More to Love, More to Pay?

If the airlines do not charge for handicapped people to have extra accomodations, babies to have special accomodations, then they should not charge for a person who is overweight. If the reason to charge more is about weight and space then wheelchairs and strollers take up space and add extra weight.

by Tanie bilety lotnicze on Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The airlines need to think of a compassionate way to handle this problem. Charging large passengers "obesity" fees will only ridicule and embarrass them. That's bad business. They'll turn away from your brand and choose a different airline to fly on.

This a great opportunity for a "big and tall" airline to be started and for current airlines to retrofit seats/aisles in their planes. I appreciate JetBlue's extra legroom for a reasonable fee. Can an airline provide extra seat width for a reasonable fee?

by Fresh Airfare on Friday, July 03, 2009

Southwest violated their own policy in assuming that I did not fit in the seat with the armrest down when I did and even refused to see if I fit within the boundary of their guidelines. By looking at me and assuming that I would not fit in my seat with the armrest down, they made an invalid calculation thus resulting in size discrimination, an unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of size prejudice (being biased or having a belief or attitude formed beforehand). How do you know if I don't fit without seeing if my armrest goes down or not? Assumptions are always subject to not being valid and lead to misrepresentations of truth and validity. Since Southwest has gone so far as to create a policy, then perhaps they might now work on properly following their own guidelines within the Customer of Size Policy rather than refusing to see if a customer fits within the guidelines of the policy. Furthermore, Southwest purposely waited 30 seconds until the flight boarded before they approached me in order to try to put me between a rock and a hard place. They wanted to corner me into a situation where I was sooo nervous that I was going to miss my flight by not being allowed to board so that I'd feel forced to pay the extra. In short Southwest Customer Size Policy states: if the armrest fits you must acquit.

by Plusologie on Tuesday, June 30, 2009

My wife had a woman try to sit next to her after we were already seated and when the woman could not fit in her seat she violently threw the arm rest up between her seat and my wife's even though my wife's arm was on it and plopped down in the seat. Luckily the flight attendants saw the whole thing and made her move to another seat. On another trip I had to sit next to a gentleman who had already taken his seat and was well into mine on a flight. I had to drink my coffee with my left hand because I could not use my right hand to hold it. I ended up spilling the coffee on my leg and had to travel the whole transatlantic flight soaked in coffee. My position is that no person should not have to give up a portion of their already small space to another passenger for any reason. What is done about overweight passengers can be debated, but I am not ever again going to give up the little space that have to someone who doesn't fit in their theirs!

by pshooper on Monday, June 29, 2009

I have had the same problem with overweight sitting almost in my seat on a plane, and it's is annoying and uncomfortable, especially having to sit there for so long. I think it is inconsiderate for passengers to squeeze themselves into a seat that's too small for them. The airlines should charge them for overweight, like the baggage, and also charge them for an extra seat.

by Moi on Monday, June 29, 2009

If you are overweight, you should definitely pay for two seats, and you should definitely be able to use them both if you pay for them. I am 6' 218, but I'm often the little guy in the row! And what about those overweight flight attendants that always bump my shoulder with their oversized derriers, we ought to be charging them too! I was on an international flight and the attendant was too heavy to climb up on the seat to shut the luggage bin! Hilarious! For that reason, I no longer sit in the aisle, I always get the window seat.

by pdogg on Saturday, June 27, 2009

I've said it before.....

"I for one am all for charging overweight passengers extra. As mentioned above, these days every pound counts. So, I propose that tickets now be sold "by the pound". Think of it-There would be an option to estimate your weight when you first purchase your ticket. Then, when you get to the airport, you step on a scale and pay extra for any "overages" or get a refund for "shortages". It could even be extended to baggage, making it "total weight" checked onto the airplane. As a larger flier myself, I think it would even out. During my trip to Ireland, I wouldn't have had to pay that 10% for my 3 month old daughter sharing my seat. No more would those outrageously sized carry-ons get to sneak past the gate agents.

But seriously, why stop there. If we're going to charge for all inconveniences, there should be a charge for talking on your cell after landing. Or having your laptop on the tray table making passengers have to wait for you to put it away before shimmying past. Or an extra charge for people not sitting on the aisle if they need to use the restroom more than once every 3 hours. Perfume charges, body odor charges, loud talker charges, overheard headphone charges, snoring charges, the list could be endless."

FYI- By my calculations, anyone with a 36" Waist or Hip size would be over a 17" seat. That would include Size 16 Women, and possibly size 14 depending on hips. Think of that before casting stones.

by Bruce on Saturday, June 27, 2009

Weight alone does not tell the entire story. I am overweight myself (280 lbs), and yet because of the way my weight is configured I fit into the seat width. I cannot always put the tray table down, but that doesn't inconvenience anyone but me. I travel with my own seatbelt extender should I need it; I don't always depending on the airplane. I leave the armrest down unless I am travelling with my husband. If I were a tall man at my weight no one would even question whether I would need an additional seat.. Weight alone does not tell the entire story, it's simply "do you fit in the seat without infringing on others". If I have to buy an additional seat to accomodate me, then the seat is mine. Just like paying for a toddler who sits on mom's lap the entire trip.

by netmartin on Saturday, June 27, 2009

While I agree, in concept, that "oversized" people should buy the second seat, how would the airlines enforce the requirement? When we check in for our flights, do we all then need to step on the scale and have a measuring tape wrapped around us to see if we fit the bill? How about height and width checked as well? When we book a flight, do we need to add height, weight and girth info-verify it before boarding? It sounds like "common sense," but really, how big is too big to fit before requiring a second seat?

I was on a flight from New York to Frankfort several years ago, sitting in the middle seat. A really large man got the isle. Large? You betcha! Not an ounce of fat on him that I could see, though, just really extremely muscular and broad. But his hips fit in the seat, so...... Should he have paid for a second seat b/c his shoulders are too wide? I'd say yes, but would someone else who was smaller than me be as bothered with being bumped on the shoulder from the cart going by?

So, who decides? And by what criteria? Too big to fit in the seat? Or how about just too wide, period? How about really tall people who have to bend sideways, even a little, to fit their legs into their space? I really understand people's frustration, but what is a workable, fair solution? I don't know........

by Nice 1 on Friday, June 26, 2009

Please note that airlines value weight as much as they can, but they standard formula to add passenger weight may be outdated. We are much taller and heavier that in the 50s.

It should be a rule that people should pay more if they obvioulsy will occupy more than one stea. But they should get those tow setas, even the whole Row if they purchase it. Not sure about pitch...it is pretty narrow for a big belly.

Please try to avoid High Fructose corn syrup. That is the culprit of a big % of the enormous obesity problem in America

by savetheweight on Saturday, June 27, 2009

Airfarewatchblog

More to Love, More to Pay?

Posted by Tracy Stewart on Friday, June 26, 2009

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