Should airlines charge more for fat people?

Should airlines charge more for fat people? Say, an extra 0.5% for every pound over average man/wom

  • Yes, fatties should pay more.

    Votes: 20 87.0%
  • No, don't discriminate the rotund.

    Votes: 3 13.0%

  • Total voters
    23
They should also charge you more if you decide to bring your unruly children on the plane and have no interest in keeping them in line
But presumably the kids would be reimbursed for being a smaller size/weight, offsetting the unruly kid charge.
default_laugh.png
Kids on airplanes should be drugged, muzzled, and put into the cargo area
Could have said the same thing about my group of friends on our way back from Vegas. I just told the people I was sitting next to that I didn't know them and complained right along with them
default_laugh.png
The lesson we learned was to never drink at the airport, even Vegas.

 
As far as this question goes, if you struggle to fit in your seat, yes. Ive had more of a problem with no leg room then I do sitting next to fat people on airplanes. Being 6'3, I have to sit sideways most of the time just to be able to get my legs in. Can't imagine doing that and sitting next to a fat person. Knock on wood because Im going to Mexico in two weeks...

 
Let's not stop there, heck the fat guy/gal 4 rows ahead or behind me doesn't affect me at all. Howabout-

Charge set amounts for each cough or sneeze or fart. You are trapped in that tube with that air, I want to be reimbursed.

What about the foreigners with the funny (or disgusting) food odors on them? Charge them extra.

Stupid people should have to pay more just because they're stupid.

The people who bring two full size suitcases, board late, and have to stow them 14 rows behind their seats. (oops-already listed stupid people)

Charge the d!(k in the row ahead of you that leaves his shade up when the sun is beating in.

And let's not forget about the guy that stands in the aisle, arms above his head with stained armpits, blocking our view of the hottie in row 17.

There's a lot more problems on planes than fat people. Don't discriminate because the airlines want to sell 20% more seats than what their too little plane is designed to hold. Of course the freakishly fat (300 Lbs plus) should buy another seat. I'm not paying to have their jelly roll belly hanging into my seat.

 
Anyone else find it humorously coincidental that this thread appears the day after I post the Airline Fat Surcharge poll? LINK

 
As someone who flies fairly frequently, HELL YES!!!!

I'm sorry if it offends someone. But, when you sit by someone who obviously can not fit into one seat, it is miserable.

If you don't give a flying rip about how fat you are in every day life, then there are from time to time going to be down sides to that. You had the benefit of eating double whoppers with mega sized fries and a gallon of coke for the last 20 years, so.....now you need to pay for taking up so much space.

I don't care if it is by weight or by how many inches wide your a$$ is.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Not for the fuel cost. The annoying factor is a different issue, but there are lots of other kinds of annoying and so those people should have to be charged too.

A 50-pound passenger plane weighs around 50,000 pounds including the passenger weight (according to google search). Let's pretend all 50 people are 200 pound men and the average ticket is $300. Being 350 pounds instead of 200 means you're adding 150 extra pounds to the plane, which is 0.3% of the weight of the plane. So if this 350 pound person is gonna pay for their fair share of the fuel, they would be paying $300.90 and the other 49 would be each be paying $299.98. Not really worth fretting about
default_tongue.png
. I suppose if you add the extra weight that their larger clothes weigh, their proper payment might be $301.00 instead. If you add a "wear and tear" fee for when the tires hit the runway and for the seat cushion, that might be another 3 cents. Just guessing on that one, though.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Not for the fuel cost. The annoying factor is a different issue, but there are lots of other kinds of annoying and so those people should have to be charged too.

A 50-pound passenger plane weighs around 50,000 pounds including the passenger weight (according to google search). Let's pretend all 50 people are 200 pound men and the average ticket is $300. Being 350 pounds instead of 200 means you're adding 150 extra pounds to the plane, which is 0.3% of the weight of the plane. So if this 350 pound person is gonna pay for their fair share of the fuel, they would be paying $300.90 and the other 49 would be each be paying $299.98. Not really worth fretting about
default_tongue.png
. I suppose if you add the extra weight that their larger clothes weigh, their proper payment might be $301.00 instead. If you add a "wear and tear" fee for when the tires hit the runway and for the seat cushion, that might be another 3 cents. Just guessing on that one, though.
Not so sure about your math, Moiraine. I don't think you'd include the weight of the plane itself in the denominator. The plane weight does not pay revenue--only the payload. If the payload was 10,000 lbs, that would take it up to 1.5%. Still considerably less than 1% per pound over avg weight though. So I guess we'll just call the extra amount a "punitive" fat-fee.
default_laugh.png


 
Not for the fuel cost. The annoying factor is a different issue, but there are lots of other kinds of annoying and so those people should have to be charged too.

A 50-pound passenger plane weighs around 50,000 pounds including the passenger weight (according to google search). Let's pretend all 50 people are 200 pound men and the average ticket is $300. Being 350 pounds instead of 200 means you're adding 150 extra pounds to the plane, which is 0.3% of the weight of the plane. So if this 350 pound person is gonna pay for their fair share of the fuel, they would be paying $300.90 and the other 49 would be each be paying $299.98. Not really worth fretting about
default_tongue.png
. I suppose if you add the extra weight that their larger clothes weigh, their proper payment might be $301.00 instead. If you add a "wear and tear" fee for when the tires hit the runway and for the seat cushion, that might be another 3 cents. Just guessing on that one, though.
Not so sure about your math, Moiraine. I don't think you'd include the weight of the plane itself in the denominator. The plane weight does not pay revenue--only the payload. If the payload was 10,000 lbs, that would take it up to 1.5%. Still considerably less than 1% per pound over avg weight though. So I guess we'll just call the extra amount a "punitive" fat-fee.
default_laugh.png
Hmm. Ya you're right
default_tongue.png
. I should've added the plane weight to the numerator too.

Each of the 49 200 pound guys is paying for 800 pounds of plane and 200 pounds of human

The 350 pound guy is paying for 800 pounds of plane and 350 pounds of human.

(800+200)/50,150 (new weight of my made up plane) = 2.00% of fuel cost

(800+350)/50,150 = 2.30% of fuel cost

$300*50 = $15,000

$15,000 * .023 = $345

Which means the 200 pound dudes would be paying $299.08 each.

I've changed my mind!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just charge by the pound and have us all spitting all week long like high school wrestlers trying to make weight

 
As far as this question goes, if you struggle to fit in your seat, yes. Ive had more of a problem with no leg room then I do sitting next to fat people on airplanes. Being 6'3, I have to sit sideways most of the time just to be able to get my legs in. Can't imagine doing that and sitting next to a fat person. Knock on wood because Im going to Mexico in two weeks...
I feel your pain 6'3" brother. I had an overseas flight that lasted about 10 hours. Luckily I had an aisle seat and could get up out of my seat as often as I could. When I had a hour and a half flight in the middle seat and couldn't move with no leg room, I about died. My legs don't take kindly to not being stretched out.

 
Back
Top