the "fit" should get a discount on airline tickets.. those of higher girth

[meow mix]

should pay more, similar to freight shipping costs. why should i pay for someone elses freight?

Feds: Obesity Raising Airline Fuel Costs
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=541&ncid=541&e=1&u=/ap/20041104/ap_on_he_me/fit_fat_fliers

Heavy suitcases aren't the only things weighing down airplanes and requiring them to burn more fuel, pushing up the cost of flights. A new government study reveals that airlines increasingly have to worry more about the weight of their passengers.

America's growing waistlines are hurting the bottom lines of airline companies as the extra pounds on passengers are causing a drag on planes. Heavier fliers have created heftier fuel costs, according to the government study.

Through the 1990s, the average weight of Americans increased by 10 pounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites). The extra weight caused airlines to spend $275 million to burn 350 million more gallons of fuel in 2000 just to carry the additional weight of Americans, the federal agency estimated in a recent issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

[Dukakis88]

1. Good idea: let's charge quadraplegics more too... They take up space.

And put little parking meters in front of handicapped parking places that charge extra for the convenience factor.

Thin people should be charged extra because they look like concentration camp victims and make me want to throw up my Biggie Fries.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Oh, don't be making ridiculous analogies

[meow mix]

3. heh

handicapped are probally minority flyers, not enough to burden the overall costs. i would think! not sure though..

love that last part - lol!!

[deek]

7. that's because flying is hell for people with physical disabilities

......esp if you can't sit in a regular seat. They should have tie-downs for the wheelchairs.

Can't even get into the smaller planes at the smaller airports.

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. They don't tie down wheelchairs?

Holy crow! I always figured they did.

Shit, they tie 'em down on buses, for God's sake.

[deek]

11. nope--no space

You have to transfer to a seat. My daughter can not sit up by herself, so we have an elaborate (yet not very effective)system of supporting her upright.

I rarely get the bulkhead seats (can't reserve because "they might be needed by people with disabilities"...doh) but it seems they go to frequent flyers.

Taking care of my daughter during our coast-to-coast flights is awful. Very difficult to reposition her constantly with no space!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. While it's technically true that it costs more to carry more weight,

if they do this there should be exceptions. For example, I think Annthrax Coulter should be charged more for plane tickets even though she weighs only maybe 40 lbs. and is made of twigs and burlap, because she's just so freaking evil. Actually, they probably shouldn't let her fly at all because her body contains hazardous materials like battery acid and sarin gas.

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Ooh - an "evil tax" - that would be great!

We'd raise a shitoad of revenue and destroy the deficit, if not the national debt.

:evilgrin:

[DS1]

8. I'd never be able to leave the house, and then I'd end up

being carted away to the hospital on a flatbed truck like any other 600 pounder.

But at least my evil would make the kids cry as I passed the school bus stops.

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. Oh, come on - you're not evil, DS1

You're just drawn that way.

hey - did you see the new Family Guy? I missed it.

[Dukakis88]

6. More charges for airplane ideas

Charge parents with babies under the age of 16 extra because everyone else has to put up with the noises and wriggling of their children.

Charge people with bad breath, B.O., or flatulence more. Put odor detectors with a credit card slot over and under each seat.

Charge people who won't have sex with me in the bathroom more because I want to be in the Mile High Club and am jealous.

Charge tall people more because I can't see the movie with them in front of me.

Charge people who go to the bathroom more than once for making me get up and let them past.

Any other ideas?

[kick-ass-bob]

12. charge people who lean all the way back in the seat.

Giving you no room to even breathe.

[pdx_prog]

21. Amen....

There are little devices you can use to block the seat from leaning back....you have to ride with your tray down the whole way though...

[BlondieK143]

13. My next flight is in a month.

I'll e-mail you my itinerary and expect your trip to the bathroom. :D

[LisaLynne]

14. Charge people more to ...

lean the seat back. I really don't want to have anybody's head in my lap for an entire flight. You need to pay for that privilege!

[SOteric]

15. That would be absurd.

If I weighed 300 lbs, I wouldn't be 'fit.' But if my 6'7" brother weighs 300 lbs, he would.

Do you really want someone making the call on fitness alone, or should we make it on weight alone? - in which case some racial and ethnic characteristics which tend more often toward the tall or the stocky would be unfairly penalised. What about some Pacific Islanders and Innuits who tend toward stocky builds even when they're completely fit and healthy?

I have a serious problem with airlines blaming their economic woes on the girth of Americans. The airlines struggled before 9-11 and before the trend for obesity was as well ensconced in American culture.

If they really want to improve their sales/loss ratio they should improve their service and quit playing a bunch of "oops, sorry, you don't qualify for all the air miles we sucked you into with a high-priced ticket" games.

The few airlines that get my repeat business do so because they treat the customer like they're at least sufficiently valued they'd like us to fly with them again. I can't see charging a person based on a physical judgement as treating the consumer as a valued customer.

Anyone who can't be bothered to concern themselves with financial loss when they've overbooked deserves the business troubles they've brought on themselves.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

23. This is how we package and sell social darwinism lately

[sbj405]

16. Actually I just got a free ticket, b/c the plane was over the wght limit

Plenty of seats, but too much weight apparently. I happily volunteered as the next flight was in less than an hour. I'm not sure taking my 130 lbs off did much for th cause. Perhaps, they were hoping for a slightly larger volunteer.

[the Princess]

17. I'm a big woman and I am completely offended by your post

Then why not charge little people less to ride? Why not charge attractive people less to ride - cause it makes the plane look pretty.

And if I buy two seats which they are making big people do these days - should't I pay less because I still don't weight more than 2 *average people do* so I am making the plane use less gas. Hmmmmmmm??

This is about prejudice - not gas. PREJUDICE plain and simple.

OH BTW - I don't make your medical costs go up either - I see my Doctor 2 times a yeas - probably less then you.

JEEBUS CHRISP! I'm so sick of this shit

[Bluebear]

20. No, it's a GREAT idea! Mrs.!

We can even have scales at each airline checkin counter. The weight would display on a big lit display above each counter and we can hire a bunch of freeper boys to shout "You obese sow"!!!! "Whoa!!!!! Here comes another heifer!!!!" The scale can even make groaning and tilt sounds to add to the merriment! Sheesh.

[Bluebear]

18. Oh good heavens. How very Republican. Me me me.

Miss "Fit" probably carts onboard a lot more heft in her beauty supply ammo box. Let's blame heavier fliers, not the oil boys who are conspiring to drive fuel prices higher and higher.

[the Princess]

22. EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!

BLAME THE FAT CHICK!!!!! That's why you ticket price went up - it's the fat people.

F*cktard in the White House has nothin to do with it. LMFAO

[pdx_prog]

19. Bwahahaha...

I can usually sit in my seat, and watch people loading the plane....I can usually pick the person that will be sitting next to me when they come through the door...

I had one lady that must have been 200 years old.....she drooled all the way from Salt Lake City to Seattle.....

Or they smell really bad, or they have bronchitis...lol

[Pithlet]

24. Bullshit.

We've been through this subject before on DU. Flame fest ensued. Find some other group to pick on. Say, the airline companies themselves, for various reasons.

[CO Liberal]

25. Obviously, Your "Fitness" Is Not Above The Neck

I'm as offended with your post as my wife was. Here's a quarter - go get a life.

[Bluebear]

26. In case you missed it, I think it is a great idea!

We can even have scales at each airline checkin counter. The weight would display on a big lit display above each counter and we can hire a bunch of freeper boys to shout "You obese sow"!!!! "Whoa!!!!! Here comes another heifer!!!!" The scale can even make groaning and tilt sounds to add to the merriment! Sheesh. People.