WTF? air line to charge by weight of CUSTOMER

corn63

I read about this a few weeks ago, I was suprised anyone I told didnt seem to be bothered. I think its horrible that they want to signle out people to pick on. Itsnt it just another form of racisim?
What about the fact that muscle weighs more than fat? The whole idea is terrible in my opinion. And it can only help people to become depressed about their weight from public humiliaton.

It's not racism. That's based on a race of a person. Obese is not a race.

And MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT. In that theory, "skinny" lean folks would pay more than someone spilling over the armrests, which, I've experienced before and it's not fun to share your seat with someone else.

3dogsrunning

I read about this a few weeks ago, I was suprised anyone I told didnt seem to be bothered. I think its horrible that they want to signle out people to pick on. Itsnt it just another form of racisim?
What about the fact that muscle weighs more than fat? The whole idea is terrible in my opinion. And it can only help people to become depressed about their weight from public humiliaton.

You're on to something here...the parallels to transportation-related laws during the Jim Crow period are endless.

It's not singling out "fat". Taller people, people with a lot of muscle will be subject to it, just as people who choose to pack a lot of extra clothes. This wasnt introduced as a way to curb obesity or to deal with space issues, it's about the weight added to the plane, not just the person but everything on them and with them.

I agree I don't think its about fat necessarily but it will be about the weight of the person because luggage is already regulated across the board. Certainly not just about "Fat" though....I mean, I shudder to think of the poor 6'6" men who are already scrunching their legs into seats and now will have to pay a fortune to do so. In fact, a "perfect plaintiff" would probably be more likely to be someone in that circumstance. At least, if I were picking them!

I don't understand what you mean by luggage is regulated across the board. In this scheme, you pay by the pound including your luggage. No one checked bag under xx lbs and one free carry on. Everything that goes on with you is weighed and charged per pound.

ytweety5

BRB packing light
BRB no fluids 24 hrs before flight
BRB flying Air Samoa because that would make my round trip ticket about $230. Suck on that, Southwest!

Too funny. Wow.

PriceK01

Does that mean I'll get to stop sharing my seat with whoever is sitting next to me?

Please, yes! I'm sick of getting sandwiched between two obese people because I'm the only one who "fits"

Boobarella2

Racism has to do with race, not size. Please stop saying this a form of racism (saw that a lot on the other thread about this as well). Fat white people and thin white people are the same race. Fat black people and thin black people are the same race. Get my point?

I didnt say it WAS racisim. Im not silly or ignorant. Its discrimination againt a certin group of people...like racism is. I'm pretty sure you can see what I meant by what I said, even though I'm not terribly articulate.

rdwoolf

I suspect that Samoa Air is an airline that uses smaller, island-hopping planes. It is extremely important that the exact weight is known for all passengers as well as any fuel, luggage or other equipment, so that these small planes do not get loaded past the capacity of the plane itself and also that the correct amount of fuel be added before flight. For example: The singer Aaliyah's plane crashed, in part, due to it being overloaded with too much equipment. Had the airline and/or pilots checked for exact weight they should have been able to prevent this crash.

So I guess their thinking is, if we are having to weight everyone and all the equipment anyway, it might make sense to charge individuals by their weight (sort of like a package in the mail) as this is exactly how the airline must determine how much fuel to purchase as well as how much other equipment can be loaded. As much as I don't want to have to pay by the pound (or worse, be weighed at the ticket counter), it does make logical sense to charge for transit this way.

Now I think that if companies like Southwest are going to charge me double for using their airline (which I understand why they do it), they SHOULD have a seat that actually fits me...lets say a double wide seat, since that is what I am paying for. Straddling across two seats with an armrest that only goes partially up is not the same thing.

squirrelzzrule22

I read about this a few weeks ago, I was suprised anyone I told didnt seem to be bothered. I think its horrible that they want to signle out people to pick on. Itsnt it just another form of racisim?
What about the fact that muscle weighs more than fat? The whole idea is terrible in my opinion. And it can only help people to become depressed about their weight from public humiliaton.

You're on to something here...the parallels to transportation-related laws during the Jim Crow period are endless.

It's not singling out "fat". Taller people, people with a lot of muscle will be subject to it, just as people who choose to pack a lot of extra clothes. This wasnt introduced as a way to curb obesity or to deal with space issues, it's about the weight added to the plane, not just the person but everything on them and with them.

^ This exactly.

Right right, but for the purpose of explaining how it could potentially play out in a hypothetical legal scenario, think of it this way:

Two people have to take the exact same flight on the exact same day for strong personal reasons (meaning to say, the flight can't be moved to several months from now for either one of them.)

They have control over the size of their suitcases so each backs a 20lb suitcase.

One is a 5'1" woman who is small boned and a normal weight at 110lbs. She's active and maintains her weight easily.
One is a 5'9.5" woman. She has a larger frame due to her height, and played college sports so is muscular. However, she's put on 30lbs since the birth of her child 6 months ago. She weighs 200lbs. She's currently in the process of getting fit but that's where she is at the time of her flight.

Should she be forced to pack a smaller suitcase to afford the flight? Even if she brings NOTHING AT ALL (which is unreasonable) she's still paying much more than the first. She should have to cancel her trip until she is "thin enough" to afford it? Does this, ultimately, seem fundamentally fair?

I'm honestly not saying it is definitely unfair, I'm just interested in how it could be presented. I think its an interesting legal concept that could have implications for all sorts of "fat taxes" that people already debate (such as the new soda laws in NY.) What it comes down to is- is it FAIR to make life more expensive for a heavier person? (Regardless of if that heaviness comes from fat, muscle, height, or genetics?)

I honestly think its interesting. Not sure what my decision would be.

giggitygoo

This would make flying incredibly cheap for small people. Weeeeeeee!

Samoan vacation, here I come. lol

GracefulDancer4Christ

I would probably be charged extra for the flight as I am 30.4% obese at 177 pounds. good thing I don't fly

Boobarella2

I read about this a few weeks ago, I was suprised anyone I told didnt seem to be bothered. I think its horrible that they want to signle out people to pick on. Itsnt it just another form of racisim?
What about the fact that muscle weighs more than fat? The whole idea is terrible in my opinion. And it can only help people to become depressed about their weight from public humiliaton.

You're on to something here...the parallels to transportation-related laws during the Jim Crow period are endless.

It's not singling out "fat". Taller people, people with a lot of muscle will be subject to it, just as people who choose to pack a lot of extra clothes. This wasnt introduced as a way to curb obesity or to deal with space issues, it's about the weight added to the plane, not just the person but everything on them and with them.

I didnt say it was targeted at "fat" people. In my comment I did mention that muscle weighs more than fat....

I only expressed my opinion. Do you really think that lighter people will be charged less than the current prices simple because they weigh less. I dont think so. I understand why its a good idea, but I dont agree with it.

3dogsrunning

I suspect that Samoa Air is an airline that used smaller, island-hopping planes. It is extremely important that the exact weight is known for all passengers as well as any fuel, luggage or other equipment, so that these small planes do not get loaded past the capacity of the plane itself and also that the correct amount of fuel be added before flight.

That is exactly the type of plane this airline operates.

ldrosophila

Considering airline companies are huge money pits and Samoa is one of the fattest countries in the world I can understand. I would have to pay big bucks, but I can understand remember it takes a lot of fuel to lift our fat azzes in the air.

carrieous

is that roundtrip and where do they fly to???

TheRealParisLove

I read about this a few weeks ago, I was suprised anyone I told didnt seem to be bothered. I think its horrible that they want to signle out people to pick on. Itsnt it just another form of racisim?
What about the fact that muscle weighs more than fat? The whole idea is terrible in my opinion. And it can only help people to become depressed about their weight from public humiliaton.

Actually, the opposite of your argument is true. No one is singled out because everyone has to weigh in before getting on a plane. Although some races are larger than others (the Danish are the tallest people on average, the Japanese are the shortest on average), race is really not a factor when talking about the obesity epidemic.

Forcing fat people to buy two tickets, is singling them out, and is humiliating. Ask Kevin Smith. He is super rich and totally afford to pay for a private jet if he wants. Southwest made him buy two tickets due to his size. Here was his response (NSFW):

http://www.thedailybeast.com/videos/2010/02/15/kevin-smith-rants-about-southwest-airlines-incident.html

3dogsrunning

I read about this a few weeks ago, I was suprised anyone I told didnt seem to be bothered. I think its horrible that they want to signle out people to pick on. Itsnt it just another form of racisim?
What about the fact that muscle weighs more than fat? The whole idea is terrible in my opinion. And it can only help people to become depressed about their weight from public humiliaton.

You're on to something here...the parallels to transportation-related laws during the Jim Crow period are endless.

It's not singling out "fat". Taller people, people with a lot of muscle will be subject to it, just as people who choose to pack a lot of extra clothes. This wasnt introduced as a way to curb obesity or to deal with space issues, it's about the weight added to the plane, not just the person but everything on them and with them.

^ This exactly.

Right right, but for the purpose of explaining how it could potentially play out in a hypothetical legal scenario, think of it this way:

Two people have to take the exact same flight on the exact same day for strong personal reasons (meaning to say, the flight can't be moved to several months from now for either one of them.)

They have control over the size of their suitcases so each backs a 20lb suitcase.

One is a 5'1" woman who is small boned and a normal weight at 110lbs. She's active and maintains her weight easily.
One is a 5'9.5" woman. She has a larger frame due to her height, and played college sports so is muscular. However, she's put on 30lbs since the birth of her child 6 months ago. She weighs 200lbs. She's currently in the process of getting fit but that's where she is at the time of her flight.

Should she be forced to pack a smaller suitcase to afford the flight? Even if she brings NOTHING AT ALL (which is unreasonable) she's still paying much more than the first. She should have to cancel her trip until she is "thin enough" to afford it? Does this, ultimately, seem fundamentally fair?

I'm honestly not saying it is definitely unfair, I'm just interested in how it could be presented. I think its an interesting legal concept that could have implications for all sorts of "fat taxes" that people already debate (such as the new soda laws in NY.) What it comes down to is- is it FAIR to make life more expensive for a heavier person? (Regardless of if that heaviness comes from fat, muscle, height, or genetics?)

I honestly think its interesting. Not sure what my decision would be.

FTR I'm here for the same reason you are, I find the idea interesting but don't know what my decision is. This is the third thread I've participated on and the only one that has actual arguments on it.

My question is does it have to be fair? There are presumably other airlines and modes of travel. It is a private company. What legal responsibility do they have to be fair to the public?

Larger people often pay more for clothes. Is that not the same?

Boobarella2

I read about this a few weeks ago, I was suprised anyone I told didnt seem to be bothered. I think its horrible that they want to signle out people to pick on. Itsnt it just another form of racisim?
What about the fact that muscle weighs more than fat? The whole idea is terrible in my opinion. And it can only help people to become depressed about their weight from public humiliaton.

No it is not just another form of racism, it is a consequence of a choice...the choice to be fat. I don't have a problem with charging by weight. Fat people on planes cause fuel costs to rise (subsidized by our skinnier friends), make seating difficult and uncomfortable for neighbors, and could potentially present a safety risk in the event of emergency evacuation. On a recent flight I sat next to someone who was morbidly obese for 4 hours. Took up her seat and half of mine. The plane was full so there was no chance I could get moved. It was very uncomfortable. She needed to buy two seats since she borrowed half of mine for free. Having said all this, I would not be the cheapest ticket on the plane either, but fair is fair...use more space, use more fuel, pay more.

Fr some people being fat is not a choice. You cant know every intamate detail about every single human being on the earth, thus you have no idea why, how or when the person next to you became obese.

Getting healthy is a choice.

A logical, non humiliating solution would be to offer larger seat to accomodate larger passengers, thus they pay more for their own comfort. Not for the comfort for some ignorant person who has judged them for their apearence.

Willowana

Well, I think if they are charging by the weight, they need to put a person on the same scale as their luggage. One flat fee.

The question I have is, do they fill a flight quicker if the passengers weigh more (less people per load = empty seats)? Or do they still cram everyone in like sardines?

Because on one hand, it might be a safety issue, and on the other hand, it could just be pure greed.