Should airlines charge more for overweight passengers?

[user123]

Yes, I choose the emergency exit seats, too when available, but why should we have to pay extra for decent leg room just because we have long legs???? We are just normal people, ...well in that particular respect anyhow..:lol:

 

[Mouldy]

So are we not in buisness to make money? I know I am!

Running an aircraft is expensive weather we like it or not. The cost of fuel, (as we all know), is ever increasing. So is the cost of insurance; the cost of living, (and therfore the cost of wages/salaries); H&E legislation, (which cost's money to implement). Reduce the cost of seating and the ticket costs will increase.

We are hit with taxes becasue we are told that aircraft are destroying the planet. I personally think this is BS and that aircraft are actually quite a good way to move people around. You can move a large quantity of people with relative ease and speed compared to something like a bus or a car, unless of course you reduce the amount of seating making them less efficient.

Being charged for overwieght luggage is fair. Your told quite clearly what your allowance is before you get to the airport, so if your over you should be charged. 'Cheap' airlines are not that cheap when you take into consideration the baggage allowance's. eg the only time I have ever gone on a cheap airline the allowance was for hand luggage only. You paid extra to put luggage in the hold.

Call me a bigot if you like but this is my opinion, some of which is fact. :smiley2:

 

[aph257]

also what miffs me i weigh 13 stone (average male) and i had a extra 7lbs in luggage total (29 lbs) i got charged £20. the obese person weighing approx 20 stone who actually has 28 times more extra weight than i do pays nothing.

 

[user123]

Ehm, Mouldy, the question was not about luggage, but about people.....?

 

[Mouldy]

Yup, I know.....but thanks for pointing that out! Was responding to the point of luggage that has been raised.

The point about overweight people was answered in my first post.

Luggage can be moved around a plane to get the CofG with in the allowed paramaters. Get on a plane with a load of fatties and I for one would be getting off. Pilots are talented people but they can't change the laws of physics!

 

[tfs]

I reckon there should be a combined passenger/ luggage wieght if they are gonna go down that route, and it should be put down as an additional luggae charge. I think this would be fair.

You pay full price for a 3 year old to fly so whether you weigh like 3 stone or 18 stone they charge full wack. Yet luggae allowance currently remains the same

 

[tfs]

This may even encourage over weight adults to keep there children in good shape to beneift from some of the kids combined weight allowance.:lol:

 

[Daz]

I've only skimmed this thread so apologies if I've missed the point.

My opinion is quite straight forward and blunt. If someone is too wide for one seat or is likely to make life very uncomfortable for the person next to them, then they should have to purchase 2 seats. Weight is very personal and subjective and I think the airlines would eventually run in to human rights issues if they pursued that line so physical size should be the determining factor IMO. Perhaps they should introduce a seat next to the check in desk (just like they have the frame for hand luggage) :lol:

 

[mikethetile]

this is nothing to do with weight or centre of gravity, you would have to weigh a considerable amount to affect a planes balance. if that was the case they wouldnt be allowed to walk up the aisle when the plane was in the air

its simply the logistics of fitting them in to such small seats, fact is if you are over a certain size you will have to fly on aircraft with bigger seats which is going to cost more

 

[Pebbs]

Does it mean that I can have a reduction then, if seated next to screaming kids kicking the back of the seat...lets not even go there.

 

[mikethetile]

Does it mean that I can have a reduction then, if seated next to screaming kids kicking the back of the seat...lets not even go there.

I dont put up with it Lynn
, they are so afronted at being told to keep their brats under control that they spend the rest of the journey complaining that they have never met someone so rude LOL

 

[tfs]

still an easier way to tax individuals without going down the obvious discrimination (over weight) route I think.

 

[suave]

wrong wrong wrong

 

[Andy Allen]

so where dose it all end? no fat people in the cinema on a bus a train, or maybe no fat taxi drivers incase the car leans to much to one side.

fact is were all different, some people are skiny, some stocky, some over weight, some obese.

fact is theres a big difference between being 3/4 stone over weight to being 10/12 stone over weight.

 

[doug boardley]

will they give skinny people discounts???

 

[SandyFloor]

I might have the details a bit wrong but I remember something about the Welsh rugby team and by using recognised techniques used by the medical fraternity all but two of them were clinically obese ....obviously they weren't. My point is you can be healthy,fit but very heavy.

 

[tfs]

Many airline seat sizes are shockingly small to be honest. Last time I was on a plane I had my misses on one side and an elderly gent on the otherside and I felt very uncomfortable and cramped throughout the journey. So its no wonder that heavier people are being targeted when its already difficult for the best of use to fly in comfort.

If they want to charge more perhaps they should increase the size of there seats?

I do however feel that asking some people to pay for two seats (If they are going to be taking up part of someone else purchased space) may be reasonable in some cases.

You dont get discounts for being disabled or for being a child (like many other transport providers do)

Perhaps airlines are gaining too much power/ decision making and need more regulation? (just like the banks were for a while)


Maybe graded seats could be a solution? pay for economy/ luxury seats on all airlines
Deffo a touchy subject, each of have our own opinions.

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

profiteering by the airlines' IMO, where do they'stop!!tall peep/short peep's/baby's young family's ,smoker's peep's with HIV. the list can go on!! it's just wrong if we let them get-away with it!!!we all know the truth

 

[Andy Allen]

I might have the details a bit wrong but I remember something about the Welsh rugby team and by using recognised techniques used by the medical fraternity all but two of them were clinically obese ....obviously they weren't. My point is you can be healthy,fit but very heavy.

your spot on there sandy, a pro body builder could be 3/4 stone over wieght yet have less body fat than a marathon runner.

 

[Aston]

there is an answer for all those people who ............
dont want anybody invading their space
who want extra leg room
and who dont what yound children kicking the back of their seat

you pay the extra and go in 1st class :lol:

 

[Andy Allen]

or buy your own plane

 

[Perry]

so would they charge less for my wife if she was 6 stone ?

 

[Deleted member 9966]

profiteering by the airlines' IMO, where do they'stop!!tall peep/short peep's/baby's young family's ,smoker's peep's with HIV. the list can go on!! it's just wrong if we let them get-away with it!!!we all know the truth

Dave, why do people with HIV get victimised by airlines? I don't understand that connection. could you explain?

 

[mikethetile]

you hit the nail on the head when you say they have to provide larger seats for safety reasons, the larger seats carry a premium price

this is nothing whatsoever to do with discrimination or a fat tax, one person cant take up two seats as the seat belts wont buckle up

 

[Olz]

Problem is that some planes dont have a first class section, like the one I went to egypt on earlier this year on my honeymoon, where I had to sit squashed in for about 6 hours next to the 'large' person who didnt fit in the single seat so took up half of my space as well. I would have gladly paid for first class if it was an option, but on the dates we wanted, the choice of airlines was basically one. Not the best start to the honey moon so i'd be all for airlines charging more for people who take up more than one seat.

As i said before, I dont think its a case of airlines profiteering, the feul costs are massive and ever increasing, so I guess its a case of charge more per seat, or put more seats on the plane, a whole host of budget airlines went bust over the last few years because of the feul hikes, because they tried to keep the seat cost down.

And to be fair, im off to egypt in a few weeks and the flights were only £65 each, its going to cost me more than that in fuel travelling to the airport and parking the car so I dont think that easyjet can be accused of over charging!!

In hindsight, I wish I had bought 4 tickets instead of two so that me and the missus could travel in comfort with a completley empty seat next to us, I wonder if they would allow you to buy two seats in one name?

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

sorry liz , i was just trying to demonstraight that if you discriminate against fat peep's where do you stop!! by showing other peep's with reason's that they might be discriminated again's in the other group's

 

[Deleted member 9966]

sorry liz , i was just trying to demonstraight that if you discriminate against fat peep's where do you stop!! by showing other peep's with reason's that they might be discriminated again's in the other group's

right I'm with you now. I thought you meant that airlines had already started discriminating against HIV and AIDS sufferers and I wasn't aware of it. thanks for clearing that up.

 

[doug boardley]

being a wet through 10 and 3/4 stone I just say share and share alike, coming from a large family, that's what we all did.