Should Obese Passengers Be Required To Buy Two Seats On Flights?

[Samuian]

Yes!

Has to be properly defined though....excess luggage s charged too!

[StreetCowboy]

8>< --- SNIP --- ><8

Of course it would be a lot more interesting with the anonymity afforded by the internet and if we could see the members images.

If I was as handsome as you, I'd post my picture too.

I guess I am just lucky with the people I get to sit next to. Normally, I'll race as many sleeping potions as I can in the lounge, stumble onto the plane, and I'm normally asleep by the time we're in the air, and I'd sleep next to Godzilla.

The two things that wind me up are the boxes under the seats, but I suppose from time to time I get some benefit from the inflight entertainment, so mustn't grumble, and those &lt;deleted&gt; shinbashing footrests.

But as for other passengers, I've learnt to live with sharing the plane with other people. In fact, I can think of two or three occasions when I've enjoyed meeting the person next to me

SC

[Trickcyclist]

in the early days of aviation passengers were weighed..then as aircraft became less weight critical an average weight figure of 75kgs for males, 65 kgs, females, 40kgs for kids under 12 and 10kgs under 2 years old.

there is talk of weighing punters being reintroduced as average weight figures have increased..perhaps they should measure, as well...have standard aircraft seats fitted on weighing scales at check-in to see if punters can be shoe horned into them..maybe using 'speak your weight.' E.G. Lady sits on scale and weighing scale voice says: "would one of you , please get off!" ...should be good for customer relations.

[jackr]

Yep, everyone on the scales with bags and fat tax charged over excess. Have a seat superimposed over the fatties to test for girth also; if over you either have two cattle class seats or go into Business. The screen can be facing away so no-one in the line has to see your tonnage. Screw PC, this is the way it has to be.

[mizzi39]

No they should buy two tickets, they should not be allowed to fly at all. Same goes for people who show up drunk or stinking like they haven't taken a bath in a week. Its offensive to anyone that sits next to them or that they pass when they wander back to the restroom. If an obese person loses their balance while walking down the aisle they might crush a child or elderly person and break a bone at 30,000 feet above the ocean. That's an unnecessary risk. The airlines and passengers just can't be expected to put up with their self induced condition.

Agreed. It is bad enough flying in what amounts to a "tin can". Safety should be the number one concern with all airlines. Being PC should not even be factored into the equation.

[LindsayBKK]

He should have been given choice of First Class or Business Class ONLY!

I was on an Airasia Flight from BKK-KUL a few months ago and a large man was seated next to me

luckily the middle seats were available and he just moved after take-off and had 3 seats to himself.

But he needed to lie down to fit across as the seats are too close together for him to sit upright.

If you are over a certain BMI you should not be allowed on ANY flights. It's also a flight hazard in case

a plane needs to make an emergency landing I am sure he would not be able to get out quickly and

or stop others from getting out safely.

[phetaroi]

Why should they?

They are not responsible for their conditions and even even if some were it woul not be fair or else change the rules from everyone or do as some airlines (on smaller planes I admit) do, like it happened to me in Norway: evryone gets on the scale with their bags in hand. This way everything is in order

...

We cannot always be responsible for what we are and many factors should be accounted for

I am technically obese, but nothing even close to the guy in the picture. Yes, he should have to pay for two seats (maybe the whole row). And yes, except in extremely unusual situations, our weight is our choice. I gained my weight after two accidents...I could have eaten less and I could have exercised after recuperation (I finally am now). I also gained a little weight due to a medication. But, no doubt, I allowed myself to gain weight.

[Lovedog100]

IMO charging extra for excessively obese people would be very unfair.

If the flight is full (in Economy and business) I think it would be acceptable (albeit a little unfair) to refuse them flight on the grounds of safety and comfort of other passengers.

However, if the flight is not full, I also believe it would be fair to permit them two seats, again on the grounds of safety and comfort of other passengers.

Additionally, if economy is full and business class has spare seats, I would also suggest that it's fair if a non-obese passenger is upgraded to business class providing the obese passenger with two seats, again on the grounds of safety and comfort of other passengers.

To add to this discussion:

I think stinky people should be prevented from flying.

You obviously have never been seated next to an obese person that took up 1/3 to 1/2 of the seat that you paid for. I have. It is miserable. Not to mention having bruised and sore hips for days after. Those of us that take the effort to keep our weight down, should not have to suffer because someone else can not. I have rights too. I should not have to pay for a seat that someone else is using. I should not be squeezed in between an arm rest and and obese person, in pain. Fat people should pay for their lifestyle themselves. Not make us victims of their obesity.

Edited December 8, 2009 by Lovedog100

[Lovedog100]

I don't agree with the posts that people are obese because it is self inflicted or they choose to be.

There are lots of cases where people are obese due to the health condition, so it is significantly harder for them to control the weight.

Before anyone asks, no I am not obese.

Just like everyone else I dislike to seat on the plane next to someone who is overweight or someone with hygiene problems; however it is still not ok to discriminate against them.

Sure enough the airlines could handle such cases better by having larger seats that are sold at a premium; then it would be fair for all the parties involved.

Charging a passenger for two seats does not sound like a fair solution.

You said it. "Sure enough the airlines could handle such cases better by having larger seats that are sold at a premium; then it would be fair for all the parties involved." There are larger seats sold at a premium, it's called 1st class. So there you go, make them buy two economy seats, or fly first class.

[PhilHarries]

Well we've ascertained that most people's nightmare neighbour on a plane is obese, drunk and has smelly armpits.

Maybe all people should have a microchip embedded in their forearm carrying details of Body Mass Index, Body Odour Index and Alcohol Abuse Index to be scanned when buying a ticket for any flight. This chip would be required to be updated at a registered clinic within three months of any travel and would be rechecked at check in. Airplanes would be provided with a limited number of seat at the back for those who fail to make the grade, like the old days when smoking was allowed. Would you like window or aisle seat sir, human being or FURB (Fat Ugly Repulsive B@st@d) class? They could be made to get on last so they have to suffer the ignomy of squeezing down the aisles for the full length of the plane in the withering gaze of the perfect citizens.

Alternatively we could stitch a symbol into the clothing of all those who don't make our perceived standard for idealness. They could still be allowed limited travel rights, cattle class on the railways.

None of us are perfect least of all those that think they are.

[Tanaka]

I am also tired of fat ignorant and smelly passengers. The only way to avoid it is to upgrade yourself. Otherwise take some medication with you...works every time...just slip it in their double vodka while they are too busy belching to notice.

Right, so then you have to enjoy their snoring during the trip instead!

[toptuan]

I don't agree with the posts that people are obese because it is self inflicted or they choose to be.

There are lots of cases where people are obese due to the health condition, so it is significantly harder for them to control the weight.

"Lot's of cases..." ?? Pul-eeze!!! This was the same argument used by my gargantuan secretary as she snacked every hour, on-the-hour, on things my momma wouldn't let me eat except only at Christmas time.

This issue has only come to a head because of the Super-Sizing culture which has evolved in many western countries, notably the USA. In the vast majority, it IS a condition which is a result of addictive choice made every day to ignore one's health and good sense.

And yes, I've been both fat, skinny, and in-between (which I am now), and have heard it all....

[rocketmanbkk]

Yes - if they are too fat buy 2 seats. if they don't like it, lose weight.

I refused to sit next to a chap once on teh way to New York with AA. He was taking up a third of my seat! He was asked to move to the rear.

[Tanaka]

QUOTE QUOTE (edokhv @ 2009-12-07 04:44:51)

I don't agree with the posts that people are obese because it is self inflicted or they choose to be.

There are lots of cases where people are obese due to the health condition, so it is significantly harder for them to control the weight.

Before anyone asks, no I am not obese./unquote/

Harder, maybe, but not impossible!

/quote/

Just like everyone else I dislike to seat on the plane next to someone who is overweight or someone with hygiene problems; however it is still not ok to discriminate against them.

Sure enough the airlines could handle such cases better by having larger seats that are sold at a premium; then it would be fair for all the parties involved.

Charging a passenger for two seats does not sound like a fair solution. /unquote/

If someone has not learnt basic hygien, it is not my duty having to spend hours close to them. On the contrary, it is my right not having to be exposed to them. Their smell is their choice and asking them to leave or not allowing them to board, is not discrimination! One such person can in fact infect the whole cabin. Anyone remember when Britney Spears took off her shoes in the first class cabin and the FA had to ask her to put them back on because the smell from her feet became unbearable?

[neverdie]

What about all those who stretch the term "carry on" to the limit? One piece, 7kg or less that should fit the guage at check in is the rule. Has anyone ever seen anybody refused carry on?

I was checking in for a Singapore Airlines flight the other day and check in lady @ the next counter was giving a guy both barrels about his luggage weight, he was over on his checked in luggage and his cabin bag too......she sent him to go repack ? I thought &lt;deleted&gt;, 'Repack'.

Anyhowz, then my lady weighed my checked luggage at 19.8kg, labled it and sent it further along the belt before asking to weigh my handluggage which came in at 8.8kg & she just looked at me and smiled. Thing is, I couldnt repack anything in that handluggage as it was all too expensive to go underneath the plane & wondered what she was going to do with me if she had asked me to & I refused?

[manarak]

Easy answers on this one:

1- weight:

global weight per passenger. i.e. every passenger is weighted with his luggage.

Weight limit depends on ticket type (i.e. business has more allowance). For economy, I'd expect something around 100 Kg.

Excess weight is charged pro rata to the passenger (yes, it is allowed to pass bags to another person checking in).

Passengers can opt to buy second ticket to get an allowance of 200 Kg.

2- fat people:

It simply depends if they fit into a seat or not.

The world doesn't have to adapt itself to accomodate any size of waist.

The reasons for being fat are not interesting, it is simply not realistic to ask airlines to make sure they can seat persons that weigh 250 Kg and need an entire row.

--> If the check-in desk has a doubt about a person being able to sit in a seat, they should measure the hip and waistband. Over a certain defined limit, the passenger must buy a second seat. For some people the upgrade to business class would probably be cheaper (more weight allowance and more space).

There are your premium seats.

The reasons for being fat are not important - there is a reality that has to be dealt with.

I don't feel that making people pay for their weight and for the space they use is discriminatory. It is just reality.

Edited December 9, 2009 by manarak

[neverdie]

100kg is a bit low, I mean its not uncommon for westerners from my home country to weigh in around the 80kg mark, thats not excessively heavy for the average height of a male.

I agree that weight limits are a good thing, but lets be realistic here.

On the other hand imagine how much crap my gf can cart around under those rulz, especially because she weighs in at about 48kg.....and you know who has to lug her bags around, dont ya?

[manarak]

yes, so what?

80 Kg allows for 20 Kg luggage, and that's the current standard for eco class.

Maybe that would even allow for cheaper priced tickets?

You are not tired to subsidize the extra kerosene for heavyweights?

Plus, really no problem if your GF is 48 Kg - pass your luggage to her :-)

Edited December 9, 2009 by manarak

[neverdie]

^she doesnt follow me around on all my flights and if we're talking total weight, lets just say i weigh 83kg that morning and im wearing 2kg of clothes and have some loose change in my pockets after my laptop & hand luggage is weighed, my baggage weight is down to about 4 or 5kg, the bag itself weighs 2kg, im gonna be strutting around to meetings in the nud_e

Anyway, what about my mate whos 6'6 & 110kg, hes not fat just long and he might like to travel economy, hes deserving of extra charges because, why?

Edited December 9, 2009 by neverdie

[phetaroi]

I was checking in for a Singapore Airlines flight the other day and check in lady @ the next counter was giving a guy both barrels about his luggage weight, he was over on his checked in luggage and his cabin bag too......she sent him to go repack ? I thought &lt;deleted&gt;, 'Repack'.

This happened to me when I moved over here in May. The problem was not that my total baggage weight was too much, but that one bag was too heavy, while the other was way light (although, in the unusual case of moving here I had things one would not normally carrying on a plane, and had packed it in the best way for the safety of the things. "Go repack over there," the woman at the counter ordered. I said, "Can't I just pay the extra fee?" That annoyed her to no end, but in the end she capitulated.

[britmaveric]

Nothing like a photoshop photo putting all the usual suspects in a tizzy. If you think this is a real photo than I suspect you had one two many.

Edited December 10, 2009 by britmaveric

[mca]

Absolutely, or at least they should be required to travel in business class or first class where the seats are bigger. Unlike being tall or having a disability, being fat is usually a choice based on weak character, lack of discipline and poor eating habits. Southwest Airlines, which is essentially the Air Asia of America already has a policy in place requiring lard butts or purchase 2 seats. I think Southwest does give them a refund if the plane is not full. I'm willing to accept and live with the safety hazard they cause, but who wants some fat sweaty pig spilling over into your seating area.

Any other minorities that you hate?

Bobr hitting a bit close to home there kurnell?

183cm and 85kg. Would you like a photo?

Only if you're dressed as a gimp.

[mca]

Thank you for having done this research and posting it here. It confirms the adage "don't believe everything you read in the newspapers".

--

Maestro

Thai Visa Forum. Proud partners of The Nation.

[llso]

For sure, 100 percent. I was trapped between two of those huge blobs on the long haul between the US and Japan. I pleaded with the flight attendant to move me. Move me ANYWHERE else. No such luck. The plane was full. That was the most miserable flight I ever had. If the airlines can charge huge penalties for overweight luggage, they can certainly charge a grossly overweight body for two seats.

I feel your pain,

I was on a Flight from BKK to LAX many years ago in coach. in the very back seat that is up against the bathrooms, you know t heseat that reclines like 10 degrees. I was in the middle seat with one of these 400 pounders who was with his dragged up Thai wife and a small child. It was absolutely miserable and till this day one of the most horrific flights of my career. To add insult to injury the kid was sitting on the 400 lb. man's lap and drinking Orange Juice. The kid looked at me with that " What you going to do about it look" and poured Orange Juice in my Lap!. The guy then says" That's not nice ,don;t pour the Orange juice on that Man" I just sat there with my head down thinking is it worth going to prison for to flip out. Since I still had retained some sense of my sanity. I tried to get moved and even threatened the head flight attendant on American Airlines with a federal disability discrimination lawsuit if she didn't move me. She gave me her card and said go right ahead. I now fly business and pick my seat months in advance.

LL

[philliphn]

It is my opinion that a very large sized person who takes up more space than the seat allows should be obligated to buy another or larger sized seat.

I too have had the experience of being on an airplane and having to sit next to a very large sized person. This person not only took up all the space of his seat, but also took up a third of my seat. He was partly on top of me.

[tomwct]

Yes and I am a big guy, 100 kg's, 6'3", but I always buy a Business Class Seat for extra room and leg room!! I cannot fly squeezed in a small seat nor do I want anyone else to be squeezed!!! My wife weighs 45kg's so occasionally we will get a 2 seats together and that is okay for a short flight!!! Once, my wife and I got bumped from Business Class to Coach on China Airlines from BKK to Rome and we were miserable the whole flight!!! I never bothered to eat, but I was putting down the scotch and sodas as quickly as they gave them out!!! China Airlines have to have the smallest seats internationally in the world. I finally passed out 4 hours into the 10 hour flight!!!

[SaikoIsaan]

I think there should be "XL-seats" for obese people with premium pricing. I realize it might feel discriminating to them, but after having sat next to one on an international flight, I think it is fairer that the person who causes the inconvenience has to pay for it, rather than the unlucky person who sits next to him or her.

[toptuan]

If someone has not learnt basic hygien, it is not my duty having to spend hours close to them.

Naive little boy.

When you buy a ticket to travel on a public conveyance, you immediately lose certain rights--and one of them is the right to choose who will be allowed to sit next to you. Another is to choose what kind of air you will breathe.

Deal with it.

Edited December 12, 2009 by toptuan

[stevymac]

simple answer to this question................ YES if they fill 2 seats then surely they should pay for them no?

[cariden]

let's be fair the airlines have been using asians for their seat sizes for years.. make the seats reasonable for your customers.. no one is comfortable in those seats if you are over 5'8" and 140lbs. and no one is that size anymore..