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Should Airlines Price Seats by Body Weight?

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Should Airlines Price Seats by Body Weight?

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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 10:59 AM
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You also haven't consider the problem that all those croissants and macaroons would cause when you appeared at the airport for your return fare and find yourself in another price bracket!
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 11:26 AM
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Colduphere - thanks for the belly laugh

I think sit any children in a separate area at the back where the kicking, screaming and tantrums could be better ignored.

Kay
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 01:03 PM
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Oooooh, I like this idea! But then, I weight less than most people's luggage!
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 01:07 PM
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I can see some cheap skates taking diuretics and laxatives before weigh in and sweat it out like boxers and wrestlers trying to meet weight
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 01:11 PM
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weigh...not weight!
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 01:46 PM
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I'll vote for the "pay by weight". And my luggage is light weight too because I travel by train and travel light.
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 04:25 PM
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This is quite funny - PalenQ and AGM Cape Cod.
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 04:36 PM
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I am small and travel with a small suitcsse. What I cannot stand is when a large person puts the arm rest up to bubble over into my space. If you cannot fit into a coach seat with the armrest down then pay for two! And, when I travel domestically betweeen homes, do not charge me for being a couple pounds over when the person sitting next to me weights more than me and my luggge combined! Thanks for letting me vent, I feel so much better!
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 04:38 PM
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I'd vote for pay-by-weight, and I'm not light. It's a safer way to go, since precise payload weights improve flight safety, whereas guesstimates used for the sake of political correctness introduce unknowns into the equation.

In the old days, passengers were actually weighed prior to a flight, but that practice disappeared soon enough.
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 06:15 PM
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Get a life!! What's a 747 weigh, 900,000 lbs? What do 300 people weigh, say at 170 lbs avg, 51,000 lbs? That's 1/18th. Most of the plane's fuel is used lifting itself. Your effort to be logical ran aground on the shoals of irrelevance.
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 07:16 PM
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Familes everywhere who have 40, 50 and 60 pound 4, 5 and 6 year olds would rejoice over such a policy. Right now, their kids have to pay the same price as adults who weigh two, three or more times what their children weigh.

I'm overweight, but in the next decade, I will probably have young grandchildren scattered across the US. I'd love to see airplanes filled with toddlers who don't have to pay as much as those MUCH larger 106-pounders!

Oh, and let's charge by age too... most 60 year olds have at least twice as much net worth as the average 30 year old!

Best wishes,

Rex
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 07:23 PM
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I've done 2 cross country flights in the last year - one was a red eye - where I only had the use of 2/3rds of my seat because the person next to me spilled into it. I don't necessarily want to penalize heavy people, but I should get a discount if I don't get to use 100% of my seat.
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 07:39 PM
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Rex

charge by weight and net worth-

There will be so many people trying to hide their ass etts.
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 10:01 PM
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re: <<...ruling that just come out in Canada was the one person one fare policy, where the airline can only charge one fare to people who would require more than one seat. These were identifed as passengers who require caregivers to travel with them...>

What, a caregiver isn't a person?
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 10:40 PM
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I don't believe it would be discriminatory to charge extra for very large people - they pay more for clothing which requires more fabric...

Personally, I think people over a certain size should be required to book larger seats - business or first class, so they are not spilling over into the seats of others. I truly emphathize with overweith people, but having suffered a few dreadful flights, I just don't think it's fair to normal sized people to have to endure that on flights.
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Old Jan 14th, 2008, 11:10 PM
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How about paying by the inch ? Add waist size to hip size and charge by the total inches.

After all it is the "spread" that takes the room.
That way tall people wouldn't be penalized.

As for screaming kicking children they should be put on separate planes.

and then what about boring seatmates who can see you are reading or trying to doze ? can we determine a boredom quotion ?

All small price to pay for the priviledge of travel.

Lucky us that we should have such complaints !!

buon viaggio and happy seating.

susan
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Old Jan 15th, 2008, 02:05 AM
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Personally, I am tired of airlines nickel and diming on the cost side and constantly taking away on the service side. I am opposed to any surcharges, fees, etc of any sort based on weight or anything else.

The whole flying experience has already degraded to the extent that flying has become something to be endured, whereas when younger it was something to be anticipated.

And those of you who are light or have children, you likely would not save a dime-the airlines would structure such fees to penalize heavy people only, not to give anyone else any sort of deal whatsoever.
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Old Jan 15th, 2008, 02:59 AM
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Instead of having the box to fit your carry on luggage into (to see if it fits), we could all have the ass fitter. If your butt does not fit in the ass fitter, then you must pay extra for another seat. This will prevent the spill over from one seat to the next. It would only penalize people with big butts.

We could also have the quiet section of the plane, (like the library). No talking. So, if you don't get stuck with the person who thinks you are Dr.Phil and will listen to all their problems.
Let them sit with the people with kids.
Have an indoor play area like Mc Donalds. Everything could be bounced off of so that if there is turbulence, the little kiddies won't get hurt. But they can play in a sound proof area while mom and dad enjoy lattes and listen to their seatmate's latest crisis.
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Old Jan 15th, 2008, 03:08 AM
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Those of you who complain about other passengers spreading into your seat should maybe target the airlines. Average body size, height and weight has been steadily increasing across the board for generations. Maybe it's time airlines increased the size of their seats, without increasing prices.

Some airlines are now starting to introduce "premium economy" with a slight bit extra leg and seat room, but it's still at a cost.
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Old Jan 15th, 2008, 03:15 AM
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speckles. I was just kidding. I wish they would make everything about the seat area larger and more comfortable no matter what your size. I am average weight, but have long legs and it is hard to fit between those little seats!
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