Shouldn't fat airline passengers pay for two seats?

They take more space, more fuel, usually pack more luggage, and require more assistance. Sure, charge them more – and refund some of the fee to the thin people.
Weigh the person as well as the baggage and charge a surcharge upon check-in.
<—- Said by a thin person.

This idea will never fly.

How would the airline know? Once they sell you the ticket you get the seat.

No.
That way, half or a third of the second seat would be left unseated; that would be a waste.
The airlines could make some wider seats in every airplane (to be put next to a few smaller seats, or two wide seats in the place of three normal seats) and yes, then the more heavy passenger could pay a little more for his/her ticket.
Or pay normal fare for a normal seat but then he/she has to take the uncomfortability of being stuck in his chair.
The amount of kilos that would be the limit for higher fares would show to be pretty arbitrary I think.

It’s a nice idea because when you’re stuck next to a huge person, man it sucks. But @tinyfaery and @rebbel nail down why it’s not realistic.

Some airlines make larger seats but only charge $50—$100 more, instead of triple for first class or business. i think more airlines should do it for heavier people and people who simply want to pay more to be more comfortable, but don’t need the white glove service. Just one or two rows. Basically a row with 6 seats, 3 and 3, become a row of 4, and the airline make exactly the same amount on the row.

I guess I am saying yes, I think it is ok to charge more to accomodate someone who is very heavy. It is more than just space it is weight.

@JLeslie Weight is certainly a concern. But to those of us who have to suffer their “over-spill” space is the true issue.

Just playing Devil’s advocate: What if the airline made you pay for the seat in front of you, since your oversized legs will be in the back of the seat in front of you?

Yes. If the fat guy eats two donuts at the bakery he pays for two. Same should go for seats.

I think I asked this same identical question some time ago.

I am 6ft 5in tall also. I generally request the seat near the emergency exit door, since it has more leg room, than the other seats.

I have always contended that if a persons rear end will not fit into one airplane seat, that person should either pay for two seats or upgrade to first class, where the seats are bigger.

Is this a form of discrimination? I do not think so. The airlines are a private intity, but governed by the Federal Government.

If obese people are going to fly, they should either pay for two seats or pay more for a first class ticket.

This tends to get addressed fairly often around here.

@saint I agree. Although, I have personally been on two flights where two seats had to fly empty because the weight was over (smaller planes, but not teeny, they were jets, maybe 40 seaters).

I just flew on United Airlines last week, and I can’t imagine a fat person sitting in one of those small, cramped seats that I sat in! I have small hips, but broad shoulders and longish legs, and I have an athletic body, and even I had difficulty sitting comfortably in my seat! A fat person would definitely need 2 seats on that airline, so if 2 seats are needed, someone who wants to board the same flight will be “bumped off” unfortunately. That isn’t fair to the normal- bodied individual who couldn’t get on because some fat person took his/her seat. Yes, fat people should pay for 2 seats.

I’m just thinking the average man in America is probably typically pretty uncomfortable in a coach seat. Some airlines are charging more now for exit rows, having more leg room, and also having seats in the first few rows of coach class with more legg room for more money, but that doesn’t really solve the need for a wider seat. My solution means the heavier person is buying one and a half seats instead of two, and the big athletic man can be more comfortable in that seat also.

It might be a good time to revisit this issue. Yes, In my opinion, people who take up more than one seat should be charged for two.

As a recent victim of a case of Southwest Airlines thigh overspill (during which the perpetrator vacuum-snarfed a bag of airport Burger King as the flight took off), my vote is yes. It was, like, straight out of a cartoon.

Maybe it should be like Six Flags, “If your ass is fatter than Harry the Hippo, take a bus.”

no… the embarassment of everything is enough

I don’t know, but they should do something for the passengers that have to sit next to them. Some people are so fat that they sweat on me during the entire flight. I hate it. They can’t have the armrest down either. I should get like $50—$100 off my flight if they do that to me.

One time I just gave up and used the fat person as a pillow. I figured “what the hell can she say about it?”