The problem with wider seats at a higher price would be that unless the airline put a weight minimum on them, anybody could purchase them and you know there would be some skinny person who just likes their space wanting to purchase one. There is also no way an airline is going to take the risk of having empty seats just because they don't have any fat people to purchase them. "Sorry sir, I have no King sized seats available because that skinny girl in front of you bought the last one because she wanted to be able to curl up." "Sorry sir, I can't sell you that King sized seat because you don't fit our guidelines for size, shape and weight." From a pure financial point of view the extra $ for extra seat idea will never fly. (pun intended)

The problem with charging people for two seats who take up more room than a single seat provides, is what has already been pointed out. What happens if they continue to cram more seats into a plane? What happens when the average person can no longer fit into a standard seat? I bet you won't have as many people thinking that its a good idea to just charge the "fat" people for two seats. Don't think it will happen? Have you not flown and thought enough with the nickel and dime sh!t?

I'm fat. And for the ignorant asses like smarty1052 I'm not this way simply because I eat too much. I eat less and healthier and exercise more than most of the "thin" people I know. Sure, I could be thinner but even if I burned 200% more calories than I consume I would still be a large man for a while before I died. Attitudes that say "they're fat so it's OK to be rude, uncaring and show no attempt at empathy" will only cause hurt and will not help solve the problems. The two main problems here are that the airlines are penny pinching, greedy b*****ds who don't know how to run a business (if you disagree, do a little research into the bail outs after 9/11) and our society's growing problem with obesity. Be disgusted with the airlines and the society that constantly encourages over eating and laziness, not the humans that are a result of them.

Will there be a "skinny" discount?

You cannot make all decisions based off of what they could lead to. Capital Punishment could lead to tor... NM bad example

I agree with you I am an ass, but ignorant? maybe.. You can't blame society though.. that'd be like a kid growing up in the ghetto and trying to blame society for making him turn into a "gangster" or a theif. I believe Everyone has a choice in what they do ecspecially when it comes to their own body. Willpower is the most underused trait ever these days.. people can't turn down alcohol, or smoking, or food.. I think it's simply b/c they don't want to, they enjoy it. Don't blame other people for it. I have a drinking problem.. I admit it "I" have a drinking problem, not society makes me drink. Yes they are a*****es and they do market for certain people, but you have the choice to be unique or not or just go with the flow. Like i said b4 I have no problem with fat people, I love fat people, good cooks and we need linemen in football to protect people like Brett Favre :-) I'm not saying you can be rude to fat people:


I believe in being nice to everyone, just don't try and blame personal problems on society, or make us pay for things for you all with our hard-earned money. I have enough with social security and paying for senior citizens to get health care and stuff(anyone ever read "The Giver"?)

Yep, I am the skinny girl who would buy the extra big seat to curl up (which is why I fly first class whenever I can - good ol' travelling with work!). Hey, if I can pay for it, why not?

As unfair might sound, I think the most fair solution would be charging individuals for two seats if they take up two seats. Yes, it's unfair to the individuals who would require this, but if the airlines are having to reseat/reschedule people (personal experience here) because they cannot physically (or at least half-comfortably) sit in the seat they booked, then I think it's the fairest solution.

And while I agree that airlines can be cheap, I do not think it will get to the point where seats shrink so bad that us 'average' people can't fit in. I do think that 'average' will grow/increase, though, so that more and more people will have this problem.

I am curious to see what will happen with air travel as the world's waistline continues to grow. In the meantime, I will happily enjoy spending the majority of my air travel in little helicopters or charter planes, where 'first class' just means riding copilot and 'economy' means I have to be crammed in between the luggage but at least I can spread out!

Maybe a different way would be to use the body mass weight instead, which gives the people with large muscles who are heavy to get on the plane for the normal price, but for the people carrying excessive body fat, have to pay.

I think they should pay more. Only because over here in England the NHS pay alot of money for the people that are overweight and there are lots of days off work due to overweight people. If they are not doing anything about it, and its not a medical problem (some people dont eat much but have a problem and put on alot of weight) then they should pay that bit extra.

You have to pay extra for overweight bags on a plane ... Why not people? :)

they should have an ugly tax too. And a smell tax.