Comments on: Treating passengers as baggage — by weight

By: Steve Mencik

Steve Mencik — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:57:31 +0000

Actually, I feel like the airlines treat us as baggage already, so why not.

After my flight to Seoul, South Korea last October, I told people that I should have bought some long johns, a sleeping bag, portable oxygen, and stuffed myself inside a refrigerator box and sent myself to the hotel in Seoul via FedEx. I would have been more comfortable than I was on the United Airlines flight I was on.

By: Mike Murray

Mike Murray — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:41:38 +0000

OK, so let’s see, if I weigh 280 and travel with my wife, who weighs about half that – say 140 – do we get (275 lbs X 2 =) 550 lbs ‘allowance’? That might seem fairer, since I (which really equals WE, as both tickets typically go on my credit card which is paid from OUR funds; I just make the reservations) appear to pay for both tickets. So together we weigh 420, and thus can bring up to 130 lbs of luggage, right? OK, but how about if we want to bring our 110 lbs niece and 20 lbs of carry-ons instead of the luggage? Etc., etc. ad nauseum.

Then there is the small matter of the “Air Carrier Access Act of 1986″ (49 U.S.C. 41705) and its implementing regulations (14 CFR Part 382), which seems to make some air passengers more equal than others, because they are disabled! Personally I would prefer whole but less equal.

The deregulation of the airline industry back in the 1970s under Jimmy Carter was not thought through carefully enough (as were many things done during that time). Subsequently, the major airlines adopted an overly aggressive strategy toward their clients, resulting in a war no business can win, and we are living with the result. The ‘charge by weight’ suggestion at least has logic behind it.

By: Donna

Donna — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:27:05 +0000

This is a matter of economics not finger pointing at heavier people.
The airlines should be able to charge based on the total pounds they fly from point A to point B because the cost of fuel is a major part of tproviding transportation services. Think of it this way, even for ready-to-wear clothing where the fabric cost is a minor part of the total product cost, there is an extra charge for plus sizes. Is that discrimination? Of course not. As far as the humilation factor, that could be minimized by how discretely the “weigh-in” would be done but ultimately it comes down to how an individual feels about their own weight. As it is right now, I don’t see anything fair about someone who weights 140lbs having to pay extra for a bag a few pounds overweight while someone who is 225 lbs has the same luggage allowance!

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:11:03 +0000

This is extremely discriminatory. Why is this even being considered as a good idea? It’s rude to heavy people. I’m not the tiniest of women, but I sit comfortably in one single seat. That should be the only criteria on how much I pay for my seat. Those who don’t fit in one single seat have to pay for two. That should be it. People, for every person who checks two 50-lb bags, there are people who check one 25-lb bag, or no bags at all. It evens itself out. Charging people a certain airfare based on how much they way is downright humiliating, and if a lawyer wanted to take it on, could probably be seen as a violation of civil rights. If not civil rights, then the ACLU would have some fun fighting this one. Absolutely not, this is not acceptable. Do little kids and teeny cheerleaders get a discount because they’re under 100 lbs? Seriously.

By: Levi

Levi — Fri, 23 May 2008 22:55:33 +0000

I agree with this idea personally, but looking at it from a different perspective, wouldn’t that be discriminatory against obese people?

By: john mitros

john mitros — Fri, 23 May 2008 00:54:03 +0000

I would be happy to pay extra on a flight to get a comfortable seat with leg room. if the airline is going to charge extra for weight the space provided should also be provided,so that the skinny idiot sittng next to me has nothing to complain about . i will also be comfortable not worrying about interfering withsomeone elses space.I would love to see that 160lb person stuffed into a seat made for a 100 lb body

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:20:57 +0000

Can we say the word descrimination!!!!! As a person who use to work for the airlines I understand if a person is obese and has to by an extra seat on an airplane for comfort and safety reason but my God charging someone(who can sit in an airplane seat comfortably) because they weigh more than the next is a little ridiculous. Heck then next thing would be lets charge a pregnant woman because she isn’t technically traveling by herself after all she is “with child” so why not charge her for her weight and an additional airplane ticket too. This has gotten completely out of control when people start suggesting to charge by the passengers weight.

By: Desert Dreamer

Desert Dreamer — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:11:52 +0000

“Or at-least have a row or two of seats designated for these overweight travelers, with extra large seats, and longer seat belts.”

The problem with this idea is that the smaller people would book these seats so they’d have “a little more room”…………..just like on cruise ships (and hotels) when able bodied people book the handicapped rooms just so they’ll have extra room. The only difference is that on cruises, handicapped people cannot then sail, and on airplanes, they’d be back in the regular seats and everyone would be complaining again.

By: Louise Weiss

Louise Weiss — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:05:57 +0000

Back in the Dark Ages–40’s and early 50’s– you were often asked how much you weighed when checking in. I always lied–and then was terrified that the plane would crash because of my fib.

By: Louise Weiss

Louise Weiss — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:04:12 +0000

Back in the dark ages–40’s and early 50’s–you were often asked how much you weighed when checking in. I always lied–and then was terrified that the plane would crash because of my fib.