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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Hot Topics: American Idol; United Airlines' overweight passengers may have to buy 2 tickets


Posted at 4/16/2009 10:04:00 AM
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14 comments:

  1. chrissy4/16/09, 12:37 PM

    sorry whoopi, we can't start segregating planes. unfortunately for my wallet, it is price per square inch.

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  2. Navido4/16/09, 1:55 PM

    Its true , the seats are so small. When I was obese I used to suffer on a plan. They should make these seat at least 5 cm wider. And way on earth there is still a first class and a 2end or 3rd?? Human being are hypocrite... that's racism. All those who are rich can travel with private jets. But it hurt when you see a 1st class passenger sitting in a sofa and you barely can find space in your own seat. It hurts when your food stinks and you see the 1 1st class food smells so good. These company deserve all the loss they make because they are really greedy. I swore that I won't use an air flight more than once a year. I'm so angry that there are people swimming in money and people who dies of hunger everyday. this ain't fair.

    Just you know, I'm not a lazy person, I'm student I 'm doing really good in school. I belive that if you work more you get more.

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  3. FreqFlyer4/16/09, 2:23 PM

    As any business, the airline companies work on expense and profit. They have major responsibilities to their shareholders. Like any other freight companies, they have to consider how much weight they're hauling around because it translates to bigger fuel, etc.Yes the seats have to be bigger to accomodate a bigger sized person but that cuts into square footage and ups fuel expense. It is not fair to pass that cost to other customers. If I'm 100 lbs. lighter than you why should I pay the extra 10% to haul your butt across the country?

    I CAN sit on a first class seat because I work my butt off so I can have a comfortable flight. I don't look at other people who have their personal jets and say "I'm angry at them because they can afford that". To each it's own.

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  4. tweetypiebabe14/16/09, 2:52 PM

    I'm a big person but I can still fit comfortably in a airplane seat without going over to the next seat and I can have the sealtbelt wrapped around me with room to spare but I get what all of them are saying at the same time.
    The fact of the matter is those coach seats are way too flipping small to begin with, unless you're flying to the other side of the world, which I tend to do for Uni, then you get more space. Even if they were to make a section for overweight people then they would still have to charge them more but at the same time people would have fault with that and calling it discrimination.
    Unfortunately you can't win. And it's true you get uncomfortable with a big person sitting next to but at the same time it is a bit unfair especially since that person would be taking up a seat that someone else could be sitting in.
    Fact of the matter is this is the way it goes unless they see fit to build bigger seats. Either that or just buy first or business class.

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  5. FreqFlyer4/16/09, 3:12 PM

    They need bigger seats on coach and charge accordingly. When I travel with my child, I don't complain that they have to charge kid's fare for their seats. They take up the same square footage. I agree with you tweetypie.

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  6. Unknown4/16/09, 3:25 PM

    TO Navido: If you think it's unfair that people are "swimming in money", and can afford to fly first class, then you should try working hard, exceling at your job(like Bill Gates, who happened to quit college to exel at his passion), and/or getting a GREAT education(which this country offers to ANYONE)..Are you serious? you think that working hard and benefiting from it is being "greedy"? I don't get where you're coming! I'm 23, in grad school, and am working very, VERY hard(my parents are not rich and my mom didn't go to college) and will continue to do so until it pays off to where I want to be with my career...so I hope in 10 years, you would not refer to me as a "greedy" person and my wealth is not fair to other people in the world. Get a Clue!!

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  7. Anonymous4/16/09, 3:54 PM

    I'm about 10 lbs underweight, very lanky and even I have trouble fitting into some of the cheaper flight's seats (and don't get me started on leg room). In general, they are just too small. I can't imagine the embarrassment of being a little overweight on a flight. But if you take up more than one seat, you have to pay for more than one seat. It's not fair to everyone else. Although a more efficient way might be having 1 or 2 seats for larger people so they aren't paying double for only taking up a few inches of someone else's seat. I don't know.

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  8. Anonymous4/16/09, 6:13 PM

    I think if you are too big to fit in a seat, you should consider losing weight instead of getting mad at the airlines. Especially since too many Americans are too big. I think Whoopi's idea to accommodate the people who can't fit is enabling America to keep getting bigger instead of getting healthy.

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  9. Anonymous4/16/09, 7:53 PM

    joy is correct. political correctness aside, i will be annoyed is another person takes up some of my seat, making me feel uncomfortable and intruding the space that i paid for.

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  10. Anonymous4/16/09, 8:36 PM

    I think it boils down to cost and comfort. If you look at it logically: If you want bigger seats on a plane, that means less people per flight, that means the price per ticket goes up to make up the difference of seats that would normally be filled. You also have to look at fuel costs (as was mentioned): more weight equals more engine power equals more fuel used. And as far as first class passengers: traveling first class is a perk. I can't afford it, but other people can. I'm not angry about it--it's what I can afford when I travel. If you want to travel first class, then you need to consider that in your budget when you plan a trip. Personally, I'd rather have the extra money for other things. Can you imagine the cost of a ticket if all the seats on a plane were first class size? Not to mention the cost adjustment for first class meal, beverages, and amenities. The airlines would hemorrhage money and ticket prices would skyrocket. The bottom line is that you pay for the space you get. If you want bigger space (like first class) you have to pay for it. If you pay for a smaller space (coach) you're still entitled to the space you paid for--and shouldn't have someone else taking that up. Larger passengers should either pay for a second seat, or consider traveling first class. Everyone on the flight deserves to be comfortable.

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  11. Anonymous4/16/09, 9:45 PM

    Lose weight or pay for two!

    Whoop is painful on this one - not letting anyone possibility to disagree with her.

    She starts behaving as if this show is all about her. Rosie in disguise?

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  12. Anonymous4/17/09, 6:35 AM

    I totally agree. You should not get special treatment because you are bigger. I am 6'5 and flew couch once... NEVER AGAIN. If they are gonna make seat bigger to accom fat people. are they going to space them out more for us tall people? eventually you would have two damn seats on the plane lol. Im tall (which is something i cant control) so i just fly business class now. I dont cry about it and say it isnt fair..... because umm Life isnt fair lol

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  13. Hieu Vo4/17/09, 3:41 PM

    I do think that people should lose weight for health, not because the airplanes seat are small. When you lose weight it becomes an incentive for you. It is a little unfair to who are tempted to lose weight but do not. Paying extra money because you are overweight is ridiculous. They should consider make the seats bigger once they make a fortune out of this ridiculous plan

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  14. Unknown4/19/09, 10:13 PM

    My father has Diabetes. He is poor. He never ever flys.
    When I paid for him to come to town for an unexpected funeral, I offered to pay for one seat, if he could pay for the other. He ways about 400 pds. It was no joy for him to fly, trust me.
    The last time I stepped foot in an airport, I swore from then on, only in an emergency would I ever do it again.
    It was chaos, it was insane, it was scary, and people are incredibly rude and mean.
    I AGREE with Whoopi, that the airlines should take all their complaints about their employees who flat out lie to you about delays (saying its weather in another area of the U.S. when there is no such weather and its the piolet who was late, because another plane was late)
    and lost luggage and do something there.
    Certainly, being efficient would cut down the airlines costs WAY MORE, than charging fat people for 2 seats.
    I was in so much pain after one flight I had due to me being in several car wrecks and the chairs being so so bad.

    My father had another heart attack not long after he flew to come to the funeral. After flying myself, I certainly can understand how that can happen.
    Why fly? That's insanity and heart attack material.

    My father would not have been able to attend the funeral had he not flown, but considering all that he had to endure in order to fly, I don't think it was even worth it.

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