I do however think ALL children should be in a paid seat. Children sitting on a parent's lap on a flight invade adjacent seats more than someone overweight. Feet, food and toys fly, the children scream as they wiggle and move around. If you want to charge for overweight people, charge for every single child on a plane too.

It would be pretty hard to tell don't you think?

What about a 275 lbs 6ft 9 pure muscle linebacker for some college? You cannot really go by weight. But then again I guess when you are buying your ticket online the company could ask questions like: Are you a fat ass? Are you thinking about food right now? Do you have trouble sitting in the movie theater seats?

I think it is impossible to tell if somebody is obese just by weight. So how could they tell?

Like freanchieak pointed out passengers are paying for the flight and not for the seats. So it is not right that they pay for the two airline seats, unless they occupy the other one. Well, that is up to the airline policy. But I have never heard of anyone being ask to pay for the extra plane seats.

if they can fit they don't need to buy to airline tickets

with airlines making the seats smaller and cramming more people in I think it's rude that it is even suggested. Seeing as they even have people sitting in the emergency exit seats now I find this ridiculous. What happens if the people sitting near the exit panics. They're allready sucking in every penny they can get.

some plane seats dont even accomodate an average person adequately. And seeing as the obesity rate in the USA is so high this would mean every second ticket has to pay double if its done on the standard obesity weight.

I'll post here since it's empty.

But my response is neither. It should depend on the Airline company that gives out the tickets. If they want to charge extra, then go ahead, if they don't, then don't.

this is America the Free.

Well first off, I agree with thepyg.

So what exactly would the weight limit be? Because I'm pretty sure that being obese and taking up more than one seat is not exactly the same thing.

I don't think a person should have to pay for two seats because they make someone els feel uncomfortable. Unless they would apply that to everybody. Lets charge the loud and annoying people for two seats because who wants to sit by them?

But if the person is so obese that they are taking up a seat and a half then yeah, that is the only good option I can think of. It just depends on how obese the person is.

But it's up to the airline of course.

No. This is a very not good debate. As said by someone above, what if an obese person read this? They will be hurt , won't they?

And human are all the same. whether they are obese or not, they are still one and they should not be charged more...

This is so rude...That's why thin people think they rule the world just because of they're body weight...I'm an overweight person myself and I'm about to make a trip next month and I'm just so scare of having this type of problems on my day of trip, If somebody here knows if this is really happening just comment on this....Plane tickets are most expensive, and paying for two is a disaster for our traveling budget.

I'm a big person and I went to a concert about two years ago in Dallas...I listened to my fiance brag about how upscale the arena was till we went to sit down...He's not obese like I am, but even he had a mildly hard time squeezing into their very uncomfortable "tiny" seats...I questioned why would such an "upscale" arena have such miserable seating...the answer is simple, quality no longer matters, it's about money, "quantity"...if you make the seats smaller, they make more money as equals more people...it don't matter if you fat or thin or whether or not their seats are fit for a mouse, it's all about the money...all a fat person has become is someone elses profit, nevermind that they are human too...we get to pay more for the same right, because the greed of quantity vs. quality...you wouldn't see these problems back in the day when they made things worth a dam and big enough for "everyone". Better to have enough and not need it, then not have enough at all! If airline tickets are as greedy as everyone else, I'll just refuse to fly and drive to my destination! In other words, kiss my FAT *ss honey! We are expected to accept all colors of the face of the earth without racism and that card gets played plenty! But what about all sizes? At this rate all future seats will be measured by using that a five year old child to be considered for average space between the width of one side of our asses to the other...and either you'll fit or you won't! The "love" of money is the route of all evil! as proven by the world in which we live...

No, they should not. Instead, airlines and other industries should have a little class. In cases where the number of seats being sold is business-profitability threatening, then, perhaps an argument could be made, but even still, I believe that when a ticket is being sold to someone who is over the size limit for one seat, it should go something like this:

1) Do you require more than one seat due to body size or other rationale? (Warning, answering incorrectly may result in your being forced onto a different flight to the same destination) ... example seats should be made available out front, similar to how amusement park rides often do.

2) Would you like to purchase a second ticket to guarantee your departure on this flight, or wait for the next flight to this destination with an empty seat available? (Answering yes may delay your flight departure time by up to 24 hours).

This way, you don't simply mandate from on high a very rude policy, you instead offer the person in question a way to fly at the same price as everyone else, but the inconvenience of waiting extra time is shoved onto them instead of them shoving parts of themselves into other paying customer's seats.

This is a solid compromise with easily solvable logistics. One must remember that this wouldn't be an issue if it hadn't been for the greed of trying to cram so many people onto the planes to begin with. I don't want to hear any arguments about failing airline industry, either, that's gross mis-management to cut your CEOs and other top execs 20 mil+ benefits each year for 30 years and then suddenly wonder where all the cash went. You invested it in some guy's mansion/boats/personal jets instead of back in your business where it belonged.

One person, one fare!

Most flights I have been on have not been at full capacity. Therefore there is no reason why an obese person cannot book two seats next to one another (as a matter of necessity) but still pay a single fare (because they ARE just one person, at the end of the day).

However, with flights that ARE full capacity then I suppose the airline can choose to charge them double or perhaps 50%-75% of the second seat, as a matter of their own policy.

Read about how Air France dealt with it:http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/air-france-forces-obese-people-to-pay-nearly-double/story-e6frfq80-1225821563654

I thought that this was a bit of a gem:

I feel really strongly that, if you pay for an airline ticket, it’s not fair to have to share the seat with a fat person sitting beside you. Why should one person’s right to be fat be allowed to infringe on your right to use all of your seat space? If someone is so fat that their body doesn’t fit on one seat, they should have to pay for the extra space they take. But I don’t think the solution is larger seats for fat people. Why should airlines pay for the cost of putting in bigger seats? If they did this, they would be saying that it’s OK to be fat, and this just makes things worse.

Basically she's saying that if you're big enough to lean into her, or inconvenience her space, you should be forced to pay double for space you wouldn't be using.

I consider it a part of being a respectful human being that we put up with the little difficulties of one another each day. We couldn't exist together if everyone felt it was their right to not be inconvenienced for the sake of others. For example, I can't stand whiny kids and babies at grocery markets and just about any public place. I wouldn't dream of telling the mother, however, to "Shut that little bastard's face up before I muzzle him."

But of course, if women like her ever get their way then I propose we force her to pay for two seats as well, because while we're on the the course towards a society that is self-entitled, I feel that her presence as a condescending, pompous ass is severely inconvenient towards my ability to enjoy the flight. Perhaps more-so than the two fat people on either side of me.

I honestly cannot believe all this hostility toward obese people. I am a diabetic and gained weight when I first was diagnosed. I was able to work hard and lose the excess weight over time.

To assume that these overweight people are just lazy and overeaters is an ignorant discrimination. How do you know they don't have a physical defect that causes the excess weight gain? You can't just say they are being selfish for wanting to take an airplane to their destination just like everyone else.

They should NOT have to buy 2 seats. I agree that it would be uncomfortable to have an overweight person in the seat next to you, but no more so then getting stuck in rush hour traffic or getting the wrong flavor cream in your coffee. I think its a bit pompous to think they should pay double just for being overweight.

No, have you ever seen the size of those seats? they are not made for a normal ass or should I say for someone with an ass. It's just not fair

Canadian Standard Since 2008 it is the law in Canada - one person - one ticket - zero discrimination. And guess what - We are making profits on our airlines! On another site I saw people compare the shipping of boxes to passengers who are large.. declaring that heavy boxes mean you pay more. Good grief - how cold is that. And just an fyi - I weigh 112 pounds so this is not something I personally benefit from.

Though uncomfortable for others, there is no clear way to draw the line where fat becomes "too fat," Everyone with an open seat next to them prays the seat next to them will be empty and cringe when an extra large person walks down the aisle, hoping that person will not sit next to them. Though it makes it uncomfortable for both the large person and those sitting around them, there is no defined, objective means to determine who needs to purchase the extra ticket. As an alternative, airlines should offer larger seats at an extra cost for those too heavy to fit in a standard seat. This alternative would take the discomfort out of flying for those that may just be giant people by nature, including tall and muscular, not just the obese.

I'm opposed to an obese person paying two full fares for airline travel as airlines should accommodate a wide variety of travelers. Handicapped people don't pay for special considerations and neither should the obese. I do however support a larger seat section at a slightly increased fare but we all know the world isn't a one size fits all place and the obese shouldn't be penalized for it.

I don't think it's fair for an obese person to pay for two airline seats as it's unnecessary and embarrassing to them. I am a very slim person myself but I have some family members who are slightly overweight (but not obese), and I would be mortified for them if they were told they would have to pay for an extra seat. What if someone had bad breath or gas? These people should be left to enjoy their flight in peace.

Why should they pay for two airline tickets when they are one person? Airline tickets are sold per individual, not per pound. And, the fact that this has been an ongoing debate, for so long, exemplifies the fact that there is a need for the airlines to address this issue. People should not be penalized because of their weight. This smells of discrimination. The airlines are a customer driven society and they should do what they can to make their present, and potential, customers happy. Would it really be putting the airlines out too much to accommodate their larger customers?

No, obese people shouldn't pay for two airline seats. First, the airlines make the seat's size smaller and smaller continually to hold more people into airplane, maybe someday the seat would be as small as an A4 paper! If you want to be more comfortable, yes you can, just book 3 or 4 seats. Second, extra luggage have been paid for years, now we pay for our body's weight. human=luggage? How do somebody say it's nothing about discrimination? the last but not least, airlines runs for the people. We've already pay enough to let airline company to keep passengers comfortable. so after thinking about making more money, we should think of more about human respect and prejudice. We've already had racial discrimination, social status discrimination, are we going to create "weight discrimination"?!

i do not beliee that obese people should pay for two seats; even if they cant fit into one perfectly they still shouldnt. i will be honest i am obese or so the doctors say but if i was skinny my answer still would be no. they should not make a weight limit for people because they make the seats "super small" just to make more money for the seats,and sometimes when they do make a person pay for a second seat somone has to sit there anyway and hey shouldnt make the person pay unless the other customer beside them complains and if they do they should get a huge discount to pay like a 90% discount because there isnt one more person flying its still one person

Is there any rules prohibiting the over size persons to pay for their seats in any transportation means? Obese person don't actually liked what they have, if this is the case that some ask for extra charges then it is a sort of discrimination. We are not all born to have fit body, we are not physically the same, but for the rights we have, we must have equal and fair share. It is a health condition that every should have reconsider and have fair treatment.

I believe that when you reach a certain age (18 I presume), you should choose whether or not you want to wear a seatbelt. Everyone knows the consequences, and if you decide you don't want to wear one, that's a personal choice.

No, and this is entirely frustrating for people in that kind of scenario, and it is also a violation of rights. Airline fees counts every customers head to head an not by weight. Reverse the idea, how about the child that can't actually occupy the old's seats, can they be exempted instead or have their seats offered to other and they will not pay for their fares. So embarrassing, anyway, to get rid of this obese issue, I suggest everyone to try the health monitoring systems featured at http://www.interactivecare.ca/, this is interactive so I guess it will be helpful to everyone.

I think that maybe a per-person flat rate is a bad idea, even if we double it when they take up two seats.

What if, instead, your fare was based on the combined weight of your person and all of your luggage? I don't believe there is a reasonable objection to that- nobody is being discriminated against, the fare is calculated in a wholly objective way. Fat people wouldn't be paying a higher rate than thin people- they would be paying the same rate, applied to a larger overall mass. This would also carry the benefit of encouraging people to pack lighter.

Combine that with tiered seat sizes, where individuals are placed in the smallest seat that can accomodate their entire body, and we have a system that is ultimately fair for everyone.

No, of course not. When we do, we treated them as one that is normal and can cause provocation of rights., unless otherwise, if the passenger himself pay and occupies seats for two.

Regards.

Rodney of http://caldwells.com/

I think not, if an obese person has to pay for two seats then they just feel more self-conscience about about there wait. I should know I weigh alot and I'm always thinking what other ppl think of me. We obese people should either get the second seat free or half off.

No!! That's so mean! How do you think someone obese feels reading this right now?