United Air To Charge Obese Fliers Twice

[Lil Red]

+J.M.J.+
AFAIK, Delta and Southwest already do this:
[url="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ajtmQ7v86kyg&refer=home"]http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...&refer=home[/url]
[quote]United Airlines, the third-largest U.S. carrier, may force some obese travelers to buy a second seat when flights are full and other passengers complain about being cramped.

United passengers previously “had to share their seat with the oversized guest” on full planes, Urbanski said. Chicago- based United acted after receiving “hundreds” of public complaints each year, she said.

Urbanski said obese passengers on United will be reassigned to a pair of empty seats and won’t be charged for an extra ticket on flights that aren’t full. Travelers must be able to put the arm rest between seats down to its normal position and buckle a seat belt with one extension belt, she said.[/quote]
note: not the full article.

[Apotheoun]

Hmm.

[eagle_eye222001]

Duh.

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[Groo the Wanderer]

Fine with me. Heck, if I were so large as to require two seats, I would be buying them anyway. Those airline seats aren't exactly roomy to begin with.

They are selling the seats. If you take up two, you should pay for two.

now...if there is any empty row you could move to, you should be refunded the second seat.

[RandomProddy]

Brilliant. The fact is that heavier planes burn more fuel.

Mind you, I am thin and travel light

[dominicansoul]

i think it is only fair....have you ever sat by a really large person on the plane who was desperately trying to fit into the single seat, but couldn't? And they kept sitting on your arm or your shoulder kinda got caught behind them, and you are desperately trying to make room for yourself, but couldn't? It's kinda awkward and all...I mean your touching them in in those places that strangers shouldnt' be touching...you kinda get trapped in the squeeshiness of it all.....

[IcePrincessKRS]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' post='1837578' date='Apr 16 2009, 06:29 PM']Fine with me. Heck, if I were so large as to require two seats, I would be buying them anyway. Those airline seats aren't exactly roomy to begin with.

They are selling the seats. If you take up two, you should pay for two.

now...if there is any empty row you could move to, you should be refunded the second seat.[/quote]

I tend to agree. I don't want to sound like I'm looking down on overweight people, but if I have to pay $100+ bucks for an newborn infant that sits on my lap there should be some sort of charge for people taking up two seats on a full plane. It just makes sense.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='dominicansoul' post='1837712' date='Apr 16 2009, 05:04 PM']i think it is only fair....have you ever sat by a really large person on the plane who was desperately trying to fit into the single seat, but couldn't? And they kept sitting on your arm or your shoulder kinda got caught behind them, and you are desperately trying to make room for yourself, but couldn't? It's kinda awkward and all...I mean your touching them in in those places that strangers shouldnt' be touching...you kinda get trapped in the squeeshiness of it all.....[/quote]
Yes, that can be extremely uncomfortable, both physically and socially.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='IcePrincessKRS' post='1837713' date='Apr 16 2009, 05:05 PM']I tend to agree. I don't want to sound like I'm looking down on overweight people, but if I have to pay $100+ bucks for an newborn infant that sits on my lap there should be some sort of charge for people taking up two seats on a full plane. It just makes sense.[/quote]
+J.M.J.+
srsly?? that's crazy!

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='IcePrincessKRS' post='1837713' date='Apr 16 2009, 05:05 PM']I tend to agree. I don't want to sound like I'm looking down on overweight people, but if I have to pay $100+ bucks for an newborn infant that sits on my lap there should be some sort of charge for people taking up two seats on a full plane. It just makes sense.[/quote]
Sometimes an extremely obese person takes up one whole seat and part of two others (i.e., when they sit in the middle seat). It can be very uncomfortable.

[IcePrincessKRS]

[quote name='Lil Red' post='1837720' date='Apr 16 2009, 08:07 PM']+J.M.J.+
srsly?? that's crazy![/quote]

Yup, when you fly with a child who sits on your lap you still have to pay some sort of fee to cover their weight and luggage (we were allowed an extra piece of luggage for the infant). I think it was around $130 when we were coming to and from Korea. We haven't flown with the kids within the continental US so I'm not sure how those fees work out.

[Madame Vengier]

I'm totally in favor of it. Airlines make their money selling SEATS. If someone has to occupy two seats--for any reason--they should pay for it. It's a business, not a charity.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Madame Vengier' post='1837737' date='Apr 16 2009, 05:16 PM']I'm totally in favor of it. Airlines make their money selling SEATS. If someone has to occupy two seats--for any reason--they should pay for it. It's a business, not a charity.[/quote]
I agree.

[dominicansoul]

i think it is a wise thing to do, seeing that airplanes need to moderate how much weight is on a plane, if one overly huge person is occupying one seat, it really does not account to the estimation of the weight that is actually on that flight...

this way, one fat person sitting on two or even three seats will be counted as two or three persons...

no fear of overloading the plane and weighing it down...

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='dominicansoul' post='1837748' date='Apr 16 2009, 07:23 PM']i think it is a wise thing to do, seeing that airplanes need to moderate how much weight is on a plane, if one overly huge person is occupying one seat, it really does not account to the estimation of the weight that is actually on that flight...

this way, one fat person sitting on two or even three seats will be counted as two or three persons...

no fear of overloading the plane and weighing it down...[/quote]
I wish it worked the other way and my children (one of whom weighs less than 90 lbs, two of whom hover around 50 lbs) only had to pay half. <sigh>

[CatherineM]

Canadian airlines are required to give an obese person a second seat for free. They had a lawsuit go all the way to the Supreme Court, and obese people in Canada are deemed to have a disability and can not be discriminated against.

By the way, I assure you that the cramped seats caused by an obese person are every bit as uncomfortable for the obese person, who in addition to being uncomfortable physically, is also subjected to the embarrassment of having to ask for a seat belt extender, and sometimes subjected to verbal abuse from the crew and other passengers.

And yes, they should just lose weight, and until then, they should stay at home, not travel or inconvenience more normal (and therefore more acceptable) people by their presence.

[dUSt]

I think we need to bring back rail travel in the United States.

[Nihil Obstat]

The airline should charge them to rent corsets for the duration of the flight.

[ardillacid]

[quote name='dUSt' post='1837797' date='Apr 16 2009, 07:59 PM']I think we need to bring back rail travel in the United States.[/quote]
Why? Travelling by river is much more economical

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='notardillacid' post='1838164' date='Apr 16 2009, 11:27 PM']Why? Travelling by river is much more economical[/quote]
Rivers only go in one direction.