Should overweight passengers pay extra to fly?
Yesterday United Airlines announced that overweight passengers — those who who can’t fit in a single seat, can’t properly buckle the seat belt, or can’t bring the armrest all the way down when seated — would face new travel guidelines, some with an additional cost attached.
The airline could move such a passenger to two adjacent seats (when available). The passenger could sit there free of charge. But if two seats together aren’t available, the passenger would be required to purchase a second seat, or pay to upgrade their seat (or cancel for a full refund). Read the full story here in the Chicago Sun-Times.
No matter what your size, you don’t want to spend a long flight being uncomfortable. But is it fair to ask someone to pay fully twice the price of their ticket? If I were riding on a plane with an overweight passenger, I would try to switch my seat so they didn’t have to pay extra.
Do you think it’s fair to ask overweight passengers to pay for a second seat?
Photo: iStockphoto.com
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© 2009 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
186 comments Add your comment
Gunter Sharp
April 16th, 2009
10:18 am
Yes, it’s only fair. If an overweight passenger prevents the person in the adjacent seat from being able to comfortably use that seat, then the overweight person is taking away from what the other passenger paid for.
Drew
April 16th, 2009
10:22 am
I think it’s fair, yes. I agree that if I could help the obese passenger by moving MY seat, I would but frankly I haven’t been on many flights where there were numerous seats available where I could exercise that option. We pay to have a seat on a plane. We basically rent the seat and the space for the duration of the flight. If the fat rolls on a particular person are so large that they interfere with my comfort and safety, then they should absolutely be required to buy a bigger seat.
Willie G
April 16th, 2009
10:30 am
YES charge the MORE.
Paige
April 16th, 2009
10:38 am
I don’t mind being squished against the window or shoved into the aisle a bit by an overweight passenger. To be fair, that’s happened to me only three times in many, many flights. It’s the screaming kids (on almost every flight) that drive me up the wall.
Stephen J
April 16th, 2009
10:40 am
As it should be! I only hope Delta follows suit. As a frequent Delta flyer I have endured too many uncomforatable flights when the person sitting beside me spilled over in to my seat (sweat and all). If you require the space of two seats, you should pay for two seats.
wannabe
April 16th, 2009
10:47 am
I agree, they should pay more. We all pay for/rent a seat and expect reasonable comfort. I don’t expect not to rub shoulders/arms occasionaly, but no way should anyone be subjected to someone elses gurth literally laying on you for a flight. It is also unsafe if anything were to happen on the flight and it just isn’t right. It should be handled in a way to preserve there dignity as much as possible but it is what it is. You have to pay extra for oversized luggage that sits next to luggage for pete’s sake, absolutely a person that ways considerably more, takes up the space of two or more people should be expected to pay up.
YANCYVB
April 16th, 2009
10:56 am
wannabe
It’s their and weighs.
TC
April 16th, 2009
10:59 am
So you going to ask the NFL players to pay twice as much when they travel?
Holy Macaroni
April 16th, 2009
11:07 am
Yes – without a question. If you take up 2 seats, you pay for 2 seats.
iamKathi
April 16th, 2009
11:27 am
As a frequent flyer and a larger person I was on the side of I pay for my ticket and I fit in the seat so leave me alone. But, on a recent flight from LAX I had an empty seat next to me and hoped it remained so. But… I saw him coming down the aisle, the biggest man I have ever seen on a plane and I just knew he was coming to sit on/by me. I fit in my seat and I can fasten the seat belt but he couldn’t. He was by the window and took up his seat and half of mine. He had his own seat belt extender. the arm rest wouldn’t go down. He should have paid for 2 seats.