Flying While Fat

[random3434]

An airline wants to charge passengers "per pound."


Fair or not?



Ryanair Mulls 'Fat Tax' To Trim Costs - Forbes.com

 

[del]

An airline wants to charge passengers "per pound."


Fair or not?



Ryanair Mulls 'Fat Tax' To Trim Costs - Forbes.com

sure, if they pick a base weight and refund to people under that weight the same amount/lb they charge the overweight.

 

[Sarah G]

An airline wants to charge passengers "per pound."


Fair or not?



Ryanair Mulls 'Fat Tax' To Trim Costs - Forbes.com

sure, if they pick a base weight and refund to people under that weight the same amount/lb they charge the overweight.

Now I can agree with that one. They'd probably make another slim person share the same seat with me though just to make it profitable.

 

[007]

Totally fair. All goods shipped by truck, train, air, whatever are charged by weight. Why not people?

 

[Korimyr the Rat]

I supported United Airlines and Southwest charging obese people for an extra seat if they couldn't fit properly in a single seat. That's perfectly fair, since these people are using more passenger space, just as people with extra baggage are using more cargo space.

Charging heavier people more because they use more fuel is just gouging.

 

[007]

I supported United Airlines and Southwest charging obese people for an extra seat if they couldn't fit properly in a single seat. That's perfectly fair, since these people are using more passenger space, just as people with extra baggage are using more cargo space.

Charging heavier people more because they use more fuel is just gouging.

"Gouging".... really?

So if I take two packages down to the UPS store, one weighs four pounds and the other twenty, if they charge me more for the package weighing twenty pounds than the package weighing four, is UPS "GOUGING" me?

 

[Zoom-boing]

If a person's size makes it so they take up two seats then they should pay for two seats. Seems fairly straightforward; pay for what you use.

How would they go about implementing this? Weighing people when they arrived? Weight doesn't always equal size. Having a row of seats so each individual would have to sit in the seat to make sure they only took up one seat? Possible. I can imagine that this would cause some passengers to be embarrassed or mortified though. Perhaps done in a private area would help.

Oh, I didn't answer the question asked. lol I understand the premise but I'd stick to whether or not they took up more than one seat vs. pay per pound, because of the embarassment it would cause the customer. Again, if done in a private area that may help.

 

[007]

If a person's size makes it so they take up two seats then they should pay for two seats. Seems fairly straightforward; pay for what you use.

How would they go about implementing this? Weighing people when they arrived? Weight doesn't always equal size. Having a row of seats so each individual would have to sit in the seat to make sure they only took up one seat? Possible. I can imagine that this would cause some passengers to be embarrassed or mortified though. Perhaps done in a private area would help.

You bet... get weighed and measured.... in private.

Just like UPS, Fedex or the Post Office does. The air lines are in the business of shipping people, so I think they have every right to charge as any other freight company.

I'm not a little guy. I'm 6'2", 205 pounds, and I'd have no problem paying more than some little person. It's going to take less energy to get that smaller person from point A to point B than it will me, and energy in the form of JP8 jet fuel costs money.

 

[Zoom-boing]

If a person's size makes it so they take up two seats then they should pay for two seats. Seems fairly straightforward; pay for what you use.

How would they go about implementing this? Weighing people when they arrived? Weight doesn't always equal size. Having a row of seats so each individual would have to sit in the seat to make sure they only took up one seat? Possible. I can imagine that this would cause some passengers to be embarrassed or mortified though. Perhaps done in a private area would help.

You bet... get weighed and measured.... in private.

Just like UPS, Fedex or the Post Office does. The air lines are in the business of shipping people, so I think they have every right to charge as any other freight company.

I'm not a little guy. I'm 6'2", 205 pounds, and I'd have no problem paying more than some little person. It's going to take less energy to get that smaller person from point A to point B than it will me, and energy in the form of JP8 jet fuel costs money.

Seems fair but the logistics of it . . . . how much more time would that take to then check in if one had to get weighed and measured? That sounds so odd, getting weighed and measured at the airport. Seems kind of like the people were cattle! Do they do this with luggage now? (I haven't flown in like 20 years so I am clueless to any airport procedures).

 

[random3434]

An airline wants to charge passengers "per pound."


Fair or not?



Ryanair Mulls 'Fat Tax' To Trim Costs - Forbes.com

sure, if they pick a base weight and refund to people under that weight the same amount/lb they charge the overweight.

Now I can agree with that one. They'd probably make another slim person share the same seat with me though just to make it profitable.

You can sit on my lap, maybe we'll get half price that way~!

 

[Shogun]

When did we get the Right to fly, anyway?

 

[Xenophon]

I'll take the disenting view, it's another form of discrimination and should be fought in court as unconstitutional.

They are in fact discriminating based on size, which is a violation of the constitution, there is no provision that you can treat people differently based on looks, race or any other factor.

If the seats are too small, they should provide larger seats, not charge double.

 

[Shogun]

obesity is not a federally protected status.

 

[jillian]

An airline wants to charge passengers "per pound."


Fair or not?



Ryanair Mulls 'Fat Tax' To Trim Costs - Forbes.com

sure, if they pick a base weight and refund to people under that weight the same amount/lb they charge the overweight.

i think the point is that people who are grossly obese take up more than one seat. people who are slighter still take up their one seat.

Dunno how i feel about it. But I really hate having to fight for my seat on a plane with someone who is twice my size.

On the other hand, I feel bad about making them uncomfortable.

A quandry.

 

[RodISHI]

obesity is not a federally protected status.

Can't say it won't happen in the future.
Everything else get's special protection why not protect fat people to? Plus let's have some protections in there for little or short people. If we are going to be a society that has protection for one shouldn't we include special classes for all?

 

[RodISHI]

Dunno how i feel about it. But I really hate having to fight for my seat on a plane with someone who is twice my size.

On the other hand, I feel bad about making them uncomfortable.

A quandry.

Where an extra big coat and tons of clothes under it when you go in to buy your ticket. I'm not sure they don't stick us in between those people to big for their seats on purpose.

 

[Xenophon]

obesity is not a federally protected status.

Equality however is.

 

[Shogun]

obesity is not a federally protected status.

Can't say it won't happen in the future.
Everything else get's special protection why not protect fat people to? Plus let's have some protections in there for little or short people. If we are going to be a society that has protection for one shouldn't we include special classes for all?

can't say that a lot of things won't happen in the future. But, we are not talking about the future. We are talking about the current circumstances.

And, Obese people are not innocent of their condition like every other status included under federal protection. Protecting the obese pretty much gives wide open inclusion to any individual characteristic anyone thinks should apply. Bald? protected. SHORT? protected. Lisp or illiterate? protected. It's just rediculous to rake airlines through federal court when none of us have the RIGHT to airline service. Clearly, hairy people need protection, right? I mean, if an 8 foot tall person can't fit on a plane then CLEARLY the airline should build a giraffe hole to accomidate all 9 freakishly tall people who have other options for transportation, eh?


obesity is not a disease; it's a product of a behavior (or lack thereof)

 

[Shogun]

obesity is not a federally protected status.

Equality however is.

You are wrong but i'll bite.. post your source. Federally protected classes do not include a long list of status including obesity and homosexuality. Skinny people and fat people don't pay the same insurance premiums. I can literally openly discriminate against gays in employment if I don't live in a state that has passed it's own laws against specific discrimination.


true story.

 

[Shogun]

Dunno how i feel about it. But I really hate having to fight for my seat on a plane with someone who is twice my size.

On the other hand, I feel bad about making them uncomfortable.

A quandry.

Where an extra big coat and tons of clothes under it when you go in to buy your ticket. I'm not sure they don't stick us in between those people to big for their seats on purpose.

everyone should just wear sumo suits since, clearly, personal fashion should be protected federally.