TravelBanter

TravelBanter (http://www.travelbanter.com/index.php)
-   Air travel (http://www.travelbanter.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6)
-   -   Paying Extra For Being Fat (http://www.travelbanter.com/showthread.php?t=140836)

Ablang June 29th, 2008 09:43 PM

Paying Extra For Being Fat
 
Paying Extra For Being Fat
As summer vacations begin, some passengers on Southwest Airlines will
be pulled aside and, because of their weight, asked to buy a second
ticket. This controversial policy pits the commercial interests of the
airline against the dignity of overweight fliers and raises the issue
of whether anti-discrimination laws should be applied to obese people.
For Southwest, a plane ticket is like real estate: You get only the
space you pay for. (Passengers must buy an extra ticket if their girth
prevents them from lowering the armrest that divides the seats. If the
flight is not full, they qualify for a refund.) Southwest
representative Ashley Rogers says the airline instituted the policy
because of complaints from adjoining passengers. “We want to give
everybody the room they need,” she says. “People should be able to
breathe a little without their neighbor encroaching.” But in Canada, a
new government policy prevents airlines from charging extra for
passengers who are considered disabled by their obesity. The policy
will cost Air Canada $7.3 million a year. As our nation’s collective
girth increases, the debate about the rights of overweight people is
also playing out in the courts. A Michigan law protects overweight
people from job discrimination; Massachusetts is considering similar
legislation. And overweight people claim that a federal law preventing
airlines from discriminating against people with disabilities should
apply to them, too. So far, their lawsuits have been unsuccessful.
—Lori Andrews

http://www.parade.com/articles/editi...ligence_Report

DevilsPGD June 30th, 2008 04:37 AM

Paying Extra For Being Fat
 
In message

Ablang wrote:

Paying Extra For Being Fat
As summer vacations begin, some passengers on Southwest Airlines will
be pulled aside and, because of their weight, asked to buy a second
ticket. This controversial policy pits the commercial interests of the
airline against the dignity of overweight fliers and raises the issue
of whether anti-discrimination laws should be applied to obese people.


Isn't the problem the width, not weight?

DevilsPGD June 30th, 2008 10:33 PM

Paying Extra For Being Fat
 
In message Shawn
Hirn wrote:

In article ,
DevilsPGD wrote:

In message

Ablang wrote:

Paying Extra For Being Fat
As summer vacations begin, some passengers on Southwest Airlines will
be pulled aside and, because of their weight, asked to buy a second
ticket. This controversial policy pits the commercial interests of the
airline against the dignity of overweight fliers and raises the issue
of whether anti-discrimination laws should be applied to obese people.


Isn't the problem the width, not weight?


Wider people weigh more.


They might or might not. A 5'0 individual weighing 200 lbs will likely
be wider then a 6'0 individual weighing 250 lbs.

Both weight and width are potential issues, depending on whether you
care about fuel or passenger comfort.

mrtravel[_2_] July 1st, 2008 06:59 AM

Paying Extra For Being Fat
 
Shawn Hirn wrote:
In article ,
DevilsPGD wrote:


In message

Ablang wrote:


Paying Extra For Being Fat
As summer vacations begin, some passengers on Southwest Airlines will
be pulled aside and, because of their weight, asked to buy a second
ticket. This controversial policy pits the commercial interests of the
airline against the dignity of overweight fliers and raises the issue
of whether anti-discrimination laws should be applied to obese people.


Isn't the problem the width, not weight?



Wider people weigh more.


So do tall people.

John Kulp July 1st, 2008 08:51 AM

Paying Extra For Being Fat
 
On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:59:47 -0700, mrtravel wrote:

Shawn Hirn wrote:
In article ,
DevilsPGD wrote:


In message

Ablang wrote:


Paying Extra For Being Fat
As summer vacations begin, some passengers on Southwest Airlines will
be pulled aside and, because of their weight, asked to buy a second
ticket. This controversial policy pits the commercial interests of the
airline against the dignity of overweight fliers and raises the issue
of whether anti-discrimination laws should be applied to obese people.

Isn't the problem the width, not weight?



Wider people weigh more.


So do tall people.


Well, screw them too then. And charge the short ones more because
they are wasting space not filling up the seat. Or put two to a seat.
Or something

Shawn Hirn July 2nd, 2008 12:37 AM

Paying Extra For Being Fat
 
In article ,
mrtravel wrote:

Shawn Hirn wrote:
In article ,
DevilsPGD wrote:


In message

Ablang wrote:


Paying Extra For Being Fat
As summer vacations begin, some passengers on Southwest Airlines will
be pulled aside and, because of their weight, asked to buy a second
ticket. This controversial policy pits the commercial interests of the
airline against the dignity of overweight fliers and raises the issue
of whether anti-discrimination laws should be applied to obese people.

Isn't the problem the width, not weight?



Wider people weigh more.


So do tall people.


Not necessarily, but wider people can take up more than one seat due to
their expanded girth.

Brian[_1_] July 2nd, 2008 01:42 AM

Paying Extra For Being Fat
 
On Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:37:31 -0400, Shawn Hirn
wrote:


Not necessarily, but wider people can take up more than one seat due to
their expanded girth.


At the same BMI and the same % of body fat, the taller person will
weigh more.


mrtravel[_2_] July 2nd, 2008 06:55 AM

Paying Extra For Being Fat
 
Shawn Hirn wrote:
In article ,
mrtravel wrote:


Shawn Hirn wrote:

In article ,
DevilsPGD wrote:



In message

Ablang wrote:



Paying Extra For Being Fat
As summer vacations begin, some passengers on Southwest Airlines will
be pulled aside and, because of their weight, asked to buy a second
ticket. This controversial policy pits the commercial interests of the
airline against the dignity of overweight fliers and raises the issue
of whether anti-discrimination laws should be applied to obese people.

Isn't the problem the width, not weight?


Wider people weigh more.


So do tall people.



Not necessarily, but wider people can take up more than one seat due to
their expanded girth.


So, what does this have to do with paying by weight?

mrtravel[_2_] July 2nd, 2008 06:56 AM

Paying Extra For Being Fat
 
Shawn Hirn wrote:

In article ,
Brian wrote:


On Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:37:31 -0400, Shawn Hirn
wrote:



Not necessarily, but wider people can take up more than one seat due to
their expanded girth.


At the same BMI and the same % of body fat, the taller person will
weigh more.



True, but the taller person won't encroach into an adjacent passenger's
seat.


Where will he put his elbows?

DevilsPGD July 2nd, 2008 08:05 AM

Paying Extra For Being Fat
 
In message mrtravel
wrote:

Shawn Hirn wrote:

In article ,
Brian wrote:


On Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:37:31 -0400, Shawn Hirn
wrote:



Not necessarily, but wider people can take up more than one seat due to
their expanded girth.

At the same BMI and the same % of body fat, the taller person will
weigh more.



True, but the taller person won't encroach into an adjacent passenger's
seat.


Where will he put his elbows?


The same place everyone else does?


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:16 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
TravelBanter.com