Well, I think so and so does KLM / Air France it seems - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8471451.stm Last week I made a 9 hour flight back to Europe and I was supposed to be sandwiched between to rather large blokes whose flab oozed over the armrests but thankfully the steward sorted me out with a row of seats to myself. My idea (and it’s a brave one) is that there should be a combined passenger & baggage weight as its not fair that someone who resembles a blimp balloon is allowed the same baggage allowances as me! While I have the floor, I don’t think obesity is a disease and those tummy reduction operations should not be performed on the NHS while more deserving cases go without drugs due to the cost implications…
I totally agree with you, When I used to be at fighting weight I was under 10 stones yet got charged for being 2 kilos over on baggage when the bloke behind me was a weeble in comparison. Where is the justice in that.
yeah! e.g. ticket = £100 + vat + F.A.T (fat added tax) F.A.T = cost of ticket + 2% x each additional kilo over 90KG political correctness pah.... **** it.
I flew to the Chicago and had to sit for 8 hours alongside a very portly gentleman, who could not even put the tray down to eat his meal. As thoughtful and aware of his size as he was, we had to travel with the centre armrest up, and I had no choice but to sit crookedly for the flight with the other armrest digging into my side, and accept his profuse apologies - the airline in question was AA, and they had refused to sell the guy 2 seats, as it was a very busy route. I had sporadic bouts of pins and needles, and back-ache during the flight and arrived thoroughly p-ed off with things - lets face it, long haul flights are never THAT pleasant at the best of times. I wrote to AA to discuss the matter.... ...still waiting :roll:
Matter of common sense for the airline - I'd definitely complain and might even refuse to sit next to a large person if I was going to have a journey like Moonwitch. It's not fair for one person to make life intolerable for another. on the subject of NHS treatment there was an interesting debate about this on Radio 4 this morning, a consultant was saying that some PCTs are refusing an opeven though the patient meets the criteria, someone esle was saying that it's expensive and that other needs must come first. But then if the obese person goes on to develop diabetes high blood ressure arthritis and all the rest of it, we haven't really saved anything.
Have to say every time I’ve spoken to a staff member I was moved apart from an American airline who said there were no spare seats. I called their bluff and asked to catch the next plane from the US to Europe knowing my luggage would have to be offloaded – a seat was found within a few minutes.
The airlines are spending more and more money developing, more efficient, lighter & quieter engines when all they have to do to save money is ban fat people from flying lol
Combined passenger and baggage weight is waaay to sensible and fair to ever be implemented by an Airline. Except perhaps a British one that is losing money.... No Sir, what would happen is an excess baggage weight charge, and an excess passenger width/weight charge. (Mr Ryanair - you saw it here first!) I propose that Tubbies should only be allowed to fly in single seats that are fairly well spaced out - as in business class! then make the seat prices the same as business class... A gastric band privately fitted (to stop the NHS getting clogged with whining fatties) would seem a lot better value then, wouldn't it? However, the failing of that plan is in the physics of aircraft design. Even weight distribution for stable flight demands that the biggest weight concentration be in the centre of the 'plane. Right by the emergency exits.... Damn. Any other non-PC solutions?
PC me sir? NEVER lol Its funny actually cos I'm holed up in Rolls-Royce Derby at the moment and they are about to start work on the dev engines for the XWB which happens to stand for Extra Wide Body. So are the airlines building planes for fatties? No they just want to cram more people on board.
Problem is, it begins a slippery slope. One day it's extra charges for fatties. Next day, it's extra taxes for motorcyclists (to pay for treatments) at the same time, we'll add smokers, druggies, fishermen, horse riders....etc Next week, let's just ban everything dangerous, if your too fat, you face the firing squad. Motorbikes? They're banned. Hugely exaggerated (I hope) but this appears to be how the world is going. Live and let live I say!
Mmmmmm - had the pleasure of sitting across the aisle (praise the Lord) from two very "healthy" Samoan ladies sharing 3 seats a few years ago...you know you're in trouble once the flight attendants start breaking out the "seat-belt extension kits"!!!
I guess whats the charging point..ie if your 6ft 6 tall and 18 stone well thats about right but if your 5ft 10 and 18 stone your well over weight, so who decides, Me i would just like them to group all the big people togeather that way they can just make their own journys unplesent.
good idea, with only health food on board and limited portions then they wouldnt be fatties when they got where they were going