Travel plan idea blog

If airlines are charging for checked bags then the weight of passengers should also be taken into account... why should a 120 pound person have to pay for a bag that weighs 20 pounds to be checked when a 220 pound passenger who doesn't check luggage doesn't have to pay any extra??? Healthy fit people who do not guzzle soda and eat fast food should not be penalized for the laziness of overweight or obese passengers! And furthermore, if you cannot comfortably fit in an airline seat without your fat spilling onto the seat next to you, then you should be forced to buy 2 seats

As a lightweight, I'm all for it. I should either get a discount or more weight for my luggage. I paid the airline to transport me + whatever the luggage allowance is. I pay just as much as the morbidly obese middle-aged guy who always sits next to me on long-haul flights (who by the way, takes up half of my seat too thank you very much) but I'm costing the airline a hell of a lot less. Transporting three of me would take the same amount of fuel as one of the guy I was wedged in next to on the last flight!

I really think they should set a sliding scale based on weight transported that you can change easily in the airport. Say you get 200 lbs standard and you can top up the weight by however much you need.

Funny story, I was checking in for a Ryanair flight - they only give you 15 kilograms in your checked bag. The girl in front of me was having trouble because her bag was like 5k overweight. I don't know what she said, but she pointed to the larger person in the next line over and shrugged. The woman at the desk too the bag and didn't charge her extra. Rightly so.

Its not discriminatory, its based on mathematics. The postal service charges more to ship heavy things because it costs more to ship heavy things. Why shouldn't people shipping companies do the same?

are you nucking futs?? it's really come to this?? get a grip.

Should airlines charge higher prices for passengers who continually drink alchohol while on board? Of course not--these airlines make money on these groups of individuals. Did the airline take into consideration how many more times passengers who purchase alcohol use the bathroom (water, etc.)? Are these individuals getting charged each time they use rest room facilities? Charging by weight is such an embarrassment to all Americans. The Europeans can't believe airline executives who get paid high dollars voted to even consider it! We continue to be a laughing stock in politics and now the airline industry.

I am overweight, not because I am lazy but because I cannot walk due to a spinal disease.
I would love to pay an extra fee to fly, I would love it if they can accomodate me in a comfortable economy seat. I now pay for business class at average of $6000 a flight, gee if I could fly in economy I guess all of that revenue they get in business class with have to be distributed among all those economy passengers. Before you make assumptions that all overweight people are lazy ( I have a bachelors degree and make $250,000 a year) and I might add I really dislike little 140 pound men with ignorant prejudices.

Hold on Sandra. I'm the little 140 pound guy and I'd like to know what 'ignorant prejudices' you're accusing me of.

And what does being educated have to do with laziness? Now that I think about it, why bring up the topic of laziness in the first place? It has nothing to do with what I wrote.

To add to the laziness comment. Not all fat people drink soda and eat fast food either. I work out with a a trainer, and all my numbers are good on my tests with my doctor, but I am overweight so go figure. Fat people do go from A-Z. I believe that there are people who should purchase 2 seats when it is obvious that they can not fit in one seat. A woman at work was denied her seat on a plane due to her size, but her butt takes up two seats. She is small everywhere else so the extreme butt looks like a deformity. Anyway, I think the airline would lose money and some of the airlines already have empty flights. I just got a ticket for $173, nonstop from TX to SF so they just want a warm body. Plus, they would lose money on the little kids and very skinny people. Just think, a family with 8 kids would fly for next to nothing, and gas is too high to have a bunch of light weights on the plane. Also someone or pro fat people group would file a discrimination suit on them.

You know, I don't even know why we're talking about fatness. I wish I were 40 pounds heavier and I'm working on it. I exercise, eat lots of good quality calories, take creatine and protein shakes, etc.

When I get to 180 pounds I won't be any fatter than I am now. The plan is to just have bigger muscles.

Should a 180 pound body builder pay more or less than a 180 pound fat person? Of course not. Should a 180 pound person pay more than a 140 pound person? That's the question - it really has nothing to do with fatness as far as I can tell.

Like I said, it's hard to imagine 40 pounds having a real impact on the airline because planes are friggin heavy. But that lifevest story says that maybe a few pounds do make a difference so I ask the question.

Gee Lisa ! I'm 6'2" & about 250 lbs. I hardly guzzle soda - let alone even drink it . I don't stuff my face with fast food, because it's unhealthy and find most of it to be disgusting.I have a physical job, so rule out the laziness.

Oh !! But I did destroy my ankle in a work accident a few years back. I guess thats where the extra pounds came from. I haven't been able to run in 9 years because of the extent of the injuries. I almost lost my foot. So I guess that means I'm a fat slob and it's my fault ?

I agree with Bill! This is nucking futs! It's the airlines who created this mess with packing people in and on top of each other in the first place. How about a few less seats and a few less passengers to save on weight and extend comfort levels for all. That I would gladly pay extra for. Maybe their overcrowding of the flights is a cause of overweight planes ? The airlines got greedy, start packing people in like cattle. Now they want you to pay for the extra weight?

Puleeeeeeeze !!!!

I have travelled and lived in many countries around the world. I came to live in America 2 years ago and am still amazed every day by how many overweight people there are here - I had NEVER seen anything like it in my life before I came to the US. The quality and QUANTITY of food that people eat here astounds me! I have family at home that also cannot exercise due to medical conditions, yet they are NOT overweight. I have a friend in a wheelchair who was overweight before he was injured. He is not overweight now even though he cannot use his legs. He changed what and how much he ate and says he is healthier today than he was before his accident. I hear overweight Americans say things like "I wish I could go on The Biggest Loser then I would lose weight..." Come on - you don't need a TV program for this, just do it yourself! It seems acceptable in the US to be overweight! Why let yourself get to that point in the first place? You are what and how much you eat. You are not born obese or overweight. I stand by my comment: If airlines are going to charge to check luggage then they should charge on the overall weight of the person plus the luggage they check or carry-on. (using a height/weight ratio medical standard)

So Lisa, tall people weigh more than short people. Is that their fault ? So by your standards they should also pay more ? At my height, I am big person at any weight. Not my fault. Ever hear of genetics ? Or do you have an answer for that also ? Your in some mindset that all big people are a bunch of slobs. Some are, most aren't.

Seeing now that you aren't even American, it is obvious that you see our country as a bunch of overweight pigs ! Where you from ? I would like to blame my genetics on the German / Eastern European side of the family. They are all tall big people that came from somewhere else. Your reasoning is wrong and stereotypical. You talk about the show the " Biggest Loser " - sorry but your talking like one. You don't like the insult ? Think before you speak. Your quite good at it yourself.

I must go find a place and purge myself, so that I will be acceptable enough to sit next to you !
God Bless You !

Until ALL of you STOP putting VALUE JUDGEMENTS on a unit of measure: POUNDS there will be no serious discussion but rather verbal crap!

The entire (developed) world is quantified by weights & measures. It is emperical data; nothing more; nothing less.

Yes, a "baseline" seat charge could work with a weight (notice not:FAT) multiplier. Arbitrary? Far from it. It's all about power to weight (again not: FAT) ratios & inertia. To the "lightweights": get off of the prejorative slights towards the FATTIES. Likewise to those whose self-perception is that of "FAT"; that's YOUR issue - keep it that way. Happy trails & one butt; one seat; one ticket: violate any of the above - YOU BUY A 2ND TICKET...OR WALK.

btw: SORRY FOR THE BAD SPELLING!

I really feel that this whole discussion is absolutely ignorant.

To the original post and those in support:

If you can't afford to fly, don't bitch about it - just don't fly. If you can afford to fly, do so at your leisure.

If you fly for work, they'll reimburse you. If they don't, perhaps you should find a new job that does. Whether you're fat or skinny, wealthy or poor, if you can afford it, fine. If you can't afford it, drive a car, take a boat, or get a nice pair of walking shoes. There are plenty of options depending on your personal preference.

There's no point in nit-picking an issue to death like this and only because you feel entitled to something extra. Just because you're skinny or because you're fat, wealthy or poor, you're not entitled a damned thing more than I or the next person is. Get used to it, deal with it, and quit bitching. The world owes all of us absolutely nothing and we all need to learn to quit living beyond our means.

If you truly had the cash to drop on flying at your leisure we wouldn't hear any bitching now would we?

C. Marz, you obviously mis-read my last comment, I said "using a height/weight medical ratio". This means if you are taller then obviously you will weigh more....

The latest world obesity rates show America leading by a long shot... go figure.

C. Marz, you obviously mis-read my last comment, I said "using a height/weight medical ratio". This means if you are taller then obviously you will weigh more....

The latest world obesity rates show America leading by a long shot... go figure.

CReid - People bitch no matter what. Rich people, poor people, fat people, skinny people, muscular people, etc. That may not address the main point of your post, but I haven't figured out exactly what the sense of entitlement has to do with anything.

Paul - thank you for trying to remind everyone what the topic is! Sadly I doubt your effort will work but I certainly do appreciate it!

There are definitely some emotions motivating parts of this conversation, which is understandable. I'll try to add my thoughts in answer to what I can, and to try to convey the thoughts in a way anyone can relate to.

In a car, you get better gas mileage with just the one passenger. Add a 150 pound person, and the mileage will go down. On an airplane, the same physics apply. Now, obviously, even with an empty plane, they're using fuel. But fuel efficiency is affected by the total number of pounds of passengers on the plane.

Now, the child who weighs 60 pounds is going to have far less of an impact on the fuel efficiency than the 200 pound adult. And when one passenger weighs 240 pounds while two other passengers weigh only 120 each... it seems to me that the one heavy person is costing the airline just as much as two other people.

So basically, it seems to me that a cost per pound makes sense and is fair. Sure, a tall person is responsible for their own height, but neither is the short skinny guy next to them... why should the tiny person pay for the large person?

It's not a punishment for tall or fat people... it's a fair distribution of cost.

** Lisa ** I'm sorry if I offended you . But I do not subscribe to your point of view. I just don't believe it is fair the way you went about your thoughts on the subject. If somebody is that obese, yes they should pay the extra fare. I believe it is fair to say it doesn't matter what any of us think. The airlines will do whatever they want in the end. But please don't take my sarcasm toward your position personal. Everybody has a right to their opinion. As long as we agree that we can disagree.

What I truly believe is that the airlines created the cheapy - cheapy - no frills business they have become. Now they can't afford it. I just don't like to hear all their lame excuses for these fees. Just raise the darn fares already for everyone. That is fair in my opinion. And if it becomes too expensive for some, than I believe I agree with CReid.

Peace to everbody

There was a time when airlines did care about body weight. They hired stewardesses and actually discussed weighing breasts separately. At the time I believe this had to do with keeping the selection of stewardesses to particular types... You may recall that they hired almost exclusively from the south. (or you may not, this was a long time ago)

These days it's unlikely that this would occur... and if it did, it would be along the lines of the baggage charge. $25 was suggested for an overweight bag on a recent flight. If that's the case then the cost for different total weight (passenger + baggage) would probably be similar. I'd suggest that plane tickets probably differ at least that much between those of us who book flights today anyway.

Remember that "There was a time when airlines did care about body weight" - Also, remember that there was a time in American history where 2/3 of the population wasn't classified as 'overweight.'

In my opinion, I think the general concensus for all flyers may be to have a standard fare for standard passengers. It would be ridiculous to base the fares entirely on just weight (i.e half price tickets for children is absurd) but anything beyond a 'normal' should be compensated for. Yes, there is something considered within healthy parameters regarding the height/weight ratio but height doesnt really offend anyone on a plane, nor is it an epidemic. (Hahaha.. invasion of the tall folks!! j/k)

Seriously, when obese people SPILL into your personal space, how many of you can honest say that it's not offensive?? Their bodies take up physical space that YOU paid for, not to mention that a majority of them have a heightened.. body odor. C'mon, we're not paying for stow-a-way space on an immigrant ship, now are we?

And yes, on most part, even if you've been in a horrible accident, it is YOUR fault you became fat. No one force fed you into oblivion. No one told you to live as a lethargic oaf. YOU chose to continue a similar caloric intake and not make up for it with some sort of exercise so that extra weight is YOUR fault. Deal with it. Stop expecting pity because you can't see your own toes.

Amongst other body parts..