Stay Slim to Fly: Airlines Charging Extra for Overweight Flyers
obesity epidemic, wacky finds
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Could you be charged extra to fly based on your weight?
With the rising price of fuel, airlines are making all sorts of moves to cut costs and snatch extra money from their customers. Simple math and common sense shows that a heavy person costs more to transport than an Olson Twin, which has airlines discussing a fat surcharge.
Airlines are now discussing the incorporation of surcharges based on weight. While luggage has always had weight limits, people have not – but that might be changing.
An airline spokesman stated that they average a person and their luggage to weigh 220 Lbs. That is how they crunch their numbers to project profit. Most likely, that will be the magic number used to determine whether your paying standard or extra to fly.
I’ve heard two arguments to this new idea:
The first argument is obvious – Overweight individuals are outraged that there are plans in the works to discriminate and charge extra for being large. I’ve heard some say they wouldn’t fly due to embarrassment, and others claimed they would purposely fly just to sue them for discrimination.
Then there are those consumers that somewhat like the idea. These proponents of the idea claim that the airlines will be raising prices in some way, and it would only be fair to base it on weight. If shipping a package is based on weight, why isn’t it the same to ship a person? If you were shipping a 3 lbs package, how would you feel if you were paying the same price as someone shipping a 20 lbs package?
My Opinion
I am one of those people who can almost always see both side of an argument. I could see where it would be very embarrassing to travel with friends and have to explain how you’re being charged extra because of your weight.
Meanwhile, the "delivering a package" example really makes you wonder if that shouldn’t apply to shipping people as well. In that respect, is it actually discriminating against light people that they have to share the “heavy cost” with those who are weighing down the plane.
As with many things, I’m sure that skinny people will favor this plan and heavier people will be outraged. People generally favor plans that work in their benefit. Heavy people make up a large part of the population (no pun intended) so I doubt this plan will be fulfilled.
What are your thoughts on airlines charging per pound?
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on 6/5/2008
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