"Southwest will charge large fliers extra fare" - What is your opinion? (1 Viewer)

[John Miles]

Hi, Christopher --

We may not be a very tolerant society, but we seem to be much less forgiving when things start affecting us directly, like being crowded in our own seats. Is this fair?

The reason I took exception to Janna's heart-wrenching post was that all of the characteristics she listed are either legitimate medical disabilities of a usually-involuntary nature, or ethnic/cultural traits that are already protected by either Federal law or (one would hope) common decency.
Whose heart is bleeding for me when I'm trapped in that center seat between two 400-pound airline patrons? I didn't ask to be skinny, after all... shouldn't I have the right to prop my feet up on my neighbors' trays, stow my laptop under their seats, and in general invade my fellow passengers' personal space to the greatest extent possible?
All that's happening here is that the airline is asking its customers to pay for the resources they use. Nothing more, nothing less. However, I agree that Southwest is going to be spending a lot of time in court over this, and they're going to have their a**es handed to them by some stereotypical California judge.
And I feel especially bad for their employees -- can you imagine being a Southwest ticket agent who has to make that kind of value judgement? ("You're too fat to fly here! Get lost!") It's an unworkable solution to a truly annoying, if not exactly life-threatening, problem. No good answers that I can see. :frowning:

 

[Eve T]

WTF does this have to do with Viet Nam... er, colostomy bags, wheelchairs, and broken bones? This is about people who consume more than their fair share of gravity and make it everyone else's problem on airplanes.

IMO? Absolutly NOTHING. Lets face it we all have had our share of hard times, I don't feel that foodstamps, colostomy bags, etc have anything to do with this topic.

[rant]I don't think thinner people should be penalized for being thin enough to fit in their own space by having someone who is quite larger take up part of their seat.

I agree that we need to be tolerable of certain situations in life but, this is one I am not tolerable of at all.
Someone mentioned that we should maybe ask ourselves why the large person next to us is obese, because maybe they had a bad childhood and resorted to food etc. I say bla to that. I've had my share of hard knocks too, and BTW I used to be obese. A person CAN stop consuming more food than they need and have a work out program it just takes the desire to do so. If you don't want to do so then be prepared for situations like this one to happen.
The world is filled with all types of people, fat, skinny, short, tall, black, white etc. And how boring it would be if we were all the same. I don't think anyone is asking everyone to be a size 2. I know I'm not. But I am asking that you don't squish me during a 3 hour flight just because you ate 2 big macs while I decided to eat a spinich salad with low fat dressing on the side.[/rant]

 

[Cam S]

Why don't the simply put a few extra larger seats in, and maybe charge just a bit extra, they would be WAY more comfier for the larger poeple and I'm sure they wouldn't mind the few extra bucks for the tickets.

 

[CharlesD]

But I am asking that you don't squish me during a 3 hour flight just because you ate 2 big macs while I decided to eat a spinich salad with low fat dressing on the side.

I think Janna's point is about making assumptions about people.

Personally I don't like to sit next to over-sized people on planes either, and frankly if they can't fit in a single seat (i.e. they can't fit in the seat with the armrest(s) down) then it is not unreasonable to expect them to pay for 2 seats.

But it is irrelevant to this discussion, IMO, whether they are lazy and/or eat too much, have genetic glandular problems or are just naturally large. It is irrelevant if they are sedentary or work out every day, they just don't fit into a seat like 95% of people can. So I do think that all the fat people stereotyping/bashing going on in this thread is out of line.

A some have suggested, maybe the solution it to put in a few larger seats for people who (for whatever reason) can't fit in a normal seat. I, like anyone who has ever had to fly coach, wish the airlines would allow more room for passengers, but they are a businesses and they do what they think will maximize their profits.

No-one *has* to fly, if someone doesn't like being around other people, or if they can't reasonably fit in an airplane seat, maybe they should explore other travel options.

 

[Adil M]

I was thinking they could have deluxe seats. Larger seats w/ larger meals. If you have a doctor's notice you get a discount or a free upgrade. Otherwise, you pay for the room. I'd pay for leg room.
Besides fat people are cooler to talk to, so let's not all diss on jolly persons. As for eating too much, isn't gluttony a sin.

 

[CharlesD]

. I'd pay for leg room.

Indeed. I've always been on the opinion that I'd pay 33% more for the ticket if they took out 25% of the seats. If only Midwest Express flew everywhere I want to go

 

[Christopher P]

I gotta dissent here, I like ticket prices they way they are. I'm 6'1, 200 and fight leg room more than anything. But I would not like a 33% price increase for more leg room. That big of an increase isn't worth a marginal increase in comfort.

Chris

 

[Tom Meyer]

Why don't the simply put a few extra larger seats in, and maybe charge just a bit extra, they would be WAY more comfier for the larger poeple and I'm sure they wouldn't mind the few extra bucks for the tickets.

It's called business or first class. Pretty simple: you pay more, you get bigger seats.

 

[Mark Larson]

Oh, to be a teenager (like me!) - i ate fourteen Big Macs and eight or something Wendy's Frosties on the way to NY - a 24 hour drive.
I weigh a svelte 155lbs at 5'11", so NURRR. :p)

 

[Eve T]

I'm not dissing heavy people. I'm dissing the fact that someone brings up the fact that they might have had a bad childhood and turned to eating...isn't that too an assumption that may not be true...(same as me saying not to have two big macs instead of a spinich salad)?

As someone pointed out this and my snide comment (yes it was snide) I was upset..are irrelevant to this topic.
Bottom line is...if you take up more room than your own seat gives you then you should pay more.

I also stated in my last post that I too was obese at one point, but that wouldn't give me the right to take up more space than the next guy on a flight and not be ready to pay for an extra seat if need be. Infact, I would gladly pay the extra cost so I wouldn't be bothersome to someone else. It sometimes hurts when you are portly and you see people staring at you and or pointing fingers, sometimes I forget that now that I am now ...thin. I was heavy however not because of a childhood tragedy or because my parents were heavy or didn't love me enough, I was heavy because I ate too much, and the bottom line is that MOST (not all) but most people that are obese is because they eat too much. Simple as that. If you eat so much where you can't fit in your own chair then pay the extra cost. I would and I don't find it unreasonable either. Not dissin the heavy folk as many people in my family are overweight, on the same token they are reasonable too and I'm sure they wouldn't mind paying an extra cost for a larger seat or another seat.

I think making a couple of larger seats for an extra cost is an EXCELLENT idea. The airlines wouldn't lose that much money and these seats would also be good for the handicapped people or other people who have special needs and need some extra room for oxygen tanks etc.

Great idea.

Oft times after I've cooled off a bit I can come back and re-read what I said and have time to evaluate those words. I too have been heavy and I know it hurts. I also know that with some will power and want to that we can overcome obesity and live longer lives.

A couple larger seats...yes again, what an excellent idea.

 

[Joseph S]

deleted by me

 

[Eve T]

They received the biggest bonus in airline history by being absolved of the result of their utter incompetence and were also paid billions for being such.

Are you referring to the 9-11 tragedy?

If so that really has nothing to do with someone being too big to fit into their own seat. Also, no one could have predicted such events as took place on September 11th. I don't think the airlines are incompetent because they didn't find box cutters were being carried on by certain passengers before they boarded a flight.

I don't blame the airlines for what happened. I blame the people who took it upon themselves to play God and kill thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

I also don't blame the airlines for having small seats. They have always been rather small, and just because more people seem to be getting "bigger" doesn't mean they should have to change every seat in their planes to accomidate everyone.

If you weren't talking about 9-11 I apologize, thats just how I took it.

Peace,
Eve.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Okay, gals and guys: Loosen the collar. Lighten up. Chill out. Please. The late watch may be interesting from time to time, but let's please stay cool about this topic. If that's possible. Pretend we are talking to each other face to face. Put a face on the person you're posting to. JB

 

[Joseph S]

deleted by me

 

[Jack Briggs]

To reiterate, this thread is not going unnoticed. Please play nice. Thanks.

 

[Joseph S]

I'm trying, but after just getting back from another wasted travel day at two airports. This wasn't a good time to spring this story.
I'll remove the above two since they're apparently too controversial.

 

[Eve T]

Cool as a cucumber here.

 

[Steve Enemark]

Do the overweight people paying for two seats get two meals? There's a marketing angle the airlines should consider.
(apologies to David Letterman)

 

[John Thomas]

What's dangerous about this situation is that it has the potential to set a precedent for other possible discriminatory events. So overweight people have to pay extra for airplane tickets? Let's charge them more for theater tickets. They take up more space in line and in rides, charge them more to enter DisneyWorld. It is said that your rights end where another persons nose begins; are people only allowed a certain cubic feet of space?

I understand that these obese people are infringing on your space if they happen to go past their seat. However, they pay for one ticket for one person. I really can't see why this is such an issue. Have a little compassion and suck it up. If you travel only once in awhile, it's not going to hurt you as opposed to the embarassment to these people. If you're a frequent flyer, get first-class/business class seats which should be standard for your corporation.

A little compassion never hurt anybody.

 

[Eve T]

A little compassion never hurt anybody.

You sir are correct, but it works both ways. How about a little compassion for the skinny guy being smothered betwixed two overweight people for a 3 hour tour...

I still think the idea of making a section in the plane with larger seats is an excellent idea. A special needs section. I do realize that we already have such sections and they are referred to as "first class", but not everyone can afford such a pricey seat.
Just make a couple of them a little larger and only for special needs people. If they want tag on some extra cash for the bigger seat, but atleast have them availiable should a larger person want or need more space.