husky
Air France to charge obese passengers for two seats
Obese passengers who are unable to squeeze into a single seat on an airliner are to be charged double to fly with Air France.
This picture, on the aviation news website Flightglobal, reignited debate about obese passengers on planes. Photo: FLIGHTGLOBAL
From next month seriously overweight flyers will be asked to pay for two seats, or not be allowed on board for “safety reasons”, the airline announced yesterday.
“People who arrive at the check-in desk and are deemed too large to fit into a single seat will be asked to pay for and use a second seat,” said Monique Matze, an Air France spokesman.
“They will be charged 75 per cent of the cost of the second seat, which is the full price excluding tax and surcharges, on top of the full price for the first.
“The decision has been made for safety reasons. We have to make sure that the backrest can move freely up and down and that all passengers are securely fastened with a seatbelt.”
She added: “People who cannot fit into a single seat will then be fastened by slotting the belt tip of one seat into the plug of the next, stretching over both seats.
“However the charge will only apply on flights that are full booked. They will get their money back on flights where spaces are available.”
Two years ago Air France was ordered to pay £5,000 in damages to a 27-stone passenger who had his stomach measured at an airport check-in desk before being told to buy two seats.
British Airways has no weight limits for passengers, but advises overweight people to buy a second seat for their own comfort and safety if necessary.
Last year a picture, posted the aviation news website, Flightglobal,reignited the debate about obese passengers on aeroplanes.
Ford® Drive One
Share Your Experiences and Stories. You Can Be Part of the Ford Story.
Free Terminal & Low Rates
Low Rates and Great Service From A Brand You Trust. Call 866.726.3323
Google Nexus One- 3D Tour
Slim Sleek Design, 1GHz Processor Available Exclusively Online Here!
FINANCE MOST VIEWED
SPONSORED FEATURES
Save up to 40% and have your ski equipment ready on arrival by booking in advance at Skiset.
posted by Bagack at
9:08 AM
IF YOU WANT MORE SPACE THE AIRLINES ALREADY HAVE THE ANSWER; ITS CALLED FIRST CLASS!!
The man's legs and arms were so huge that for ten hours I had to lean side ways against my husband. There was no way I could eat meals because the man's arm stuck out over half my seat.
This man was in effect using over half my seat. I blame Air France.
Can't say I feel sorry for the people who are fat. If you are, you created the problem on your own and asking society to accept the fact that being overweight is the norm is absurd.
Is that kinda like "Try being a male nurse"? hahahah
What kind of stupid zombie fantasy are you people living.
While some individuals have a natural propensity toward being overweight (and even obese), I don't see how it is possible to get anywhere near this level of obesity by eating even a moderately healthy diet and getting a low amount of exercise. To get to this level of obesity, one has to pretty much make eating their hobby - and by this, I don't mean "fine dining" but eating lots of unhealthy foods, where "lunch" would consist of foods from four different fast-food joints.
I have a lack of sympathy for those who get discriminated against due to being so overweight (when the situation is appropriate) - it is largely a self-control issue, hence, a character issue.
These seats are designed to fit individuals who have acceptable weights and body sizes. Although I am somewhat overweight, I still have a bit of wiggle room when I get into an airline seat.
THE AIRLINES SHOULD TAKE A SECTION (BE IT RANDOM OR NOT) AND PULL THOSE BABY SIZE SEATS OUT AND PUT IN LARGER SEATS. WHERE THERE IS NORMALLY 3 SEATS, PUT 2 IN AND CHARGE EXTRA FOR THE LARGER SEATS. NOW HERE IS WHERE IT WOULDN'T BE A REVENUE LOSS; SOME FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS WOULD LOVE TO SIT IN ROOMIER SEATS AND WOULD PAY A LITTLE EXTRA FOR THEM. THIS WOULD ELIMINATE SPILLING OVER, INTRUSION AND EMBARASSMENT FOR OBESE PASSENGERS.
Secondly, a person pays for the space they take up on the airplane. The airlines have made seats in such dimensions that reasonably allows the average person enough space to sit for a flight, and for many people a seat is more than enough space. Airlines cannot simply make all of their seats bigger (because the average person does not need a bigger seat), and they should not have a section on the airplane to accomodate larger people (because they would be singled out and forced to sit in their own "obese section") which many would consider discrimination. However, airlines should be allowed to charge people for the space they take up on the airplane. If a person is large enough where he/she needs more than the dimensional space that the airlines can reasonably provide to the average individual, then they should have to pay for it. I myself am overweight, and if the day ever came that I could not fit myself into an airplane seat, I would not cry foul if the airline made me pay for an extra seat; if anything it would be a wake-up call.
As a law student, I can't wait for the day when airlines across the globe begin instituting this kind of policy. Inevitably, there will be mass lawsuits, and possibly even a class-action. I would love to defend the airline if it ever came to that. ...If there was a class action, I wonder how all the obese people would get to the site where the suit was commenced... would they fy?
Does this refer to the legendry "unable to say no to pies" gene?
If I were large enough to require two seats, I'd want them for my own comfort. Larger people pay more for clothing because more material is needed to create it, and I don't see indignant reactions to that. Fact of life. Same with seat space.
I do agree, even thin/those with a normal BMI are already squeezed into chairs, especially those that are tall like me. Last thing I want is someone violating my personal space and possibly threatening safety of passengers.
Lufthansa, take note!
Way to go Air France. Over the years I have had numerous obese people spill over into my seating space. Their sweating, unwashed rolls of fat protrude over and under the armrest. Tree trunk legs are splayed onto my floor space. Mammoth arms, resting on encrusted armpits shoving me into the adjacent seat.
Hey people, lay off the Big Macs!
Seriously, obese people are a hazard on airplanes. Imagine you are behind one during an emergency evacuation.
Certainly, the obese person's intrusion into the normal sized person's space is a problem. Every normal sized person who has ever flown next to an obese person can so attest. The solution may require people over a certain weight or girth buying two seats up front and getting reimbursed for a portion if the flight is not full.
Guy is not a giant. He doesn't fit in the seat and is straddling the armrest in that photo which is the reason he looks much taller as well. He probably is a little taller than the man to his right but shouldn't be much more taller.
Furthermore, this is NOT discrimination against the obese. Let's put the shoe on the other foot for a second. If someone is going to claim that obese people should pay the same price as everyone else and get an extra seat, I say that is discrimination against people who are NOT obese. If I'm not obese, and an obese person and I each pay $500 for sitting in the same section on the same flight, why should he/she get two seats for his/her $500 but I only get one seat for mine? That's discrimination. If you want to say it is not, then should we also demand that grocery stores and restaurants sell food at a discount to obese people? After all, if an obese person requires twice as much food as I do, should he/she be able to get twice the amount of food as me for the same price?
Something doesn't make sense, though. They said the charge only applies to flights that are fully booked. But, if they're fully booked, then how can the obese person get two seats in a row?
But, I agree with the person who said to weigh passengers and luggage. For instance, I always travel light and never have more than a carry on size bag. Yet the guy with two or three suitcases probably has 50-75 pounds more than me.
That having been said - if the flight isn't full, and the total weight of person + luggage falls under some maximum, then he shouldn't be charged extra. Nobody needs the extra seat, and the fat person isn't taking up extra weight. On the other end of things, people who are huge but NOT fat should be charged for extra seats as well, since this is a size and weight issue, not a health issue per se.
Seriously, people - fat is almost always self-inflicted, and size gives you natural advantages in life that small people would be more than willing to pay a bit extra for. No use complaining either way, pay your fee and move on.
Despite being in favour of the airlines plans here, it doesnt detract from the reality that most airlines dont provide adequate space on their planes for 'bigger' people (height and weight).
If the airlines are going to go down the route of charging for weight, there should be some responsibilty taken on their part to make the seats wider and increase leg room so that the extra money paid results in extra comfort.
As it stands, this just sounds like a revenue raising tactic from the airlines and is unlikely to mean more comfortable travel for anyone.
I recently spent an 8-hour flight sandwiched between two huge gentlemen who both not only monopolised the armrests but overflowed several inches into 'my space'. It was incredibly uncomfortable, claustrophobic and made eating in-flight meals impossible. I asked the cabin crew to change seat but was told there was none available (I wasn't offered an upgrade!).
They were nice enough guys and I wouldn't wish to persecute them but if I found myself in the same position again, I would refuse to fly.
Simple really !
And like all things in life every thing has its consequences, and just as a very large person needs to buy bigger sized clothes or a bigger sized car, buying two seats or traveling Business/first class has to be also accepted, and is only fair to any person seating in the next seat. They paid their fare and deserve to not be encroached on.
"Firstly the above picture shows a man who not only is broader than other people, but also proportionally higher. He is simply a giant person. If he were of a normal height, at those proportions he would fit in one seat"
That man's head is miniscule which demonstrates just how fat he is, he is NOT a giant.
Air France - Bravo, about time too. I will certainly fly with you more often if I can.
Maybe cos they are still occupying a full seat, they don't cram the 7,8 years olds etc in two to a seat. The simple fact is if you are too big to fit in a seat and overspill, you are in effect stealing somebody else share of available space.
In general I think it's a decent idea. However, I weigh 90kg and am not really overweight, being 6'2" (well OK, I could do with spending a little more time in the gym, but my BMI is deemed to be fine).
Is it Ok then to punish tall people in this way, who are already punished by the airlines by having to cram their legs into spaces they just won't fit in (usually behind people that insist on shoving their seat all the way back, even on short flights!)
2 - the seating configuration shown is common on many short-haul flights - the Airbus 320 comes to mind - ref http://www.seatguru.com which shows seating layouts for different airlines and aircraft.
3 - the man in the photo is large but his proportions suggest he is definitely overweight even for a man of his height.
4 - the Royal Mail was not decimated by emails - yes the handwritten letter declined but the internet business moved the emphasis of the workload from letters to packets and parcels
Great idea from Air France - hope all the other airlines follow suit
Of course airlines cramming ever more smaller seats into an already cramped space wouldn't have anything to do with it ...would it?
I was flying in a seat behind a lady flying from the US to Japan on a US carrier - she was large and she was told at check in she had to buy two seats because the airline thought she was too large to fit into a single seat.
Unfortunately, after the airline insisted she part with the money for the double seats, they only allocated her two seats in a row where the arm rests are fixed and cannot be raised. Useless.
The stewardesses on board struggled with the situation, but in the end someone kind soul (me) had to give up their seat for the airlines incompetence.
Not surprisingly she was very embarrassed and absolutely furious.
The French do it because they don't care about PC they just use common sense - sadly lacking in Brown's Britain.
I can fly to C de G from Southampton and fly anywhere I wish.
Now the experience will be even more enjoyable.
Well done Air France.
DNF