Overweight people may find they are charged a "fat tax" on future flights. In a recent poll conducted by Skyscanner, more than 75% of people believe such a tax would be reasonable. Last year, Irish low cost carrier Ryanair said that it was considering charging excess weight fees for obese fliers. Over 30,000 passengers voted in an online poll in favor of such fees.
However, in 2008, Air France was ordered to pay $7,500 in damages to a 378 pound passenger who had his waist measured at an airport check-in desk before being told he would have to purchase two seats.
CAPTIONS: (ABOVE LEFT) Making room for an overweight passenger (Daily Telegraph); (BELOW RIGHT) Models who won't be subject to a "fat tax" display creations by Russian designer Valentin Yudashkin during Fashion week in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze); (BELOW LEFT ONE) The mouse on the left is obese (Wikipedia/public domain); (BELOW LEFT TWO) In this April 13, 2009 file photo, American Airlines Flight Attendant Renee Schexnaildre demonstrates the adjustable seats on a Boeing 737-800 jet at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine, Texas (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam, file); (BELOW RIGHT LOWER) Japan Airlines employees, who also won't be subject to a "fat tax" wait for passengers at Tokyo's international airport at Haneda in Tokyo on Friday, Feb. 26, 2010 (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara);
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Laws in many countries may prohibit such discrimination. In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) classifies a disability as a "physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities" of the individual affected. Courts have extended the protections of the ADA to some acquired conditions, though obesity would be decided on a case by case basis.
It is a sensitive issue for the airlines. A British newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, reports that some carriers give obese passengers a 25 per cent discount off their second seat. But there is new legislation in the U.K. that will entitle such customers a full refund, provided their flight is not fully booked.
According to Barry Smith, Skyscanner cofounder and director, "On one hand, it’s not unreasonable for airlines to charge passengers extra if they occupy more than one seat. On the other, many would argue that it should be the responsibility of airlines to adjust their standard seat size, enabling them to comfortably accommodate all passengers."
United Airlines and other carriers, including Southwest, Alaska, and Continental, have already been charging large travelers for an additional seat, if they “are unable to fit into a single seat in the ticketed cabin; are unable to properly buckle the seat belt using a single seat belt extender; and/or are unable to put the seat’s arm rests down when seated.” United has waived this fee if there are empty seats on the flight.
Obesity is usually defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30, while overweight people exceed
25 on the BMI scale. Both are growing segments of the population. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, based in Paris, show obesity as a percentage of total population. The United States is at the top of that list with over 30%, while Japan and South Korea have the fewest obese population, both tied with 3.1%.
Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), released in 2007, show there are 1.6 billion overweight adults, age 15 and over, in the world with a BMI greater than 25. That number is projected to grow by 40% in the next 10 years. Heading that list are Nauru with 94.5%, followed closely by the Federated States of Micronesia with 91.1%. The U.S. is in ninth place with 74.1% of it population overweight. By WHO statistics, the skinniest populations are in Vietnam (6.4%), Bangladesh (6.1%), Ethiopia (5.6%), and Eritrea (4.4%).
Whether or not the airlines will extend the meaning of "wide bodies" to its passengers, as well as its planes is still up in the air.
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Comments
Something has to be done---though I will agree that over the years I've been flying I notice the seats seem to be getting smaller, so not even medium build person could fit comfortably without running into their neighbor.
I think they should just make the seats bigger.
How would they know who is obese? by sight or weighing each customer?
How about DRUNKS ???????????
Interesting coverage of the obese tax, which is a very delicate topic.
It is an interesting issue for almost all airlines to consider but I doubt its practicality especially considering the sensitivity and possible embarracement that could be caused while asking how much a passenger weights and measuring his/her waist.
United's policy of waving the fee if there are empty seats seems fair. However, the seats are getting smaller and bring a lot of discomfort to all of us.
Thanks for the thorough report. Director Kevin Smith brought this issue new attention recently. I think the airlines should charge for an extra seat if passengers can't fit into a standard seat. I've sat next to an overweight passenger and it was not pleasant-- half of his body was handing over my seat! Airlines shouldn't have to widen their seats to accommodate people. I'm sure that just would bring up fare prices for the rest of us.
Wonderful witty close to this article. I agree completely with Billie. I know the airline industry is suffering, but make some wider seats and then there is no problem, instead of stuffing everyone in like sardines. This will be a problem in this country because of the ADA and if the charges continue you are going to see lawsuites (sorry, lawyer here, thinking like one). I agree with Jaimie also...I did a law review article in law school on random searhces....how do they decide who to charge? It is discriminatory. Changing the seating to wider seats is probably the best solution.
Are the seats getting smaller or are Americans getting bigger? If almost 1/3 of Americans are in the obese range, I think it may be the latter... I have to say I agree with the airlines who are charging extra if a passenger can't meet the requirements stated above. If any of you watched Jamie Oliver's new series about trying to make changes in the "fattest town in America" (in West Virginia), you couldn't help but be disgusted and saddened at the same time. They also showed the huge caskets the funeral homes have to make now to accommodate the morbidly obese bodies of those who have literally killed themselves with food.
as long as we all keep eating corn products, we'll be fat as pigs.
As a clinically obese person, I can tell all of you who want to charge me extra to fly, that life is difficult enough for people like myself, without the airlines stepping up to pass judgement. Airplanes today are little better than busses that leave the ground. There is no leg room and seats have shrunk past the point of ridiculous. I am about to board a flight next week, and if someone tries to charge me extra, there will be a fuss. My condition is not of my own choosing, and this kind of discrimination against the obese of the world is inexcusable. If airlines made any attempt at serving the public, which is their job, they wouldn't be in the mess they're in, and they wouldn't be scheming to find ways to add charges to every ticket they sell. So, to the airlines, keep your peanuts and your free soda; your pillow and blanket. That's fine. But don't try to pick my pocket because of a MEDICAL CONDITION. I will fight and I will win.
Airline tickets should be priced based on weigh just like when I buy meat. Being fat is a choice and not a disability and not a medical condition. Being FAT is the CAUSE of medical condtions.
Airline tickets should be priced based on weigh just like when I buy meat. Being fat is a choice and not a disability and not a medical condition. Being FAT is the CAUSE of medical condtions.
Whoever posted the above comment about being fat is a choice is completely and utterly ignorant. Do people truly believe that overweight people CHOOSE to be fat??? With all the ridicule and embarrassment obese people endure, they totally CHOOSE to go through all that??? What an incredibly stupid and horrid comment.
Onto the real matter at hand, the airplanes are only trying to make money. They make the seats smaller so they can cram more people into a plane. A friend of mine who is medium sized said she even had a hard time fitting into the airplane seat. They need to make the seats normal sized. Period. Even skinny people can have big butts.
It's appalling to me to see airline fees skyrocketing like this. What does it matter if you get the cheapest airline tickets if they tack on tons of fees on top of the price! try reading this one: http://www.farecompare.com/travel-advice/airline-fees-could-reach-9-bill...
I am obese - and bloody well doing something about it - but i am all for charging people like me more.
I feel awful when I board a flight nowadays (one of the reasons I am determined to continue loosing weight is that I want to fly without being a burden to other passengers) I know I will encroach on someone else's space.
I am not stupidly fat but big enough for it to affect other people.
Charge obese people more for larger seats. Can't wait to hit the overweight category (soon) and then hopefully normal by the end of the year. Flying will finally be a bit more enjoyable I hope.
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