No.

Should obese people get two loafs of bread in the grocery for the price of one?

Brooklyn NY

Should obese people be entitled to an extra free seat when flying?

First I think it is important that people understand the word Obese - it’s for those that are 50 pounds or more over their ideal weight..

I would much rather them get an extra seat than to have to share my seat with them..

Since I fly quite a bit I can tell you that airplane seats have gotten smaller over the years and the leg room space has decreased as well.

Maybe the airlines should remember that our society, IT’S CUSTOMERS, has expanded not decreased in size.. We could all use a bit more space.. It’s not like the airlines is feeding us anymore.. It’s not like the airlines are providing drinks to us anymore.. It’s not like the airlines are letting us have a bag or two without paying for it anymore..

I do not blame a woman with big hips any more than I blame a man with wide shoulders.. Neither should be embarassed by the airline folks when they arrive at the ticket counter.. People come in all shapes and sizes.. It’s how God made us..

So yes, I’m all for giving those who are larger people a bit more space - no one wants to sit in that middle seat of 3 anyways..

No additional charge should be added to anyone.. Big or Small..

Jenna
Roseville CA

Airlines give parents free seats for lap babies if seats are available at the time of departure. If there are empty seats on a plane, obese flyers can relocate to those seats so they can sit somewhat comfortably on a plane. Americans are getting bigger while the plane seats are not. I’d rather sit amongst 20 screaming babies on a plane than next to an obese flyer. I can drown out the noise of the babies with headphones but there is nothing I can do if I have someone’s girth pushing me out of my own seat into a window or an aisle.

No.

Sorry - if you gotta fly and you can’t fit in one seat, then buy another.

What’s next - restaurants will have to provide larger portions to those who are “large” because they need more calories to feel “full”.

Gives a whole new meaning to “Supersize that?”

No! Because the airline needs to use more power according to the weight they are trying to get off the ground. Big people weigh more. I think the airlines should not only require you to pay for the extra space they require, but should have weigh in charge by the pound. Oh by the way, I’m overweight myself.

Of course. Airline seating is created for the average person, but we’re not all average. Charging a person for 2 seats penalizes them for something they cannot immediately change about themselves.

yes because they are paying customers too. .what difference does it makes to let obese fliers get extra free seat for flying..skinny people have to pay normal fare so let obese fliers get the same opportunity..stop discriminating about size only brains..

I’d say it depends. If the airlines keep packing more and more people onto a plane, then yes, give the fat person an extra seat.–chances are they couldn’t fit into one seat anyway–might as well make it comfortable for everyone else.

If the airlines only made their seats as comfortable as European passenger trains or automotive manufacturers, then it wouldn’t be a problem. But when two car seats out of a Geo Metro are wider than two airline seats, that’s the problem. I think the only size person who can be comfortable in today’s airline seats are a 4′ 2″ woman.

Airplane profits are according to the number of seats on each plane and the need to fill as many of them as possible on each and every flight.

Most obesity is self inflicted and therefore should be self sustainable on issues like the number of seats required on any mode of transportation.

Pay as you go and on the way you have to go is the motto.

No, but maybe there should be a certain amount of XL seats on every plane to accomodate overweight people - and not at the very back either!!

Everyone is entitled to fly and be comfortable. With the price of tickets, this is a small concession the airlines should make.

Surely Americans are no strangers to the concept that everyone is entitled to equal public accomodation regardless of physical characteristics. Therefore, if the airline sells a ticket to a person and the person shows up needing two seats, what’s the big deal with giving the traveller what he or she needs? All the seat arms fold down anyway,

Of course, doing it the logical way could have good results for those of us who don’t officially need two seats, but who have been suffering with those toddler-sized seats the airlines have wedged us into all along. Why don’t they just standardize across the whole airplane and give everybody a decent-sized seat for the trip? The ones in first class that I have to walk past every time I board look like the minimum size a human being needs to get by with.

For the airline that does it, it could make a signficant difference in their bottom line, and that would be a radical change. When’s the last time there was a win-win situation in anything having to do with commercial air?

Should obese people be entitled to an extra large meal free when ordering off the menu at a restaurant ?
NO. So, if they are too big to fit in the seat, they are probably too big to fit through an emergency exit and they are too big to fly….they should take the bus and not risk my safety when I fly.

That’s a good way to kill the already-marginal airline industry. As someone who was squished for 5 hours on a flight as the person in the seat next to mine spilled over into mine (and whose back may never be the same as a result), I do believe that something needs to be done about seats that no longer fit our overall increase in size. The passenger can buy the extra seat or perhaps the airlines can reconfigure the seats to add enough room to accommodate most. But forcing the airlines to provide two seats for the price of one will be the end of the industry. I just think that’s economic reality.

Jack,
What kind of question is that? Are obese people concidered handicapped? I think that they should accommodate first class with larger seats for people that would prefer to fly comfortably, but I don’t think that just because you’re over weight you deserve better accommodations.

HECK NO.
Here’s a thought, why don’t we give a break to those who keep doing the right things in life for a change like exercise, eat right ,pay thier mortgages and bills on time !!

Vince
Lansing, Michigan

This is real breaking news, Jack. I had no idea people could still afford to fly!

If they do I want a reduced price since I’m thin & less fuel is used.
Actually, I believe they should pay me for the parts of MY seat that are overlaped. It certainly makes flying more uncomfortable, if that’s possible, when oversized people squeese into airline seats.
David, Las Vegas

Unless it is an chronic medical condition, they should have to pay for their lack of will power rather than stick the rest of us with the bills, medical and otherwise.

No they should not. Being obese is a choice for the most part. It is their choice to be that big. If they get a free extra seat, then people with children get a free seat too.

The last time I flew, I had a had time craming my 6 foot, 175 pounds into the seat provided. How about they provide a larger seat, period ?? (Maybe then I’ll consider flying again.)

No. In fact, they should be charged extra for excess baggage.

No, they shouldn’t get a free seat. If they do, then they have deprived someone of a seat on the plane. What the airlines need to do is probably put a row in where they have only two seats on each side of the aisle for both obese AND handicapped individuals. Most planes seats are so crammed together now it is just ridiculous. I’m tall, and don’t have much leg room as it is.

Financially no, but as for comfort for their seat mates, absolutely yes!!! I fly about 3 - 4 times a year and for some reason I am ALWAYS sitting next to someone larger than me, and I am a big man myself. Watching the both of us work the free pop and peanuts on the flip down tray has to be extremely humorous to the flight attendants.

Seriously, I do believe that people who take up 2 seats can be a flight hazzard should an emergency occur. This being said, thay should not be seated in an exit row, but rather on the bulk head row for the added leg room. If that isn’t available, then they should be charged for 2 seats, or at least some sort of added fee for taking up an extra seat.

I’m sure this question will get a majority of “heck no’ answers, because it has always been acceptable to degrade obese people. However, I would welcome a free seat for the obese flyers, as well as those who drowned themselves in cologne, and the lady with two sick babies screaming for the whole flight. As long as the free seats are on top of the plane, and not inside, I’m fine with it.

Jack
I see no reason why they shoul’nt get a bail out too. Since we know longer follow the laws of free makets, immigration laws or democracy in general . What,s a little more socialism now!!

No, obese people should not get a “free extra seat”, I understand that they require more room due to thier size, but if it cost me $300.00 to take up a particular amount of space on a flight then it should cost $600.00 for someone else to take up twice the space. I mean really, can I have an extra seat for free because I want more room? Can I have that same extra seat for free if I have a fear of being too close to others? It is also a medical condition. Its hard to do but think of yourself as freight when you board an airplane, it costs more to ship large bulky items than it does to ship lighter smaller ones.

Maybe I will purchase a fat suit to wear on my next flight so that I too can share in getting a free seat and have a bit more room. Of course I wouldnt do that if that extra seat wern’t free.

Probably so, but is it discrimination? I doubt the ACLU will come after the airlines on this one because they do not care about obesity. The ACLU is only interested in stamping out morals and christian values.

With all due respect to obese people, I answer with a resounding, NO.
Why should we “reward” people for being unhealthy solely to provide comfort while flying the friendly skies. This strikes me a decrimnatory policy for those who are of average weight. I think the best situation for all involved would be to have a few “extra-large” seats with more room and would be cost of the price of 1 and 1/2 the cost of a normal ticket.

No, they should go on a diet. This country can no longer afford such indulgent lack of discipline. With everything else going on, it’s easy to lose sight of the mind boggling cost rampant obesity will visit upon us all in the coming years.

I know it’s very uncomfortable sitting next to someone who intrudes on your space because they are large, making the whole flight practically unbearable. So I think the airline should accommodate these folks with larger seats somewhere on the plane, not by making them pay double, that’s not fair.

The same should go for parents flying with newborns/small infants. The screaming/crying is so unbearable, they should have space somewhere on the plane for mom/baby, or dad/baby….it’s not fair for them, or us.

Sure. Do you want to sit next to someone who is spilling out of their seat into yours?

Ed Reed
Port Aransas, TX

Jack: No the cost to the airlines would make everyones ticket prices go up. No, because traditionally it is one seat per ticket; therefore, diminishing any legal claims the weight challenged folks might have with the airlines.

John
Alabama

Are you kidding me,the Airline tickets should be sold now by the weight of the passenger. Have a weight and price list available in every airline’s office.

My brother and his wife are obese, and I believe that they should pay for the extra seat and so do they. If you are taking up more than one seat, then you need to pay for that seat. If you want your baby to fly in a car seat, you have to pay for that seat. This is not discrimination, it is just fair.

Oh, boy, is this a loaded question! If you say yes, you are being discriminatory; if you say, you are being unfair to those who are not obese and the airlines.

The true answer is that the size of seats in most planes outside of the Business Class and First Class sections have steadily shrunk in size even while the average weight of an American has gone up. I’m not obese, and even I feel claustrophobic in them! How about a special plan for those Business class seats in which most overweight people will fit that gives them to passengers for less than the price of two seats or Business class, but more than the price of an ordinary ticket.

Of course, with the economy bust, who can afford to fly, anyway?

No way, not a free seat. If they are that obese let them either use another form of transportation or BUY an extra ticket.

Debbie
Milwaukee, WI

Oxford, MS
Where did you come up with this question Jack. As a 340 pounder myself, I say no. In these tough economic times no airline can afford to be giving away free seats. I’ve been on flights were I’ve gotten to move to areas with extra seats to give me more room. However this was because no one had paid for those seats and we were already in the air. On the flip side, don’t charge me for two seats if I’m not taking up two seats.

I have a real good answer for this one Jack. Took me a second but I came up with one. NO! I understand that some people have a genetic problem and perhaps they should be the exception to the rule. Howerver, many of them are obese because they eat and eat and eat. Should be a Doctors call. Just like the handicapped. If they get a letter from their doctor saying it’s a genitic problem they should get a free seat. If it’s because they eat an entire bag of potato chips in 10 minutes then it’s no free seat.

Absolutely not and ne pas!! Now let’s move on………….

I fly a lot for business. There is very seldom a flight without an open seat. The airlines would be losing nothing of consequence with this accommodation, so there is no real economic argument against requiring this. As to whether or not they should control their weight better, there are many people in this world who understand that it is far from being that simple unless you are lucky enough to have a perfect metabolism. As we get older, it gets harder. Charging more could be seen in the same light as charging someone more for having other health predispositions - like cancer.

If the pricing of airline tickets is based per seat then yes they should pay for the second seat if they are using it. I do think that airline coash seats should be large than they are. Frankly though I don’t know how it could be enforced unless people sit in test airline seats at check in. That probably would lead to law suits for emotional distress, etc - more costly than letting them have the extra seat.

Seats shouldn’t be as narrow as they are in the first place!!! Even a medium sized adult (not overweight) feels like a cramped sardine–unable to cross their legs at all–and only 1-2 inches of clearance to keep from pressing against the arm rests. I don’t care what they do with obese people—but I hope whatever it is–it gets a lot of air time–and forces the airline industry to design their aircraft systems for a miore comfortable passenger.

I understand that there are some people who do have a genetic disorder that make them ‘oversized’…. but, what about all those who just can’t stop eating their way into a diabetic, heart attack? They think that it becomes ‘their right’ to get the extra room because they have allowed themselves to become ‘abnormally big. I tell you as a paying customer, flying, at sky high prices, getting a seat next to someone who is’ abnormally big, is not a very nice experience. Do I get a discount for my discomfort? No… All those who have had this experience, know what I’m talking about.

Absolutely not, obesity is preventable. I’m tall, something I can’t change, and I don’t get a free seat with extra leg room.

Don’t get the ball rolling, Jack. First, an extra seat. Then larger bathrooms, which means rebuilding them. Being “special” means preboarding. Next they’ll want their luggage allowance raised because their clothes are bigger. And an extra meal.

The best solution is for people to realize our collective eating and laziness is out of hand. Either get healthy or accept the consequences, like paying more or getting squashed.

They only have one mind, the air lines should be prepaired for any size human being.

All airline seating should be more comfortable for everyone. We used to accomodate smokers and nonsmokers by giving them their own sections in public places. Now that smokers have been completely disenfranchised, maybe we should have designated fat areas. Of course, we couldn’t say “fat.” It would be more like, “So, Mr. Smith, will you be sitting with the Flesh or the Bones?”

Obese people have been flying for free. I’ve given up my seat to an obese person, I’ve had an obese person taking up half my seat while flying and I’ve seen flight attendants accompany an obese person with extra seat belt extensions. The flight attendant gave me a free drink of my choice for extending my courtesy and that was the only thing I got free. The airlines and the passengers have accomodated the obese for free long enough, it’s time for them to pay for an extra seat.

Jack: No, the seat should not be free……make bigger seats and charge them more…and if you happen to be skinny, make the seat smaller and charge “half-price.”

absolutely NOT! Why should a person whose weight is only 150, but whose luggage is over the limit pay an extra penalty per pound when a 350 lb women carries on 80 Lbs of luggage and pays no penalty?Her combined weight is 430, when mine is only 231. What is the airline going to do if 15 or 20 of these people try to get on the same flight? Society has to live by rules that the same for everyone

No I do not think that they ought to give them free seats, however, the seats are very small, and even someone small, like me, has some difficulty maneuvering and getting comfortable. Finding ways to make the seats larger would make flying better for everyone including people with children, the obese, the taller than average person. As they are now, everyone is packed in tightly like sardines with little to no leg room. They should try to accommodate to their customers a little more rather than just getting as many people in one flight as possible.

No the definitely shouldn’t everyone is responsible for his own body and if the cannot take care of themselves and are to lazy and convenient to eat healty and do some kind of sport, it is their own fault. it would be highly senseless to let the airlines suffer under other peoples weaknesses.

Only if they can prove via doctors orders that their condition is medical and not because they are being slobs!

Obese people are entitled to an extra free seat only if thin people are entitled to a free seat. They’re equally ridiculous.

An obese passenger stretching out in two seats is far better than his overflowing into my cramped seat..

Airlines should charge by the pound if that’s the case, then everyone wil be treated fair.

The last time I flew, they deliberately made someone else change seats to put an obese person beside me. I didn’t like it at all. I weigh about 100 pounds and the other person was right up against me the whole trip (the arm rest had to be raised). I paid full fare, but only got about 1/2 of one seat.

They should charge by weight, just like cargo. Period. Next question.

it’s the only place in the world that you can stuff yourself full of food continuosly, think it’s your god given right to do so and expect to get an extra seat for your troubles

I’ve had to sit next to overweight people on planes before and scrunch to one side or the other to give them, and myself, a little breathing space. Airline seats are really too small for our population and bigger seats need to be installed period. That way I can scoot my slender frame over a bit and not mutter to myself about the diatary habits of people in this country.

I’m hung up on that word entitled in your question. I think I am entitled to a seat without the overflow of an obese person sitting next to me. Are they entitled to two seats? No. Speaking as a short person who once weighed 250 lbs but has maintained 140 to 150 lbs for the last 50 years, those obese people can get their eating under control, regain their health, and occupy only one seat. They will find it isn’t easy, but it is so worth it.

I like the idea of having a few oversized seats on every flight, perhaps two in a row instead of three. These seats could sell for 30% more than a regular size seat. These seats would not include any of the extras that come with a first class seat but would let overweight people fly in comfort as well as anyone who has to sit next to them.

Meanwhile maybe our country can get a grip on healthcare that has more interest in people being healthy than it does in people needing pharmaceuticals.

If an obese person gets two seats for the price of one then the other passengers are contributing to that person’s comfort. A seat on a plane represents income and has to be maintained to keep the airlines viable so everyone has to pay for the space they take up.

Since almost all obesity is self created, they should have to pay for two seats. No special priveleges. A child over infant size must pay so why not a person the size of two people?

Or they could charge by weight. I’m normal weight for 6 ft at 180 lbs. If I pay for a ticket that costs $360.00, then that’s $2.00 a pound. Charge the 400 lb guy $800.00 for the two seats. I’d be fine with that.

Airlines should calculate the average price per ticket for a flight based on the total occupancy of the aircraft. If the aircraft is 50% full, then there should not be any increase for ‘obese’ individuals’. As the percent of capacity reaches the 100% mark, a proration based on a per pound total average of the passengers on the flight should be the increase for the ‘obese’ passenger. That is, if the overall weight average for the total passengers in the flight is 160 pounds, then that passenger over that weight total should pay for the increase in weight times a factor based on the total occupancy of the flight. Bottom line ? It would cost more to an airline to calculate averages than to just hit the poor ‘obese’ with a flat rate. Imagine the case were the flight is at 100% capacity and each of the passengers is over the weight limit with an average of 250 pounds each !! Does the flight take off ? The FAA has no restrictions on their rule book for passenger weight limits !!!

Jack,

No, isn’t America trying to motivate people to become healthier and fight obesity? As such, maybe the airlines should change their fee structure whereby they charge a basic fee plus a “weight” fee, which equates to a normal fee for people who are average weight, and penalizes those over the average weight!

The focus is on the wrong criteria, Jack. What really should be the measure of fitness to fly is whether or not the person is able to fit
through the door of the lavatory, and sit on THAT seat, of which there’s
only one. If you can’t fit on that puppy, then its a no go.

Jack, what ever happened to “Fly the FRIENDLY skies”?

Oh, boy, is this a loaded question! If you say yes, you are being discriminatory; if you say, you are being unfair to those who are not obese and the airlines.

The true answer is that the size of seats in most planes outside of the Business Class and First Class sections have steadily shrunk in size even while the average weight of an American has gone up. I’m not obese, and even I feel claustrophobic in them! How about a special plan for those Business class seats in which most overweight people will fit that gives them to passengers for less than the price of two seats or Business class, but more than the price of an ordinary ticket.

Of course, with the economy bust, who can afford to fly, anyway?

Yes Jack , but only for C.E.O.’s even if they are skinny!!!

Excessive weight can be a disabling condition and under the American’s with disabilities act obesity may be a protected class. All obesity is not caused by excessive consumption. Airline tickets are sold by the seat, not by the pound. If they were sold by the pound , adult tickets would cost more for adults than children. Once the seat is sold, the airline must accomodate the passenger.
Tom
Las Vegas
Human Rights Advocate

No, they should be charged for 2 seats. They need an incentive to lose weoght.

Hey Jack, easy questions today. The answer is a big, resounding, obese, if you will, NO.

should skinny people pay half price because they decrease the weight of the plane, therefore it uses less fuel.

Kenneth Chadbourn N.C.

Nope. I’m not going to soft-peddle the truth. It’s their fault, they pay the consequences. I’m in great shape, because I care. I don’t want to hear excuses, I’ve heard them all. If they want to pay for only one seat, they should fit themselves into one seat. Period.

Airlines should install a number of extra large seats to accommodate extra large people. Until they do, if a person is effectively sitting in two seats, they should pay for two seats. Otherwise, people sitting next to an extra large person get crowded out and are not able utilize the full seat they paid for.

How obese are you talking Jack? I am a big guy sometimes need an extender on the seat belt for smaller planes but I never take up 2 seats. I fly 3 to 4 times a week and never any issues. What pretty soon the airlines are going to have the passengers step on the scale in front of everyone and charge them 15 dollars for every pound over 200? This is ridicules it appears this election has helped America get over one prejudice let’s not start another!

sorry but as a retired airline employee I know that the companies already have to provide a number of special services for obese passengers that are already an extra expense. giving them a free seat which removes another revenue passenger from a flight without compensation is just asking too much given their financial problems right now.

Jack, if a person takes up two seats, then a person should pay for two seats. I have flown on several trips where I have been jammed in by obese people in cramped quarters. I know it is not politically correct, but enough’s enough! If it is a medical condition, then maybe the airline can give a discount, but being stuck on an international flight with someone obese beside of you snoring in your ear for eight hours quickly removes any ‘politically correct’ bone in your body, that I guarantee.

I think the size of airplane seats was originally designed by measuring “normal” people and subracting ten percent. Since the normal person is now obese, perhaps its time to adjust the standard, In fact, while they are at it, maybe the airline industry should start to focus on what their customers want and need, and realize that they are selling the flight, not the seat.

No.

If someone is obese enough to weigh as much as two people, they should pay for what two seats are worth. Let the responsibility lie with the party who is at issue!

Jack, Hard question. No one wants to chastise anyone, but the airlines are in financial trouble, plus the other passengers have to be considered. It looks like a lose, lose situation to me. Perhaps just a very small increase, say $5.00. They certainly can’t afford to lose customers.

Yes, because being obese is a genetic disposition and not something they can control.

Of course. One person, one price. Years ago I took my mother-in-law out to lunch. She was overweight at the time. The waitress treated her, sadly, with obvious contempt. I left a 3 cent tip. Where did she get off thinking this was ok. Airlines don’t have that right either.

Why not charge everyone by the pound? After all, each pound requires a certain amount of fuel to move it from point A to point B. When you ship a package, that’s how they charge. Why not for people? And of course the amount of space you are ‘rented’ is proportionate to what you pay.

Jack,

This makes me think of the smoke breaks that smokers used to get at work, with no comparable break offered to non-smokers. A free extra seat to an obese person is a seat not available for purchase by someone of normal size. There are other solutions. Airlines could install a few over-sized seats on all airplanes specifically for over-sized persons, just as movie theaters reserve some places for the non-ambulatory.

Jim
Reno, Nevada

This is a difficult question. I don’t think obese people should be given any accommodation that is not available to other flight passengers with physical concerns. What about the abnormally tall person, seats with more leg room. Those of us with arthritis, my legs cramp up terribly after 30 minutes in a coach seat. Along with others with physical difficulties.
These special considerations if any, should apply to everyone.

I think the airlines should make seats in their planes actually big enough for a normal size person to sit in them. You don’t even have to be “obese” to be unable fit in one of those junior car seats the airlines claim is a regular coach seat. Make the airlines adjust to us, not the other way around!

there are two perspectives here- the obese person is not the only one uncomfortable in the single seat, the non-obese person sitting next to them even more uncomfortable. so from this perspective i think they should have appropriate sized seats at no extra charge.

the second perspective is that if having a larger seat makes the obese person more comfortable than me, as i am flying in my normal uncomfortable economy sized seat, why should i pay the same price as they do? so the answer is to make the obese person’s seat as comfortable/uncomfortable as a regular seat, then charge them the same. Otherwise the need to be charged more…they charge more for a first class seat, no?

well my grocery store says, it cost more for hamburger because of transportation cost, so id have to say yes, start charging by the pound..

Absolutely yes. I travel for my work and fly over 250,000 miles a year. There is nothing worse than sitting for 16 hours in a seat that you can’t use because the folds of the overweight person next to you are sharing (invading) your space.

Either provide wider seats or charge these folks for the extra space they use. This idea that the overweight would be offended by the actual fact that they are overweight is ludicrous. Tall people know that they are tall, short people know that they are not tall, and overweight people know that they are big.

Airlines are charging me for a extra checked bag but want to give free seats to larger patrons? No, that doesn’t sound fair to me.

If you are not tall enough you can’t go on the ride at an amusment park. If you are not thin enough you can’t go on the air plane. It is that easy. Coach seats can accomodiate most people, including husky size people. All passengers have a right to be comfortable and pay to be comfortable, including those sitting next to an obsese individual. If comfort means that a very large person has to pay for two seats, so be it. If they don’t like it they can drive or take a boat.

No, why should they? Should tall people also get special treatment because they need more leg space? We have become a “give it to me free” society! That includes the corporations! They all have their hands out.

BTW, the airlines will be one of the next industries lining up with their hand out for “free” federal bail-out money.

The real problem is that seating space in airlines has been downsized in recent years and the average American has been supersized. Everyone is uncomfortable!

No.Passengers should now have to pay on the same basis as freight:Size and weight. If it costs more to fly heavier passengers,they should have to pay more.Flying isn’t a courtesy service,its a business.

I’m 6′ tall and 200 pounds, not obese by any measure, and I can’t fit into normal airline seats.

Perhaps the industry should consider seats that are expandable/adjustable in some way. Even a special section if
possible. I doubt that very many obese people attempt to fly without a pretty good reason, some consideration for disabilities should be made available. charging more should not be one (are wheelchair handicapped charged more?)

Jack, after riding in coach several times with obese people, I would look forward to them having two seats and leave me room to ride comfortably. I could care less if they had to pay for the extra seat.

Obese people are judged negatively by their appearance virtually everywhere they go. Living with the embarassment they must feel by needing a second seat in the first place is price enough. Charging them extra would just be kicking a dog when it’s down.

Jack,

I’m 5′2″ and 130 lbs. Those seats are too small for me! The airlines need to take a row of seats out and put in bigger seats!

They already get free seats. They just lift up the armrests and compress the poor souls sitting next to them. Then as soon as the plane is off the runway, they drop their seat backs and spread into the row behind. The only time I can remember anyone actually buying an extra seat in consideration for an obesity problem was when the Denver Symphony put a bass fiddle in the window seat next to me. Which was fine, because it never got up to go to the restroom.

Having just had a major heart attack and waiting to be healthy enough to fly the thought of having someone spilling over into my seat causes me stress I dont need right now. Yes give them an extra seat if they need it and there is one available. However I do think they should be charged for excess baggage.

No! Airlines should have certain seats for “obese’ passengers. Those passengers should pay a higher cost for their seats. All that should be explain to customer when making reservation.

If so how about relief for tall passengers that can do nothing about their height!

I am 6 foot 3 inches and fly international coach regularly on business. I just do not have enough leg room in the standard coach seats and often end up with minor injuries after a long flight of 12 hours or more.

How about reserving the emergency exit rows, that have the leg room needed, for people of 6 foot or more? It really upsets me to see these seats filled with pip squirts of approx. 5 foot that could easily fit into normal seats with no problems!

No! Every pound of weight costs extra dollars in fuel. Some airlines are even charging for a first bag. It seems to me that individuals should be charged a “weight tax” on an amount some percentage above the normal weight for that individual.

If they can’t fit in one seat, they probably can’t fit in the rest rooms. So, what next for airlines? Bigger rest rooms, bigger exit doors, heavier emergency exit slides? if a mother with a small child can’t have a free seat, then no one else should. discrimination is a big word.

Until skinny people get a seat discount, obese passengers shouldn’t get anything, either. If anything, they should be charged extra–maybe an amount proportional to the airline’s fee for overweight checked baggage.

Jack,

Some people want wider seats. Other people want more leg room. Why don’t the airlines have a variet of seating options and let people pay for what they want?

Carl from Pahrump

No, if they take up two seats, they should pay for both.
Brownwood, Texas

Obese persons should not pay for an extra seat any more than an anorexic person would pay for half a seat. Come on, where does it end?

Why do we label and wish to punish persons who are not like us? isn’t that how this culture has acted for hundreds of years against American Indians, Blacks, children, women, gays, and still we cannot see the wrong in labeling and creating hypothetical norms. Life is about compassion, gratitude, and love, let’s start acting like this, then we will discover what normal truly is.

No, Jack, they shouldn’t be charged extra and I’ll tell you why. All of the person is headed for the same destination and to charge extra on the basis of size/weight is discriminatory. Would you think tall people should be charged more or thin people should be charged less? I don’t think so. As someone else said, far better for them to have enough room to accommodate their girth than have their girth spill over on me.

I don’t feel that “obese” folks should get a free extra seat. That, to me, is simply stupid logic. If you are obese, start eating right and start getting exercise to lose some weight and quit whining about poor me.

I am 6′-4″, 250 lb. and am in shape, not obese, and can barely fit into the mini seats that the airlines now use. I rarely fly because it is totally uncomfortable for for me on a trip more than a few hours long. Maybe airlines should realize that not all folks are 5′-6″ and 150 lb.

Only if I get extra leg room.

perhaps airlines should simply have a “pay by the pound” rule.

What message will we send if obese people, for the price of ONE ticket, get two seats. I had better start making my fat suit soon, just in case.

I don’t know about the obese flying for free. But if I have to sit next to an obese person on a flight, not only should I be flying for free, but the airline should be picking up my visit to the chiropractor for knocking my body out of whack from leaning in one direction only for hours on end.

No, they shouldn’t get a free seat. If they were to do that, they would have to reserve so many seats based on obese people. Then they would take the cost of those reserved seats and pass it on to the rest of us who are not obese. It’s not only not fair to those of us who pay for and take up one seat. If anyone needs two seats, they should have to pay for two seats, regardless of their size.

No. They are uncomfortable. Well, so am I. I don’t get an extra free seat. So neither do they.

No way, I am very thin and barely take up a seat, should I get my seat for half price??

Charge by the pound, then everyone is happy.

The only sensible price structure when it comes to airplanes would be to charge each person by the pound for the total weight of themselves plus their baggage. The cost to an airline to fly an object from one place to another is dependent almost entirely on the weight of the object so it seems silly that they judge their prices based on how many people you are and how many bags you have.

I don’t see any problem with it. Everyone should be comfortable. They’re paying for it. But then again, I can’t afford to fly, so whatever.

I’m tall and I would like more leg room and a window that I could actually look out of without breaking my neck. How about a sound proof section for screaming babies, or a clothing optional area for the sun lovers of the world. And I’m sure we would all like to see a closed off section for social-skills challenged passengers. The point is this, the airlines are no longer going to make any special concessions for their customers because they no longer feel the need to.

i feel that if they require an extra seat they should pay for it, just like the rest of us.

They should get a free seat if they take no luggage - how much would it cost me to take an extra suitcase on? If airlines are forced to give obese people an extra seat free the additional cost will just be passed onto all customers instead of being paid by the individual. Basically everyone will soon be paying an additional ‘fat’ tax to suppliment the people who need a second seat.

Obesity is becoming such an epidemic in the U. S. that the airlines may need to consider airfares at a rate of 2 seats per person. That’s the good old American way. Let everyone pay more for their airfare so that the obese can have 2 seats. That’s the way we do healthcare. If somone can’t pay, the healthcare provider just goes up on everyone to make up the difference. Our society does not reward a person for paying their share. It rewards those who don’t pay, with a free ride whether its airfare or healthcare.

If the flight isn’t full, why not? Otherwise, no. Having spent a significant amount of time on planes, there is nothing worse than sitting next to someone who really needs a seat and a half. There is barely room for three “normal” customers without having to share space with someone who needs more than one seat to sit in.

Try being 6′-5″ and 300 pounds. This is not an issue of free seats, but seats that could accommodate everyone. I mean, even Grey Hound has better seats than most airlines. Lucky for me, I own a jet. But am afraid I might have to sell it if stocks keep dropping.

All restaurants must provide wheel chair access to the bathrooms. So there are grounds for the argument. However, what qualifies a person to be obese. For some it is an illness, and for some it’s lack of self control. It should require a medical certificate and a government program like food stamps. I don’t feel that the airlines should shoulder the burden.

At the risk of sounding insensitive — are you kidding? I have to pay extra to check a bag now, ostensibly because the weight of the luggage adds to fuel costs. I don’t advocate charging passengers by weight, but one ticket-one seat is fair enough. And please, if you do give an obese person a free extra seat, how about giving someone who paid to check a suitcase the extra meal…

With more than half our population classifying as “obese” they should create class sections based on body width and/or height. (Social class division has to go the way of the dodo bird). They can use a body scanner to determine who sits where. Make an obese section where the seats are 1.5 times wider than normal. Make a tall section with extra legroom. And if you are morbidly obese, you just can’t fly. Maybe they need some motivation to take better care of themselves.

They should get an extra seat and pay for it.

If things hadn’t gotten so crazy with the airlines (no lotion, charging extra for bags, etc..,), then I would say sure, why not? But because the airlines have made it so inconvenient for fliers my answer is no. Got to be fair to everybody here, Jack. That’s like asking should people with no criminal history be allowed to bypass the security checkpoints at the airports. I think not.

N0, they should be charged more for using up more fuel. If you have to hop down the aisle sideways you shouldn’t be allowed on a plane. Think of all the places that they could hide explosives that no one would want to check.

NO NO NO NO NO NO

NO, we must not punish a person for their size or handicap. they have the same rights as every other person.

No way. In fact, I think they should start charging by the pound. If I carry an extra-heavy bag it costs more, so it’s only fair that someone with an extra-heavy derriere pays a higher price.

Boise, ID

No, they should not be given a free seat. If an extra seat is needed, then they should be charged. Most airlines, if not all, charge for extra luggage and the customer is charged for the additional weight. The same should apply here for someone who needs an extra seat.

No! I am only 105 lbs. and yet I have to pay for one small bag when I fly, so why should obese people get a free seat — then I should get half price. I’m in the legal field and I once had a neighbor who wanted me to sue a horse riding company because they told her she was too fat to ride their horse. People who are fat need to face the fact that they are fat and they will be treated as fat. They may need help, but not a free ride.

Jack,

One more thing. While I know that fat people clearly are disgusting to many, many people, I think it is way over the top to compare them to the cost of checking luggage, or criminals being able to avoid security checks and board flights.

Last I checked none of the criminals who took the lives of U.S. citizens on 9/11 were overweight American men or women.

You all should be ashamed of yourselves. NO, that’s ok. I’m ashamed for you!!!

Mertis in Atlanta

The reality is that flying Coach is like being Cattle, headed for slaughter. How many enjoy sharing arm rests with the guy sitting next to you–even if that guy isn’t obese? Being shoe horned into a seat is one of many reasons that I gave up flying, years, ago.

no.

First of all, not all obese people are lazy, self indulgent food hogs. Nor do they deserve nasty cracks from others. Having said that, I am a large woman who for many years routinely purchased two seats when travelling. The reason…..simple courtesy to my fellow travelers. I only need a few extra inches to be comfortable but those inches don’t come from the seat of my neighbor because they are slender. Having the extra seat meant no embarrassment for me, no anger from my seatmate and an altogether more pleasant flight for everyone. Airplane seats hardly fit regular sized people anymore but extra inches does not automatically entitle one to have an extra seat at no charge.

No, an obese person should not be “entitled” to an extra free seat while flying. Just because a person is obese does not give them the right to something that skinny people dont get it. This country’s motto is “All men are created equal” so if obese people get an extra free seat, everyone else is going to feel “entitled” to one too for their own reasons.

Why not? The airlines are restricted from selling that seat if they are forced to give it up to someone too large to fit in a single space. The problem is that airlines will counter by charging “by the pound,” which will result in further turmoil for passengers during the check-in process.
Jeff,
Massachusetts

When you buy an airline ticket it is to get the passenger from point A to point B. If they airline can’t do it safley and comfortably then they should get out of the business.
It’s a mute point anyways, the airlines do what they want. It is an unregulated business.
Treat us like Customers not Passengers.

I don’t think it is fair for the airlines to discriminate against the disabled (obese) by charging extra for an additional seat. I also don’t think it is fair for me to sit next to an XXXL person that takes up two and a half seats while I can only sit in half a seat. Can you imagine a flight from Raleigh to Los Angeles or Los Angeles to Seoul. Nightmare!!!!

NO! Anyone else requiring an extra seat for whatever reason has to pay, why should people who do not fit in a single seat get a break?

Let’s see, No meals, no nuts, no movie, no drinks, keep me waiting for hours on the ground, barely allow me to bring a change of underware and a toothbrush, can’t even bring my bottle of water and now because I am 6′ 275 lbs charge me double. I’m bringing back the art of hitch hiking.

No. Obese people should not get a free seat. They should buy two seats. I have been that person on several occasions who has to sit all squenched up and still that person is in my seat. I cannot put my drink on the table because I cannot let it down. I hate the fact that a stranger is half in my seat touching the entire side of my body. They need to pay for 2 seats.

Not unless the airlines are offering a buy one get one free and then I also get the option of bringing someone along or getting two seats to stretch out in.

The days of free rides are gone. There are no free lunches. Unless you’re on an expense account.

But it would be nice if the airlines added some extra leg room. I think flying with my knees up in my neck is cutting off circulation. A free drink on the plan though, might help me feel my legs again.

Frann in Los Angeles, CA

The problem is obesity is not functionally disabled. They can have surgery which essential for lack of a better term is corrective. So no airline companies should not have to give away the seat. Canada is crazy. They should pay. I am over-weight, i fit into one seat, but I have alternatives and no one should have to give me a free seat because I fail to use those alternatives.

NO they should not! If they only want to pay for one seat, they should lose the weight. Giving them the extra seat is just rewarding them for self destructive behavior! If they lose the weight they will look better, feel better, and be healthier. I am not suggesting they be required to get skinny or anything, but lose enough to sit in a single seat comfortably, take a lot of the strain off their hearts, etc. I also don’t think the gov’t (medicaid/medicare) should cover self induced deseases such as cancer from smoking, et. al.

Well, I’m a lanky 6′5″ 200lbs and people constantly tell me that I should fly first class if I don’t like being helped in to my coach seat with a shoe-horn. Same concept for those who are obese I suppose: either buy the seat next to you or fly first class.

Should only get a half-seat for the price of one because I’ve managed to put the fork down everyone once and a while?

Have you flown in the cattle-car section of an airplane recently?

No one is skinny enough anymore to enjoy a trip on an airplane, free of the experience of rubbing shoulders with the person to the left and/or right.

But is that so bad? I found myself rubbing shoulders with a former Miami Dolphins NFL player who was wearing a Superbowl ring. We had a great discussion and his shoulder was mighty comfortable.

Jack, a very close friend of mine used to tip the scales at over 400 pounds. With diet, exercise, and the support of family and friends, he is in the high 200’s. Never in all his years has he asked for anything extra because of his size. In fact, just the opposite. When he sees people using obesity as an excuse to go to the front of the line, or get an extra seat — HE complains.

Personal responsibilty: we should all have some.

NO-We have to pay for our tiny little children an extra seat. Let the obese pay for their own created health condition.

As long as it’s not being paid for with bailout dollars, who cares? This is a business decision left to the airlines. If the airline giving the free seat has a healthy balance sheet, they can do what they want. Shut up and deal with it, or fly another airline. It’s that simple.

Roland
St. George, UT

If they are charging for our bagage then “obese” people should pay for an extra seat if they can’t fit in the one they purchase.

My answer as a frequent business traveller is an enthusiastic “BY ALL MEANS!” I get lucky and get upgraded sometimes, but the times that I am relagated to coach are not picnic with so called “average-sized” passengers. I’ve had a few times when I was forced to endure an arm and thigh-crushing ride with some who were not so “average”. It’s so bad that I felt I was owed money back on my fare and I’m sure that the other party involved was not comfortable either.

I hope that U.S. domestic airlines will adopt the Canadian’s policy. But unfortunately, with airlines now charging you for everything but an oxygen mask, I don’t think it will happen.

No. I sympathize with their plight but how do you determine when an extra free seat is necessary? I mean is it at the point of ticket purchase, check-in or boarding?

When I lived in Poland during graduate school, I learned that I had to buy an extra tram ticket if I had a bag over a certain size. The idea was that I would be using up extra space where some other rider could have stood or sat. I think the same logic should apply to obese plane travellers. If you need two seats, then you should pay for two seats. Why should another passenger suffer because they are trapped next to thighs and elbows that don’t fit in the seats?

I think that the consensus is that they shouldn’t get a free seat. However, the caveat to that is that the airline needs to reconfigure their planes to be more flyer-friendly to all! When I see the wasted room in First Class, at the expense of those of us flying coach, I get mad. Redesign the seats to be more in touch with the reality of average heights and weights and you reduce the problems considerably. At 5 foot 1 inch, I don’t even have room for my legs in most planes!

And boy, are there a lot of really tacky people answering about what may not be within the obese person’s control. You are assuming that lack of control, excessive eating, and no personal responsibility is responsible — and that isn’t always true. Try being a little more compassionate about other people’s problems because some day, you might find yourself on the wrong end of similar remarks!

make more accommodations for obese people.

If thin people got to pay less for taking up less space on planes, trains or buses, there would be public outrage at the discriminatory practice - so why is this acceptable?? We pay extra for oversized baggage - sorry, this isn’t different - space is space no matter what’s taking it up.

Absolutely. As a physician, I can tell you that if you make it to age 18 without being overweight, you have a huge advantage in being able to control your weight as an adult, but not everyone is so lucky, thanks to unwise, or uncaring parents. No one should be penalized for that, any more than they should be penalized for having been abused as children.

And why should anyone care what another passenger receives. I can’t believe the level of prejudice against the obese, who already have to endure job discrimination, health problems, humiliation and heartache. We could all stand to be a little more compassionate in this arena. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Denise, from Madison, WI

Solve the problem, it’s easy. We have big and tall stores or stores for the plus sizes. Why not have smaller flights that just carry the plus size individuals. It doesn’t discriminate against anyone, rather it just provides a cleaner and less frustrating means of transporting good American people. Figure out a fair transport cost and you are away.

No, because the extra costs would be passed on to the other passengers.

So what if you have two really skinny people that can fit in one seat? Do they only have to pay for one ticket?

No.