Airfares

[Lickey]

Anybody here thinks that airfares should be based on weight? same as a postal service,

observations please,

Thanks,

[endure]

So what happens if you go on a diet between the time you book your flight and the time you fly? Do you get a refund?

[londonthai]

no, airfare should be based on somebodies ability to pay for it - to some extend it's already done by business and the first class passengers.

ideally there should be seats for those, who can't pay, but have to fly

[proximity]

Nobody has to fly.

[BLUEEYEDTHAI]

no, airfare should be based on somebodies ability to pay for it - to some extend it's already done by business and the first class passengers.

ideally there should be seats for those, who can't pay, but have to fly

Oh,I get it,part of the new world order right? Wealth re-distribution.Sigh...

[neverdie]

no, airfare should be based on somebodies ability to pay for it - to some extend it's already done by business and the first class passengers.

ideally there should be seats for those, who can't pay, but have to fly

Ohhh great, more socialism. Get real

[rfukata]

The airline industry is more inclined to do so, however the passenger rights appear to protect this. Sooner or later, a challenge will be initiated and the weight issue in my view will most likely prevail as the economic hard times near.

Some airlines already impose supplementary charges such as, luggage, meals, blanket-pillow, carry on bags, and I think the restroom, so the weight issue will most likely be the next new charge for passengers.

[talk2sam]

I can see the curfew is driving alot of people crazy now, It will soon be over guys, so You wont have time to think of stuffs.

[wasagabob]

You Americans see socialism under every free pillow don't you??? Joe McCarthy will never die will he ?

A super fat person should pay extra ... I read one airline got taken to court and lost. It was charging super fat people for one and one half seats even though their fat asses were taking up TWO seats. The fatties complained about being discriminated against and they actually won .... now the fatties get 2 seats for the price of one ... wish i could get that deal. They can bring on board 150 or 200 kgs of fat but if I am 1 kg over in my luggage I get fined.

[SeanMoran]

In the interim, there's a really neato way to keep your baggage down to 7kg, especially when all the airports and buses and taxis are air-conditioned. Firstly, wear three pairs of jocks and socks, two pairs of jeans, t-shirt and two polo shirts under a nice big jacket with lots of pockets. Then just stuff as much as you can into those pockets of your jacket and you can get around 5kg of baggage on the plane for free, because they don't charge passengers by the kilo.

Another goodie is to stuff as much as you can in your laptop bag because they don't weigh laptops either. A laptop is a laptop is a laptop - separate to the 7kg carryon baggage because only us rich people have laptops anyway, so that's another rort that one should make sure to take advantage of while you still can.

[Nignoy]

In the interim, there's a really neato way to keep your baggage down to 7kg, especially when all the airports and buses and taxis are air-conditioned. Firstly, wear three pairs of jocks and socks, two pairs of jeans, t-shirt and two polo shirts under a nice big jacket with lots of pockets. Then just stuff as much as you can into those pockets of your jacket and you can get around 5kg of baggage on the plane for free, because they don't charge passengers by the kilo.

Another goodie is to stuff as much as you can in your laptop bag because they don't weigh laptops either. A laptop is a laptop is a laptop - separate to the 7kg carryon baggage because only us rich people have laptops anyway, so that's another rort that one should make sure to take advantage of while you still can.

Can I have some of the stuff you are smokin!!

[apetley]

Telling the wife that her fare is based on her own weight may be a good way of getting her to diet!

[doggie888888]

How can they determine what weight to apply beyond which a passenger is charged extra? 80kg, 90kg, 100kg???

What about a short person weighing 80 kg (who is considered fat) vs a taller person weighing 80kg (who is considered average)? Wouldn't some races have an advantage eg pygmies? Or is it purely subjective based on appearances i.e. if you look fat, the extra fee applies?

And if you open the door for discrimination against fat persons, who is to say the next to be charged extra wouldn't be Americans (cos they eat more) or older persons (cos they might get sick and die mid flight) or incontinent persons (cos they will hog the toilets) or passengers with kids (cos they need more entertainment) or low IQ people (cos they can't understand instructions and need extra attention) or alcoholics (cos they drink more) etc etc etc etc. Geez, the airlines would charge more if they could, for simply providing oxygen to breathe in the cabin.

AS it stands now, I find it ridiculous that airlines are not mandated to quote an all up fare but instead allowed to charge basic fare PLUS checked in bags PLUS taxes PLUS fuel surcharges PLUS food PLUS drink PLUS entertainment PLUS fee to book on internet and pay by c/card PLUS etc etc etc. Air Asia is a prime culprit when it comes to hidden charges.

[alant]

How can they determine what weight to apply beyond which a passenger is charged extra? 80kg, 90kg, 100kg???

What about a short person weighing 80 kg (who is considered fat) vs a taller person weighing 80kg (who is considered average)? Wouldn't some races have an advantage eg pygmies? Or is it purely subjective based on appearances i.e. if you look fat, the extra fee applies?

And if you open the door for discrimination against fat persons, who is to say the next to be charged extra wouldn't be Americans (cos they eat more) or older persons (cos they might get sick and die mid flight) or incontinent persons (cos they will hog the toilets) or passengers with kids (cos they need more entertainment) or low IQ people (cos they can't understand instructions and need extra attention) or alcoholics (cos they drink more) etc etc etc etc. Geez, the airlines would charge more if they could, for simply providing oxygen to breathe in the cabin.

AS it stands now, I find it ridiculous that airlines are not mandated to quote an all up fare but instead allowed to charge basic fare PLUS checked in bags PLUS taxes PLUS fuel surcharges PLUS food PLUS drink PLUS entertainment PLUS fee to book on internet and pay by c/card PLUS etc etc etc. Air Asia is a prime culprit when it comes to hidden charges.

too logical for me although some of your reasoning is flawed I feel for the following reasons;

if Americans are eating it usually keeps them quiet, if it doesnt then charge them more

older people that die no longer require food and drink, they do not need to be rescued in an emergency and unless it is a long flight, are unlikely to get ripe whilst airborn contrary to your catagory of incontinent persons who may become rather ripe if unable to hog the bog.

i think that when it comes to kids they should be locked in the hold and on that basis they should be charged by weight.

[Semper]

Telling the wife that her fare is based on her own weight may be a good way of getting her to diet!

I will try this next time.

[monkeyofdoom]

A well known family travel agency in Denmark tried this about 5 years back. All the fat people got really mad about it.

I think it is fair to pay by weight. The more the plane weighs the more fuel it burns. But the weight should be of the traveller and all luggage and carry-on items to be really fair.

[bkk_mike]

I'm not so fat (yet) that I need a second seat, but if they were ever to ask for more money because of how much I weigh, I'd want more leg room and a bigger meal, and larger drinks as well (everything in proportion).

As for the guy who said people should pay based on their ability to pay: Communism lost - get over it... The airlines will always try to sell seats for as much as they can to maximise their income from the flight.

I think the US introduced a rule where they said if you needed a second seat belt extender (I've never needed one, let alone a second) - then you had to pay for a second seat (unless there was already an empty seat next to you).

[bkk_mike]

I'm not so fat (yet) that I need a second seat, but if they were ever to ask for more money because of how much I weigh, I'd want more leg room and a bigger meal, and larger drinks as well (everything in proportion).

As for the guy who said people should pay based on their ability to pay: Communism lost - get over it...

I think some airlines in the US introduced a rule where they said if you needed a second seat belt extender (I'd never even heard of them before...) - then you had to pay for a second seat.

But it's never going to be a law (rather than an airline guideline). The main issue is it could be seen in some ways as racist (anti Samoan !!), which would mean it would never survive the courts. (Thailand could be a different matter obviously - after all, double-pricing based on ethnicity already seems to be legal here)

Edited May 30, 2010 by bkk_mike

[Ibby]

You Americans see socialism under every free pillow don't you??? Joe McCarthy will never die will he ?

A super fat person should pay extra ... I read one airline got taken to court and lost. It was charging super fat people for one and one half seats even though their fat asses were taking up TWO seats. The fatties complained about being discriminated against and they actually won .... now the fatties get 2 seats for the price of one ... wish i could get that deal. They can bring on board 150 or 200 kgs of fat but if I am 1 kg over in my luggage I get fined.

I'm in total agreement. My husband and i have a combined weight of 106 kilos. I think customers below a certain weight should be permitted extra baggage for free. The heavier the aircraft, the more fuel consumed. Surely there should be some incentive/reward to those who assist airlines to fly more cheaply. Also it is very annoying when squeezed between 2 larger than life passengers both spilling over into my space leaving me unable to move or breathe. Why should i pay the same as them?

[frankthetank]

I'm in total agreement. My husband and i have a combined weight of 106 kilos. I think customers below a certain weight should be permitted extra baggage for free. The heavier the aircraft, the more fuel consumed. Surely there should be some incentive/reward to those who assist airlines to fly more cheaply. Also it is very annoying when squeezed between 2 larger than life passengers both spilling over into my space leaving me unable to move or breathe. Why should i pay the same as them?

At least you would not need any pillows!

[mamanoodle]

Why should overweight passengers be entitled to half of your seat space when they have paid the same as you have, and as a previous poster pointed out you get penalised for 1kg extra baggage, if someone does not fit in a standard size seat they should have to pay for extra seat space instead of freeloading into others!!

[bunple]

... too right fat people should pay more, the fuel needed to shift some fat arse 20stone for 12 hours is a lot more than some sleek (like me) well toned 12stone, also while we on the fat crusade I don't see why my jackets, shirts and trousers cost the same when there's only half the material. If somebody wants to consume vast amounts of food then why should i pay for his air fuel and his clothes, next you'll be telling me I have to pay towards his car petrol as well.

[ozzieovaseas]

Simple solution: All the fat cats should be banned from economy travel and forced to buy first call seats.

After all, if they cant fit into a regular seat, then they need the extra spacing of first class, right?

OOPs, come to think of it, the only people ive ever seen in first class are fat cats

[bunple]

...and while I'm waiting for the oven to get hot, who are these f@cking people that get on airplanes with sooooooooo much hand luggage that they need 2 or 3 overhead bins, one trip I was on the girl in front had such a heavy case that she couldn't even lift it.

They should all be made to get on the scales with there "hand" luggage and pay accordingly.