Budget Airline Considers 'fat Tax' For Tubby Travellers

[torrenova]

Think about it, you pay by weight for UPS/FedEx, and in Hong Kong for luggage in the Taxis.

No you don't, unless you use a predefined Fed Ex / UPS etc. carton or envelope, you pay by volumetric weight. Thus, sending a large volume of straw, which weighs very little, would cost a lot because of the size of the container to hold it relative to the weight.

Thus, a ton of lead would be charged at the rate for a ton (heavier than the volumetric weight), but a ton of feathers would cost more due to dimensions as the volumetric weight far exceeds a ton.

[Cuban]

How could they charge corkage if is is illegal to carry more than ? x 100ml bottles within a sealed clear plastic bag onto the flight and duty free purchases at the airport of origin may not be opened before exiting customs at your final destination?

[merijn]

Totally agree with the fat tax.

If somebody has such a big waist that he can’t sit normally in a seat but leans over the arm rest why should I suffer for this.

I pay money for a complete seat and not for a seat with extra fat from somebody else.

I don’t have problem with the weight of somebody but only their size.

[Kitsch22]

Totally agree with the fat tax.

If somebody has such a big waist that he can’t sit normally in a seat but leans over the arm rest why should I suffer for this.

I pay money for a complete seat and not for a seat with extra fat from somebody else.

I don’t have problem with the weight of somebody but only their size.

I am indifferent to the issue even though I am exceedingly fat. I choose to avoid flying Ryanair because their passengers tend to smell of poverty, which I find unpleasant.

[Datsun240Z]

Better to use the FAT TAX to send em to the gym.

[JimShortz]

Surely if the airlines tell us that extra weight increases their fuel costs we should all pay for the TOTAL weight we take onto the plane. It's not discriminating againsy fat people; we simply all pay proportionally for our body weight and baggage being taken from one place to another. Doesn't that sound fair? Perhaps it would also help all of us who are a bit over weight to be more motivated to lose a few kilos... think of the health benefits!

And, anyway, just charge the fatties

[OxfordWill]

Totally agree with the fat tax.

If somebody has such a big waist that he can’t sit normally in a seat but leans over the arm rest why should I suffer for this.

I pay money for a complete seat and not for a seat with extra fat from somebody else.

I don’t have problem with the weight of somebody but only their size.

I am indifferent to the issue even though I am exceedingly fat. I choose to avoid flying Ryanair because their passengers tend to smell of poverty, which I find unpleasant.

Hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa! Good one!

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

The right way to do it is to put the overweight people in the same section of the plane, row by row by weight. Then the 200kilo guy can sit next to the 180kilo one etc. Seems much fairer, they could learn what it is like to sit next to someone like themself. Learn to appreciate having a full seat and not sharing your seat with the person next to you.

[syd barrett]

There is an interesting piece in the Daily Telegraph today about obese air passengers with a very interesting photograph. Link Below:

Obese Passengers (with photo)

Personally, as a frequent flyer I have been been sat next to fat people and have found it a very uncomfortable experience.

However if I was ever sat next to someone very obese (like in the photo) I would exercise my legal rights and request that the airline captain land at the nearest airport and let me disembark at the airlines expense.

[Patong Bob]

At 67 kg I would not be afffected by this, also I would not be affected as I choose not to fly these crap budget airlines which are looking for more and more ways to ensure their "budget" (cheap charlie) passengers are gouged to the maximum.

Spend a little more and fly with a decent airline.

[Tongdee]

Pretty simple really. It costs so much feul to lift an empty jet to 35,000ft. It costs how much more to lift a loaded jet? Get on the scale with yer luggage. So much weight in the price of the ticket, any more costs extra. If you dont fit in a standard seat buy two. I should not have to pay yer excess weight nor you mine.

[erikr_]

To be fair there could be a height/weight range and applied to each pax. Heavier people for their height would  get less baggage allowance, while those at the lower end could have more baggage and not get penalized for having a few extra kilos of baggage. 

I fully agree with a surcharge for heavy people (ideally by width for men have you ever sat in economy with one of those body builder types next to you?) But then they should also give the same amount discount for people say under 80 for man and under 60kg for woman

[erikr_]

There is an interesting piece in the Daily Telegraph today about obese air passengers with a very interesting photograph. Link Below:

Obese Passengers (with photo)

Personally, as a frequent flyer I have been been sat next to fat people and have found it a very uncomfortable experience.

However if I was ever sat next to someone very obese (like in the photo) I would exercise my legal rights and request that the airline captain land at the nearest airport and let me disembark at the airlines expense.

You mean you are daft enough to only realize how obese the person next to you is when you in the air? I normally find out as soon as they finished boarding

[Mousehound]

There is an interesting piece in the Daily Telegraph today about obese air passengers with a very interesting photograph. Link Below:

Obese Passengers (with photo)

Personally, as a frequent flyer I have been been sat next to fat people and have found it a very uncomfortable experience.

However if I was ever sat next to someone very obese (like in the photo) I would exercise my legal rights and request that the airline captain land at the nearest airport and let me disembark at the airlines expense.

You mean you are daft enough to only realize how obese the person next to you is when you in the air? I normally find out as soon as they finished boarding

I wonder if the guy in the pic is actually a "giant". I traveled to japan with a work mate who was classified as a giant and he had to go 1st class. Poor guy was born that way 6' 10" and really huge bones and a bit (but not grossely fat). Had to stoop and go through a door sideways. I am overweight also. Told everyone we met we were a Suomo wrestling team from Australia. They loved us.

[britmaveric]

Make bigger seats and stop cramming in people like sardines would be the solution.

-make kids pay more, make smelly pay more - we could go on and on if the truth be told and just charge everyone more.

[bifftastic]

I'm flying in january, I'm in training now....all the hard miles on the road at 3am, then the gym work, watch my diet, really work hard to 'make the weight' I can save myself 5 euros, Me and my trainer have a plan, I'll dehydrate, check in in my pants then once I've got my boarding pass it's off to the cafe for a fry up! haha! that'll learn em! (i really think I've got a chance at the title this time!)

[bifftastic]

However if I was ever sat next to someone very obese (like in the photo) I would exercise my legal rights and request that the airline captain land at the nearest airport and let me disembark at the airlines expense.

hmmm 'ladies and gentlemen we apologise for this change of route, we are diverting to Kabul to drop Syd off as he doesn't like sitting next to fat people and would rather have a holiday in Afghanistan than continue on to Thailand'

[Spoonman]

At 67 kg I would not be afffected by this

You would/should be very much affected if your only 3 foot tall.

[rabcbroon]

something has to be done

[Rinrada]

Ryanair is about the only parafin budgie operator (OK easy Jet as well) who is making money at the moment and recon this is all good publicity.

As for being a "poverty"airline... ...might be reasonable to fly but £3 for a coffee and of course £1 to use the toilet. and have you seen the price of booze in the Departure bar at Elvis P international Airport (Prestwick)..???

Flew back just this week on a business trip and apart from a load of Stutgard football fans (beat Rangers 2-0 ...we had a Box)...the thing was mostly full of "suits"...its the recession init...

however old Mick is creaming in the dosh ...while the Worlds fav airline is trying to avoid going bust by joining up with a Spanish Holiday outfit......

would you like a free donkey sir ...with your glass of eldorado...HOLA.

[mpetersen]

100% gree

I sat next to a fat knacker once and he was stinking for hours

tried to sit in my seat and squash me.

Cherge more or double I say.

I moved myself as the stench of the fat man was really bad!!!!

I mean bad.

Just curious, are there any threads whereby fat people slag off skinny runts?

If not, then why are the mods allowing this thread to continue?, or is Thaivisa a skinny only club???

so i'm assuming what side you are on, and it isn't in favor of it.

fat people make a choice to eat. That is a choice they make in life, and they should bear the consequences of seriously over eating; just like a smoker - if a person smokes, they make the choice to do that, risk their health, knacker their body and now are confined in many countries to smoking only in private places or limited public places - was also long overdue.

The fact that I had to pay something like 1500 baht for an extra 1kg of weight on my luggage (it was 21kg) when coming back from Thailand was a joke. The fact that I was only 61kg or so, and combined with my luggage 82kg, and I had to pay an extra 1500baht was a joke. The fact that fat people who are 90kg+, and with their luggage 110kg+ can get on without needing to pay any extra when I have to pay 1500baht for 1 measily extra kg, when my combined weight with bag is at least 30kg less is the biggest joke of all. 30KG is also a very conservative estimate.

To say it's discrimination is laughable. Charging someone extra because their colour of skin is discrimination.

It would be fat people getting penalised for their choice. Bear the consequences because it's not fair on the people who would be considered 'normal' weight. If they don't like it, stop eating so much.

and none of this fat gene genetic stuff either.

I am 110Kg and NOT fat, but tall... Then again, I never intrude on someone else's seat, because, for the most part, I buy a biz class seat. That usually takes care of it. United allows for the purchase of a second seat now at the same cost of the original ticket. I think that's a fair arrangement.

Air Canada, on the other hand, has been ordered by the courts to make available a FREE seat to overweight people, considering weight a disability.

So, I guess, obese people can start flying Air Canada and not have to worry about extra charges.

The thing about total passenger/luggage weight is a fair way of handling things too. After all we pay a ticket price for both dead and live weight. So, I do think it's unfair to charge a small person an overweight luggage fee for a few Kgs. That said, again, if you buy an executive fare, or you are a gold flyer you usually get more luggage allowance than is possible to carry (again, Air Canada is super generous, allowing their frequent flyers 96kg of luggage, that's almost 200Kg PLUS carry-ons with two people flying together).

[RickBlaine]

Totally agree with the fat tax.

If somebody has such a big waist that he can't sit normally in a seat but leans over the arm rest why should I suffer for this.

I pay money for a complete seat and not for a seat with extra fat from somebody else.

I don't have problem with the weight of somebody but only their size.

I am indifferent to the issue even though I am exceedingly fat. I choose to avoid flying Ryanair because their passengers tend to smell of poverty, which I find unpleasant.

Absolutely right. Let's go further - Let Ryanair, and any of the Budget-Boys fly the financial-challenged for free. (Each airport pays a small surcharge to cover the cost). The riff-raff can knock themselves out on each others body odour - cheaper than alcohol or drugs - leaving the rest of us to enjoy a civilised flight on a decent airline.

[Tinkelbell]

I'm all for 'Fat Tax'.

I once had the most miserable flight ( flew from New York to Dallas, TX), sitting in the middle seat side-by-side with two BIG & FAT guys who spilt their shoulders on my space. Look from front section of aircraft, it ooks like I was almost disappeared behind those huge arms. That was how the flight attendant noticed my trouble.

Unfortunately, the flight was full even the first class. I asked flight attendant if she would let me sit at the reserverd seats ( for the F/As to sit during takes off and landing, she regreted to inform me that it is against the airlines ruled.

So I was tortured for the nearly 3 hrs, I kept looking at my watch, kept telling myself one less minute means I'm getting close to landing.

Although this horror episode happened many years ago, I still have this nagging feeling that I wasn't get my money ( ticket price) worths.

So last year there was this thin and small passenger who was not happy with the flight ( don't remember the name of passenger or the airline he suing) where he was squashed between two big seatmates, he claims he only got a half space, so he wants the airlines pay him back half of the price of the ticket. YES...YES !!

Seeing that I hail him as my hero, it's long over dues.

[desi]

Dunno. The closest I got to complaining was on BA flight to the US from BKK, sitting in the same aisle as a chap who was 6'7". He was huge, and I'm sure some most would say that he weighed a lot. He was a lovely, fit man, with not a bit of flab on him. Even with the seat between us empty, his loooooooooooooong legs (the size of tree trunks) had nowhere to go. He was a kind person (not wanting to make waves), but I'm not. I badgered the steward(ess) about their mostly empty first class but... 'cannot lah' was the reply...

Judging who is going to be done for an overweight tax and who not... difficult.