SHOULD OVERWEIGHT PASSENGERS PAY EXTRA ON FLIGHTS ?

[angeldelight]

What are your views on this ?

Should overweight air passengers be charged additional fees for their weight? (http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-overweight-air-passengers-be-charged-additional-fees-for-their-weight)


Angel xxx

[Daftbat]

Having recently travelled by plane I would say that its quite difficult NOT to feel overweight when confronted with the tiny spaces which are called seats now on economy flights. I have recently lost 3 stone but still didn't feel small as I prepared to sit down. I think very overweight people are generally put off travelling by air unless they are able to book non economy flights. I wonder what actual statistics are used to determine seat sizes and leg room etc.

Its all very difficult as I have a friend who is 6ft 5" and would that too be seen as a problem? He tends to pay extra to have the seats by the emergency exits but its not his fault that he's so tall so where do we draw the line?

All I know is the seats are ALL too small and the leg room is too little for everyone to have a comfortable flight in economy.

[hectors house]

Have read the article and most of the comments for and against charging people who are larger - not really sure still which side I am on - the on line vote seemed almost even too.

In America at Disneyland at the start of each ride they had a standard sized ride seat and people of a "certain statue" were invited to try the standard seat before they got to the ride, if they didn't fit the seat they had to go on the seats at the back for "people of a certain statue".

I wonder if some people would like to pay extra for a seat that fits them on an aeroplane like you can do for extra leg room. I'm not saying they should be made to pay just that some people may like that option especially on longer flights.

[Sarsar3NCH]

My husband, who is naturally very thin, has always said that he wishes he could be weighed with his bags, especially when we were charged for excess baggage coming back from our honeymoon.
I think it would be fair too, despite being overweight, if you are charged excesses for overweight bags then it should be no different for people.

[clareelizabeth1]

The weighing system would be unfair on tall people so maybe they could go by your bmi instead and charge for each point over you are. Don't think ill be flying if they do that lol.

[Daisy1956]

Would it mean that if you are under-weight you would get a refund? Wouldn't apply to me but just a thought.

[Allie]

I am fed up with large people taking over part of my seat and by this I do not mean people who are grossly over weight but anyone over the average. This is not the persons fault but the airlines greedily packing us in like sardines there is simply not enough room

Allie

[karensmart4]

Personally I always pay for extra leg room as I am tall so I think you should be given the option for wider seats for those a little larger than fits comfortably into the regular seats. It's embarrassing for those that can't put the arm rests down but they are told they have to for take off and landing!! I've even been on a flight where they've put out a message for people to swap seats to accommodate larger passengers .. how humiliating is that :ohdear:

[helena_j]

I think it's discrimination to be honest have a relative who is very over weight and very embarrassed not for the want or trying to battle weight loss, she would never fly anywhere if this happened:-/

[LauraS]

On first glance I like the idea - the number of times we find ourselves slightly over the baggage allowance and have to repack and throw stuff away to avoid a fine, only to see huge people weighing double or treble our weight not having a problem. It us unfair.

However I think it would be very difficult to come up with a 'fair' system going by weight or BMI. As others said, what about tall people? Or children, who weigh almost nothing but still take up a seat? Or someone who has an illness which affects their weight, such as my old schoolfriend who took steroids whilst awaiting a kidney transplant and was unavoidably big as a result. Hoe would they deal with the fact that women and some ethnic groups are naturally smaller, so.weight charges would.be intrinsically discriminatory?

At the very least they would have to sell.tickets at a.base price for the seat, I think, and charge for weight as part of the fuel surcharge.

How will they police it? I assume we will have to weigh in with our cases :O