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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to agree that a 'fat tax' for airline passengers is fair enough?

86 replies

cestlavie · 13/11/2007 16:34

Story from Australia:

www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22735546-27977,00.html

Basically, that people should have to pay a 'fat tax' for airline flights in the same way that they would for checking in excess baggage. Seems fair enough to me. Planes have limited capacity and weight impacts on fuel costs.

The best defence they seem to have conjured up against it is "it's hard enough that they [obese people] carry that extra weight, physically and emotionally."

Really? Well how about exercising more and eating less then.

Bring on the flaming!

OP posts:

magicfarawaytree · 13/11/2007 17:04

If you require space than one seat then you should pay extra - I would not call it a fat tax just a pragmatic approach. Struggle with limited leg room as it is but I would be hacked off if I had to sit next to someone who was basically squashing into me for a whole flight.

minorityrules · 13/11/2007 17:10

As a family of 5 we weigh 296kilos (38,50,50, 63, 95) Our average weight is 59.2kilos (130lbs, 9.5 stones ish)

So, My weight IS counteracted by them. How would it be fair to tax me??

I fit in one seat, with a normal seatbelt too

I'm sure if you weighed everyone on the flight, the average would be a reasonable, healthy weight

JeremyVile · 13/11/2007 17:10

What do you imagine 'minimal cargo' consists of? and what are the variables involved flight to flight?
Add into the mix the high proportion of business travellers on short-haul flights who dont even begin to break into their allotted 23 kilos..........

vimfuego · 13/11/2007 17:15

The issue is I think that some fat people "spill over" into adjacent seats causing discomfort to the skinnies therein.

Original poster

cestlavie · 13/11/2007 17:19

Actually JV, I was being generous. 'Minimal cargo' probably means none. Having a quick scoot around a few airlines websites, it seems that they carry NO cargo on short haul flights. The amount they used to carry, according to Willie Walsh (CEO BA) was "a drop in the ocean". So basically all weight is passengers and personal baggage.

OP posts:

magicfarawaytree · 13/11/2007 17:21

I m not skinny but I once had the misfortune to be squashed into corner by an extremely large lady on a bus - she must have only had one buttock on the seat. It was awful- the bus was jammed so not even any standing room left. I have to say it was unpleasant. It might be that she had a medical condition but that doesnt detract from how unpleasant it was. I can only imagine that magnified on a plane journey which is rarely shorter than a couple of hours.

TheQueenOfQuotes · 13/11/2007 17:24

haha - I guess most of you have never been in a "Combi" (Commuter Omnibus) - basically a minibus - designed to hold approx 10/11/12 people, actually carrying 17/18/19

Ledodgy · 13/11/2007 17:28

If it's just a case of it being unpleasant though why not go the whole hog and tax people with BO, bad breath, dandruff...........

LazyLinePainterJane · 13/11/2007 17:29

Thing is though, that the argument about being squashed is irrelevant. They can't actually charge someone extra for making someone else uncomfortable. How do you charge those with hideous BO? Smell test?

expatinscotland · 13/11/2007 17:29

'If you require space than one seat then you should pay extra - I would not call it a fat tax just a pragmatic approach. Struggle with limited leg room as it is but I would be hacked off if I had to sit next to someone who was basically squashing into me for a whole flight.'

A man in the US successfully sued an airline after a fat passenger took up half his seat.

He therefore wanted half his fare back.

He got it and then some.

Ledodgy · 13/11/2007 17:29

haha cross posts Lazy!

expatinscotland · 13/11/2007 17:31

it's not irrelevant if you are the one who paid for a full seat and only got half on a transpacific flight.

Joash · 13/11/2007 17:32

OH GROW UP!!!!

TheQueenOfQuotes · 13/11/2007 17:32

but it does still have the potential of discriminating against those very people who are already discriminated against - those with disabilities.....

Joash · 13/11/2007 17:32

Meant for the op

magicfarawaytree · 13/11/2007 17:36

bad breath and bo whilst unpleasant do cause adverse physical conditions. The woman sat next to me was half leaning on me inorder to stop from falling off the seat. She was incredibly heavy, it meant that I was contorted in the seat and everytime we went round a corner in a particular direction it was excruciating. The bus had the max no of standing passengers and was not stopping at any other stops. There was nowhere for me to even get up to stand.

jenkel · 13/11/2007 17:41

Think its not fair and unworkable. My dad is 6ft5, not an ounce of fat on him, so how will it work for him. I'm slighlty overweight but travel light, so will my lower baggage weight come into. Are we all going to have to have our BMI tested at Airports, there are enough queues as it is.

expatinscotland · 13/11/2007 17:45

it already works in the case of kids who can no longer sit on their parents' laps.

they have to buy a seat!

you're hiring space when you ride on a plane.

take up more than one space and you buy more space.

EricL · 13/11/2007 17:47

Do they not already charge for excess baggage?

pukkapatch · 13/11/2007 17:51

i always wondered when they would start a fat tax.
i think it is wrong. wrong werong.
similar to racism. or agism. or disablityism.

fat people already have a n uncomfortable time sittting in tiny seats.if they want to be more comfy, they have to pay for business class. i know, my paretns do. and my parents arent that huge.
its not up to the air line to judge a persons lifestyle.

magicfarawaytree · 13/11/2007 17:51

have to agree with expat and that man that got his refund .

Original poster

cestlavie · 13/11/2007 17:52

EricL: they do, and that's kind of the point. You have to pay extra for any additional weight over a certain amount which you bring on to the plane (23kg on BA short haul flights).

OP posts:

minorityrules · 13/11/2007 17:53

it already works in the case of kids who can no longer sit on their parents' laps

That is done by age though, not by size

Some 23 months olds are huge, some are tiny

most overweight people can sit in one seat and don't spill over..... how overweight are they talking about? I'm 15 stone, my friend was 22 stone, she didn't spill into my seat either when we went on holiday and used a normal seat belt (she is 5ft11)

I would be happy to pay it like I said but I want a rebate on my skinny kids and their underweight luggage (we are usually well under on our luggage)

expatinscotland · 13/11/2007 17:53

'its not up to the air line to judge a persons lifestyle. '

it is up to them to charge people for the space they use.

sorry, but i'd be fecking furious if i paid for a whole seat on plane and only got half because someone lopped over into mine.

i'd want my money back. i bought a seat, not half a seat.

EricL · 13/11/2007 18:02

Yeah - i've never been sat next to a fatty yet but i guess i would be annoyed if it happened.

It's easy to not be fat. It's not rocket science is it?

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