Airline Weight Limits

[astral]

A little off subject but gives another perspective.

Next in you are in a lift, look and see if it has a plate giving a load limit.

Something like max load 400kg, or 5 persons.......................

[pampal]

I think it's better to ask why airline seats are so small as to pack people in like sardines.

The airlines are to blame, not people.

If the airlines installed big wide seats with ample room for all people(thin and horizontally challenged), would anyone complain?

With obesity becoming a global problem, these issues will only be solved with a redesigned interior for airplanes that offer seating for people of all sizes.

It's against the law to discriminate.

What if you had a small thin person sitting next to you, but they smelled like a sewer?

What if you had a small thin person sitting next to you who wouldn't shut up for 12 hours?

What if you had a small thin person sitting next to you who was drunk out of their mind and bothering you?

It's not just large people, there are many problems in today's jet set world.

Edited January 16, 2007 by pampal

[cclub75]

The airlines are to blame, not people.

If the airlines installed big wide seats with ample room for all people(thin and horizontally challenged), would anyone complain?

Probably not. But they would complain about the... increase of price for the ticket...

Airline industry has a -relative- simple price equation : cost of kilo per mile.

However... since the textile industry has indeed changed its mesurements, to take in account the fact that the weitght and height of average population are increasing... Your suggestion make sense.

I believe that the A380 for long haul flights could be a good answer : still a large number of passengers per plane to "dilute" the costs and allow a reasonable pricing policy per seat, but larger individual space.

It's against the law to discriminate.

That's the typical comment american PC style. "It's not my fault if I'm obese, it's McDonald's fault"... I mean : it doesn't solve the problem (that is real).

Someone said it before, insurance companies are already using different premiums regarding some criterias (gender, age etc.).

[steveromagnino]

I think it's better to ask why airline seats are so small as to pack people in like sardines.

The airlines are to blame, not people.

If the airlines installed big wide seats with ample room for all people(thin and horizontally challenged), would anyone complain?

With obesity becoming a global problem, these issues will only be solved with a redesigned interior for airplanes that offer seating for people of all sizes.

It's against the law to discriminate.

What law?

Obesity may indeed be a global problem, but a healthy thinner person doesn't have to pay for fat people in their medical insurance, why should they have to subsidise their decision to stuff themselves with junk food and not do exercise on a plane as well?

If an obese person wants to fly in comfort, just buy a business class ticket. Then they have nil reason to complain. Problem is.....some obese people expect that they should be treated equally, when their exact dimensions are the reason why they should not; their size has a direct negative correlation with profit per seat, as CC75 points out.

Despite all kinds of mothering and hand holding, I prefer my mother's attitude. When told she was obese, and needed to lose weight due to pressure on her heart and risk of coronary problems, she simply said 'it is my fault for not looking after myself for the last 20 years' and went on a 2 year diet, and changed her lifestyle.

Some people choose to smoke. They choose to do drugs. They choose to drive drunk. And for the most part they choose to live a lifestyle that makes them fat. Fine; everyone has their right to choose. But it is a bit rich to then expect a free ride at the other end; you makes a choice, you lives with da consequences.

Some people want freedom and the right to do anything, but haven't got the guts to take responsbility for what they choose. They should 'get a pair'.

[autonomous_unit]

I find it odd to turn the airline discussion into a public health discussion, only because I have real doubts that the health of passengers is anywhere on the list of corporate priorities of the airlines (just so long as they don't start dying in the plane).

But regarding the anti-PC argument, do you equally blame tall people for not fitting in economy class? I tried to bring this up earlier but most people were off on a tangent by then.

The problem with airline pricing, like other services, is that people have a peculiar way of viewing fairness and equality when it comes to people. Most people will find it demeaning to use units like "kilograms" or "liters" when talking about people. At the same time, people are usually a bit self-centric and have odd ideas about averages, needs versus desires, etc. Are we purchasing transport for walking meatbags, or are we purchasing a qualitative experience for people?

Being around 6'4" tall (193cm) but having the leg length of a typical 6'6"-6'7" person (200cm), I feel that I need leg room whereas someone shorter only wants it due to ego concerns. Also, the idea that your ticket is a cargo license rather than an allotment for a reasonable amount of personal luggage is peculiar. Maybe shorter people should have a smaller baggage allowance because, let's face it, their clothes are a lot smaller too. Or do they need to change their shorts more often than I do on a trip?

In a complete capitalist system, I can agree that I should pay more for my extra leg room since it reduces the passenger capacity for the airline. However, we are not in such a system, due to the way people relate to one another and to brands. I am thankful that airlines have to be concerned about alienating customers.

Having worked in the public sector before, I was very irritated by the "economy only" travel reimbursement rules for business travel, which potentially put me in danger of blood clots and such. Luckily, the frequent flier programs tend to allow me the upgrades to business that you speak of. I am also grateful that many airline staff realize the predicament for tall people and try to go out of their way to adjust our seating when they can.

All this said, I have a strong suspicion that the baggage limits have more to do with managing ground costs than fuel consumption. Those big or heavy bags need special handling to avoid worker injury, and an excess number of bags surely requires more laborers than a nice container of cargo.