount of money to move a plane with people, baggage, and fuel from point A to point B. If a plane can carry 200 passengers, the cost of that trip is averaged out to determine how much should be charged for each of those 200 seats. Of course it is more complex than that - some routes make money, some do not but are necessary for an airline to maintain. But the point here is that if suddenly there is an increase in the weight of a plane, then the cost to make that flight increases. If the cost of the flight increases consistantly, then the airlines would have to adjust airfare to account for that.
So is it really a matter of discriminating against obese people? I don't think so. Is it an issue of the airlines not accomodating all types and sizes of people? Absolutely. But where do you draw the line when you have to play the averages game?
Considering all this, perhaps the only way that this issue will ever really be resolved is for all of us to become obese (I would prefer taller but that's not going to happen). It would force the airlines to have to reevaluate their seating and passenger space requirements. We would end up with more room (maybe just 2 seats per side - just like first class!) but we would all be paying 50% more for those seats. Your choice....
Davide Jan 21st 2010 10:47AM
If you are fat and don't fit into one seat, then you should buy two. The guy in the picture NEXT TO the fat guy has paid for his seat which he cannot comfortably enjoy. That seat should have been left empty and the fat guy pay for it. As for fitting bench seats. If you lift the arm rests then you actually HAVE a bench seat. Put the fat guy in there and charge for the seats he takes up. Failing that he should be forced to travel 1st Class where he gets a whole seat to himself. It may be classed as discrimination but hey!! Why should the thinner guy suffer?
Susan Callahan Jan 21st 2010 11:37AM
I agree that some airlines contain smaller seats with less than adequate leg room even for my 110-120 pounds. However, obviously large or obese people should be required to pay double for coach or book first class seats which ARE much larger and have spacious leg room. Over 50 years ago when I took my first flight the airline (I don't recall which one) specifically asked passengers how much they weighed in order to consider their load limitations. I also believe that extra large seats for coach passengers should be required an additional charge as they are upsetting the load of the plane and inconveniencing the more average passengers. Also, I can barely fit into the standard plane lavatory so how do extra large and obese people manage that aspect of travel?
69SCORPIO Jan 25th 2010 7:28PM
I THINK A LOT OF OBESE PEOPLE GET CONFUSED. ITS A JET NOT A BULLDOZER. HOW CAN THEY BE MOVED OR EXPECTED TO MOVE FAST DURING A REAL EMERGENCEY. EVEN DESIGNED FLOTATION DEVICES ARE NULL AND VOID FOR THESE PEOPLE. RAFTS FORGET IT. THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO HOLD MORE THAN ONE AND ONLY ONE OF THEM WOULD FIT IN......AND I SAY MAYBE. WHOS SUPPOSE TO SHOVE THEIRE HUGH MOUNDS OF FLESH IN A RAFT. 10 PEOPLE DROWN FOR ONE. SOME HOW SEEMS WAY WRONG. SO THEY SHOULD DEAL WITH THE FACTS. THEIRE WEIGHT SHOULD BE CHECKED BEFORE THEY ARE BOOKED FOR THAT FLIGHT. AFTER ALL WEIGHT PUT IN THE JET IS A MAJOR FACTOR. EVERYTHING THE JET IS DESIGNED FOR THEY DONT FIT IN. EVEN THE BATHROOMS. I GOT STUCK ON A FLIGHT A WHILE BACK. 3 THAT WEIGHED AT LEAST 500LB A PEICE WERE ON THAT FLIGHT SITTING IN A FEW ROWS IN FRONT OF ME. I WATCHED THE WAITRESS STRUGGLE TO DO HER JOB. SHE COULDNT GET THROUGH WITH CARTS TRAYS OR ANYTHING WITHOUT MAKING NUMERIOUS TRIPS BACK AND FORTH TO HAND OUT EVERY THING. THEY HUNG OUT INTO THE WAY SO FAR SHE HAD TO TURN SIDE WAYS TO GET BY WITHOUT HITTING THEIRE BODY. SO I SAY I HAVE NEVER FELT SO SORRY FOR PEOPLE ARE STUCK NEXT TO THEM ON A JET. HELL IF I NEED THE BATHROOM DO I HAVE TO CLIMB OVER THE MOUNTAIN OF FLESH JUST TO GET THERE. BELTS WONT FIT THEN BECAUSE THEY ARE MEASURED WITH INCHES NOT YARDS!
HAROLD Feb 20th 2010 5:41PM
The airline industry is just like any other industry. The are in the business to make money!!
How about the airlines & the overweight people try to meet halfway. If 2 overweight people
can be seated next to each other, then each passenger can pay for 1and 1/2 seats!!!
Ken Feb 21st 2010 6:24PM
I used to fly alot way before anyone ever made an issue of this. I couldn't tell you how many times my flight was made a miserable experience due to an overweight person next to me seated in his/her seat and part of mine. I never wanted to be insulting, so I never complained at the time. Were it to happen again tomorrow I would complain loudly and not really care if someone is insulted. The seats on a plane are none too large to begin with and sitting in one for 3 to 4 hours is not all that comfortable to begin with. Still I paid for one seat. That is one whole seat, not 80% of one whole seat. The obese person is paying for one whole seat, not one whole seat and 20% of mine Until I get a decent discount for giving up part of my seat, I want the whole thing.
Rawker Jazzo Sep 3rd 2010 9:29AM
Yes those overweight fliers may have to pay more because in the first place, they spend so much money on food...!!! A wasteful money is what they ask for!!!
Karolina Feb 27th 2010 8:09PM
whomever wrote "9 out of 10 people who are obese..do not choose to be so..it is a medical condition..study up you idiot !!!!!!" is the idiot!
Stop claiming it's a medical condition and genetics. Come on it's a medical condition because due to obesity you are more likely to die BUT it is not a disease. People suffer from this medical condition in the U.S. only? Since more fast food places are being open in Europe this "medical condition" seems to be on the move!...it's alive
and of course 9 out of 10 people who are obese do not choose to be, they choose to be slim but they also choose to eat a lot!
As for paying: I recently was forced to pay extra $30 for my luggage (just because of few extra pounds) while my body weight is 125 pounds. This is done for safety reasons. If there was no weight limitation the plane could crash. Anyone remembers the singer Aaliyah?...the plane crashed due to too many passengers AKA too much weight!
What about comfort for the passengers who sit next to a big person unable to even use an armrest or get their food or go to the bathroom. What if the plane crashes how the hell would you be able to reach the exit?
As for the argument skinny people should pay less? NO because they are still taking up ONE SEAT!
CL Robinson Mar 6th 2010 10:26PM
Airline seats in the coach section, seem to be getting smaller and smaller. I am not a large person, yet I find that I feel cramped in seats on many planes. Although it seems discrimatory to charge extra for a large person who needs 2 seats, I cannot think of any other solution. I still remember a flight that I took 10 years ago from Phoenix, AZ to Portland, OR. I was sandwiched between 2 men, well over 400 pounds traveling together. They could not fit into their seats without raising both armrests on both sides of me. I endured a 2+ hour flight with both of their bodies rubbing the entire sides of my body from shoulders to knees. I was furious since I knew (from their conversations to each other) that they had flown many times together to golf destinations. I felt they owed it to the passenger sitting between them, to have shared the cost of that 3rd seat. After all, I was entitled to my entire seat. I had paid for it and they used at least 1/3 of my seat between them. Also, they were so obese that they were unable to lower their trays and had to rest their arms on their bellies for the entire trip.