Should overweight people be required to pay for an extra seat on planes?

Saturday 23rd August, 06:41 AM JST

Latest 15 of 58 Total Comments Show All

Sarge at 08:37 PM JST - 24th August

The average economy class seat is fine for people who are shorter than 170cm or weigh less than 80kg.
Sarge at 08:38 PM JST - 24th August

Notginger - That's harsh!
Patrick Smash at 09:39 PM JST - 24th August

Well I don't know what I'm to do. I'm six feet eight, but the wife is only 4 feet 10. The two little paddies weigh 25 Kg between them, and all 4 of us get the same fuel surcharge. I think that's daft, but I can't upgrade unless we all do, so I end up stuck in economy, usually an aisle seat bulkhead which I fit in fine. If it's a regular seat, it's an awful squeeze for my fine Irish legs, but I have no choice. I would like a bit more legroom, not a wider seat. Seems like they need more seat choices, sizes, widths, legrooms; it could all end up looking rather odd.
nahummer at 12:45 AM JST - 25th August

Yes, they should be made to pay more. The reason is two-fold, first it's uncomfortable to have to sit next to someone who is bulging over the armrest, and second and most logical, we have to pay for extra weight for our luggage, so they should pay for their extra weight too!
randomenigma at 09:08 AM JST - 25th August

Notginger - That's hilarious!
xxBiscuitxx at 02:46 PM JST - 25th August

2 seats = two meals + carry-on bags 3 seats = three meals and a bed
Richard_III at 03:20 PM JST - 25th August

The thought of being sat next to someone who's obese and liable to be rather sweaty for the duration of a 12 hour flight, is frankly, rather horrid.

Yes, they should pay extra on a per kilogram basis based on weight that exceeds their average height.
Sarge at 11:00 PM JST - 25th August

P. Smash - If you're 6 foot 8, a bulkhead or emergency row seat is the only seat you can fit those long legs of yours in. I'm not that tall and my knees are jammed up against the seat in front even before it's reclined into my face.
flawlex at 11:02 AM JST - 26th August

I travelled by Air New Zealand a couple of months ago and the flight was full. I noticed that most of the obese people were given seats near the back of the plane. That was meant to allow them to move around more easily perhaps.
USARonin at 08:22 PM JST - 26th August

Ideally, they shouldn't be charged anything.

But if they take up an additional seat that the airlines could've made a profit, then maybe the additional charge is justified.

After all, unless someone has mental retardation, fat is an active on-goin' choice.

USAR
Confederate2008 at 08:26 PM JST - 26th August

USARonin, Great post.

Why should obese people pay the same as normal folk.

They use up more fuel costing everyone else more.

Go on a diet band get some exercise.
xpompey8 at 01:57 PM JST - 27th August

If their butt takes two seats then yes, pay double.
chardk1 at 12:40 PM JST - 28th August

I think the problem is not weight or fairness to fat people or whatever, it is whether said fat person making other passengers suffer. I think the word "overweight" is misleading, we're not talking about people with BMI's of 25.5 here. I think we mean (and we've all seen) the passengers who weigh over 150 kilos and invade the space of people around them. To me, it's not about the fat person's comfort or the airline's fuel costs, it is whether other people's rights are being encroached, literally.
roobus1 at 02:10 PM JST - 9th September

yeah fatties should pay more.. unles sthey have medical grounds and proof stating that they cannot help being grossly overweight, they should stump up extra funds, being stuck next to a mouth breathing sweating lump for 12 hours (feeling guilty about needing to get past you use the bathroom)is vile and why should others have to suffer because someone cannot be bothered to take care of themselves. Airline seats are, in general, adequate... tall people I feel for but fat people, in general, get that way of their own accord.. you get 20Kg's luggage, and you get charged for more, if you weight 75KG and the lump next to you weights 115KG, who pays for the extra 40KG there (equivalent to 2 EXTRA cases) ???
ichinensei at 09:31 PM JST - 10th September

If you need two seats, you should pay for two. It's not the airlines fault people are fat. They should even pay extra for fuel surcharge.