[Jan Fisher]

The issue of overweight people on flights has reared its ugly head again.

Budget international carrier Scoot has made the headlines with a change to its travelling policy that guests ‘of size’ who require two seats will have to pay for two seats and “failure to do so may results in you being denied transportation”.

Ouch.

Scoot has added more fire to that burn by insisting passengers booking two seats must also pay for advanced seat assignment for both tickets, which will cost about $45 per ticket.

Scoot is the latest airline to add to the list of airlines that require larger passengers to buy two tickets including Emirates, United Airlines, and Jetstar.

But legally it appears to be a grey area. Some airlines have ruled it legal without the benefit of legislation but a case in Canada has declared people with obesity have the right to two seats for the price of one.

There have been calls for more robust guidance in Australia, but so far, no one in officialdom has made a move either way. Who can blame them, there are no winners in that one.

While I have sympathy for both overweight people and their fellow passengers next to them I can’t help but think that air travel has become more uncomfortable for all of us as the airlines cram more people into increasingly smaller spaces.

Maybe that should be an issue too.

What do you think, should larger passengers pay for the space?

[Jacka]

Of course, large and or obese people should pay for 2 seats. I do have sympathy for people with genuine medical conditions which causes some form of elephantitis, however they too should pay for two seats on a plane or a bus or a train, all forms of public transport. On a plane you’re allowed a certain amount of luggage due to weight restrictions, there should be no difference regarding the weight of people. Apart from the safety issue, people should show some manners and regard for their fellow travellers comfort. The End. Jacka.

[Ronin]

You pay for the space you take up. With leeway for someone with a genuine medical condition, which obesity generally is not.

If you want to take excess baggage you pay for it. Same principle.

[KSS]

Until and unless airlines decide to reconfigure their seating plans allowing more room per person (which means, of course, a reduction in the number of passengers they can carry with a consequential reduction in income) then people who cannot fit into a normal economy seat without encroaching on the neighbouring seats should have to buy sufficient seats to accommodate their size. Failure to do so impinges on those unfortunate passengers allocated seats next to them. The budget airlines generally have the smallest seat space which is exactly how they are able to offer lower-cost flights. This is not fat shaming or discrimination. Seat sizes are published on the airline websites and people should consult these before booking thereby avoiding embarrassment at check-in.

Having said that, people are generally getting bigger and that means taller and heavier not just fatter. And this is at the same time as airlines and other public transport continue to shave centimetres off their seat size to pack more people in to boost profitability. Eventually, any form of public transport will be unavailable to anyone over the age of about ten.

[Cosmo]

I would go even further and combine body weight with baggage weight. If as it appears weight is such a significant economic factor in flying a plane why not give passengers the choice of losing weight and taking more baggage or saving money on reducing both. Anyone who claims weight is genetic should look at family or community photos from the 1930s and locate the overweight person they claim as an ancestor.

[FrankC]

Nowadays, the majority of pepople book their yickets online. If a 200kg person books a flight, is that person going to book two seats or one ?, How is the airline going to ‘police’ this

[Author]

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