Is this discrimination?
Should the airlines charge less or half price for little people? What about tall people ? Is this just about money?


http://thestir.cafemom.com/politics_views/189235/if_airlines_start_making_me/

If Airlines Start Making Me Weigh In Before a Flight, I'm Taking Amtrak

Becky Bracken

Airlines are tired of making it so darn pleasant for you to fly. They've dazzled you with the naked scan, made you swill your own breastmilk, and forced you to strip down to your skivvies through security because, gosh darnit, your comfort and satisfaction are totally worth it. Now airlines want you to step on the scale.

Granted, only Uzbekistan Airways has started asking its passengers to weigh in before pre-boarding, but honestly, with the current state of airline travel in the U.S., could a mandatory weight check before every flight really be that far behind?

Because, yes honey, we know your driver's license has listed your weight as 140 since high school, butplease. You don't look an ounce under 175. Go on ahead and step up here so we can get an accurate weight.

If lying about an extra 15 pounds is going to take down an entire airliner, then let's all get super serious about rail travel. There are general aviation industry standards for weight that airlines use to guestimate the weight of all the passengers on an airliner. Adults are averaged at 190 pounds in summer, and 195 in winter. The extra five pounds accounts for heavier winter coats and other clothes. Kids are all counted at 82 pounds. Isn't that a close enough calculation? I haven't heard of any planes falling out of the sky because someone had Mexican food for dinner. Have you?

Airlines have had their eye on squeezing a little extra money off of their heavier passengers for years now. They've had a sticky time trying to shame fat passengers into buying an extra seat -- all while they trim down passenger cabin room in the hope of fitting as many head of cattle passengers onto the plane they can to boost profits.

But who are the biggest losers here? We are, my chunky compadres. We continue to squish in ever tighter toward those arm rests and pull our knees in a little closer to our chest and zone out and just wait for the whole airline ordeal to be over. And up until now we've been able to bear it with little more than an Xanax prescription and a few mini bottles of Stoli. Heroes, all of us.

But this is the last straw.

And so, to the airlines I say, for the love of all that is holy, please leave us with some shred of dignity at the airport. Please don't make us mount some luggage scale. Just take my word for it and shut up. It's 140. Or maybe this is just another smart way for airlines to get extra fees. Because who wouldn't be willing to pay an extra $20 to avoid being weighed in public? Do I hear $30?

This is called commerce or new ways to get obese people to pay their extra weight as most US people are sadly obese...

it wouldn't be an issue if they weren't fat... tell them to lose wieght and they would never have to worry about it...

what is the current charge for an over weight bag or an extra bag? quite simply it takes more fuel to lift more weight. so i don't have a problem with weight scaled pricing.

Americans are huge, with terrible diets & lifestyles. And it is a super size society, even restaurant portions are huge. But this food thing, is a advertising gimmick, since the 1950's, maybe longer, that bigger is better, bigger is wealth & status.
And " Keeping Up With The Jones' ".
And all that crap.

Prove it to be Eric...
I am on the verge of a rant...

I blame that transvestite in Washington DC...

Suddenly an expert , & making rounds & changing school lunches. Even, those programs for seniors that deliver food,have been REDUCED. I have seen these deliveries & read the bullsh@t letter... as to why the elderly are receiving LESS FOOD. And it specifically names " Michelle Obama "

On Washington DC radio, she is slammed on a weekly basis for these things. And it is always reported, how many of the White House staff quit, that worked in the kitchen. And how many staff members were fired, because of her endless complaints.

rant away sassy.

but which part would you like proved?

Is there a logic? Like you mentioned the weight & fuel. So... human cargo?

Is there a way to do it without singling people out. ? I don't see one.
And little people... should they be charged less? Should, transporting the dead & coffins cost more?

The airlines are rude as it is, there is no comfort or even respect. The TSA is a nightmare of UNTRAINED people off the street..

there is some logic yes and then there is simple profiteering. add the two together and you get price increases

stupid to base it on weight, planes have fewer accidents than cars and I dont believe any COMMERCIAL planes have been downed because of too much weight

I consider it reasonable to charge by the SEAT, not by the weight

Airlines didn't do that, the TSA did.
TSA is government, now part of homeland security.


I doubt it.
Unless they can show some sort of link between weight and aircraft safety, the TSA won't check weight.

I wouldn't put it past airlines to put gates in front of their self service kiosks that are the exact width of airline seats though, and if you can't walk through you have to go to a "special" line where prices get higher.


Wasn't that the plot to the movie Airplane?


Airlines have had their eye on squeezing whatever they can from whomever they can while maintaining a brand, loyalty, and a desire to fly in its customers.

Whatever their market will bear.


The last time I flew a TSA agent stuck the tips of his fingertips into the waistband of my pants and felt around most of my waist.
Although he looked contrite in the glare of my hatred as I stared through him, if someone can legally stick their hands down my pants when my only crime is a desire to travel to see my mother there is no dignity left.


Not really.
No more discriminatory than smokers/obese/diabetic insurance rates being higher, or the idea of progressive tax brackets, or the person on your right getting the right of way at a 4 way stop and you get there at the same time.


Sure.
It's "we need more money. How can we get more that's defensible to any lawsuit."


People get singled out all the time.
Kids traveling alone, the handicapped, the elderly, those unable to handle the emergency exit, kosher meal availability, babies, people with pets.


Yes they should.
They require special handling and legal compliance things.
Although the airlines should make the overhead bins bigger so they can be used for dead body carrion.


Personally, this seems to have more to do with the Wal-Mart effect than the fatass keeping up with the joneses effect.

Do anything to make things cheaper so people keep buying the same amount or more of increasingly bad crappy products.
Greater standardization and keeping costs low to keep prices down.
People want cheaper. They'll bytch and moan but will pay.

If it was bigger is better, bigger is wealth and status, then airlines would be focusing on making the entire plane first class and marketing on how to make people happy to pay the price for the status.

ciretom quote

If it was bigger is better, bigger is wealth and status, then airlines would be focusing on making the entire plane first class and marketing on how to make people happy to pay the price for the status.

You have a point here ^^^^ there have been first class/ luxury flights.. & people didn't want to pay for it.

Taking a cruise, use to be luxury.
Then... kids & people in shorts & weird T- shirts & Mickey Mouse pools.

Even dress codes for most restaurants.... gone!!

I hate this... baby obsessed .. let's pretend we are all one class... generation

I m of two mindsets here..
When I have flown coach which is rare. It has been a nightmare.

I usually get stuck in the middle seat between two larger people.
Try being the little sausage getting squished between to large buns it isnt' fun
Yet if the airlines wouldn't try to pack us in like sardines we wouldn't be having this problem.

So there has to be a bit of give somewhere on both side...

Yanno... I really don't like discrimination of any kind.

But,
if a person's @ss takes up all of their seat, and 1/2 of mine... I shouldn't be charged full price, for airfare.

I propose a specific section of the plane for overweight people. Let them cram themselves into a row and see how it feels to fly from NY to LA while being crushed by body fat.

Your right to be overweight ends at my arm rest.