Should heavy people pay extra?
The Parade magazine, which is an insert in newspapers nationwide, is conducting a poll. Should obese fliers be required to buy two seats if their girth prevents them from lowering the armrest that divides the seat?
Apparently Southwest Airlines will be pulling passengers aside and, because of their weight they will be required to purchase a second ticket. If the flight is not full, the passenger will qualify for a refund.
According to a Southwest representative the airline instituted this policy due to complaints from adjoining passengers. The airline believes that if you can't fit into one seat you should pay for two!
What do you think?
Comments
Paying extra
At first my immediate reaction to this question was "yes", make em' pay! After reading the blog and thinking more about it, I do believe the other issue at hand is the shrinking seat. Airlines are trying to cut costs and increase revenue. Put more people on a flight, charge more, take away meals etc.
This issue got me thinking about how many times I've sat on a plane next to someone who had incredibly bad breath and insisted on breathing "in my space". I would have taken someone's shoulder or leg or whatever flowing into my seat over that any day of the week! Or what about the "thin" guy sitting next to me who falls asleep and ends up falling on my side of the armrest? And another thing...why is it that I always end up behind the person who insists on reclining right into my lap? No doubt, we as a nation have a real challenge ahead of us when it comes to weight and obesity. However, the extra charge makes me nervous. I feel like it may open the door to some other "extra charges" that we may not be too happy about. Maybe a reclining seat should cost extra.