Flying, Weight and Discrimination...

[anonemouse 1]

I agree. We do not live in a one-size-fits-all world. The price of a airline ticket is outrageous they should be able to accomodate people. Wether they are big, tall, handicapped, or just feel they have paid enough for a ticket they should have enough room to breathe.

See, there's the problem. Larger seats means fewer seats. Fewer seats means fewer passengers per plane. Fewer passengers per plane means that seat prices jump tremendously, making them even more outrageous. So the way I see it is this: People can either be uncomfortable in an expensive, narrow seat, or they can be comfortable in a very expensive, wider seat. Of course, if they widen the seats, people will bitch about how much higher prices went. There is no winning there.

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

See, there's the problem. Larger seats means fewer seats. Fewer seats means fewer passengers per plane. Fewer passengers per plane means that seat prices jump tremendously, making them even more outrageous. So the way I see it is this: People can either be uncomfortable in an expensive, narrow seat, or they can be comfortable in a very expensive, wider seat. Of course, if they widen the seats, people will bitch about how much higher prices went. There is no winning there.

I agree. Everything is too expensive these days. Do they really need to charge people so much for a ticket in general? How much profit do they make from each seat I wonder? Just curious. If they regular seats weren't so crazy expensive then maybe I wouldn't mind buying an extra seat...and I would have too. I am 5'2" and shaped like a bowling ball. I am not one of the lucky ones who distributes their weight with height. I am a short fatty...but I still want to fly damn it. When I am a short skinny, then I still want my beautiful fatty friends to be able to fly with me without dipping into their retirement fund.

[brandyII 9]

I think we need a new airline for fat people and it will be comfortable for our size whether it's horizontal or vertical or both! I bet thin people would fly on it too because it would be more comfortable than what we have already. Plus who wants to use one of their bathrooms, it would be much nicer! They would also bring back the lunch cart and movies anyway in a perfect world......

[Kat817 19]

We notice the price of gas each time we fuel our cars, have you heard on the news what the cost of jet fuel is--Holy Smokes!!

And all the new safety guidelines have to be paid for somewhere.....they do not charge you individually for each bag they have to search, or each Xray examination of your carry ons---but everything has to be paid for.....and it comes in the ticket price.

I realize it is expensive, but I know it has not gone up percentage wise it doesn't seem as quickly as the cost of gasoline or diesel has. I know back a couple of years ago we flew to Vegas, and we paid $110.00 round trip, on a special. We priced them last month, and we found we could do it again with a 21 day notice for $153.00 round trip. I know 2 years ago, if I would have drove it, and taken our truck diesel would have been under $2.00 a gallon, and now it is over $4.00---so my costs to drive would have doubled---and almost as badly with the car, and gasoline. So overall while it is expensive, they are not hitting us as hard as the oil companies with the cost of fuel....

I do not have exact numbers, so I may be all washed up, but this is just my personal experience, in the cost of flying.

Now are the seats smaller than they were 2 years ago? Dunno--but I am!!!

Kat

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

I think we need a new airline for fat people and it will be comfortable for our size whether it's horizontal or vertical or both! I bet thin people would fly on it too because it would be more comfortable than what we have already. Plus who wants to use one of their bathrooms, it would be much nicer! They would also bring back the lunch cart and movies anyway in a perfect world......

sounds good to me.

[anonemouse 1]

I agree. Everything is too expensive these days. Do they really need to charge people so much for a ticket in general? How much profit do they make from each seat I wonder? Just curious. If they regular seats weren't so crazy expensive then maybe I wouldn't mind buying an extra seat...and I would have too. I am 5'2" and shaped like a bowling ball. I am not one of the lucky ones who distributes their weight with height. I am a short fatty...but I still want to fly damn it. When I am a short skinny, then I still want my beautiful fatty friends to be able to fly with me without dipping into their retirement fund.

They don't make very much profit at all. There have been several smaller airlines that have folded in the last few weeks, in fact. Between fuel prices, employee benefits/wages, etc., the airlines aren't doing so well.

[brandyII 9]

Since we have so many problems with the airlines I think we need to get that flying car we were all promised in the 50s!!!!!! Where is that car?

[anonemouse 1]

Since we have so many problems with the airlines I think we need to get that flying car we were all promised in the 50s!!!!!! Where is that car?

I'd kill for a Jetson's car!

[brandyII 9]

Jetson's rule!!!!!

[*susan* 1,709]

Astro rocks!!!

[brandyII 9]

Rats right rorge!

[plain 12]

Laurend and Kat hit the nail right on the head. The airlines (and I am no fan, I assure you) are not discriminating based on a person's size. They have to go on how much weight the plane carries. The more weight, the more fuel that will be consumed per flight. The more fuel consumed, the lower the profit margin.

The weight issue (vs. size) can also be looked at from a safety point. It's an extreme example (and 1-2 POS would not make such a drastic difference), but would you rather be on a plane that was target weight, or a plane that was dangerously overweight? That's why the airlines aren't hit with discrimination suits. If a person's disability was that they farted flames, and were denied a job working in a fireworks factory, would that also be discrimination? (We'll have to wait for a DS'er to answer that rhetorical question, I suppose)

[brandyII 9]

It could be late and I could be tired but aren't they two separate topics, not flame farting but the size of a person fitting into a seat and encroaching on another's space vs the total weight of passengers on a plane. Wouldn't they weigh us all before we got on. It still could be that it's late, east coaster.

[plain 12]

No, B II, I was trying to make light (pun intended) of the situation by funny metaphor. The reason a person might have to buy 2 tickets is more for their weight (and, because the flight burns more fuel, the airline's profit margin is cut) than for spilling over onto fellow passengers. I think the airlines don't give a toss if the passengers are comfy or inconvienced, as long as they make money.

[brandyII 9]

OOOOOOh,

Then why all the beachin about size and side rails and spilling into the lap of the next person when it's all money and weight and fuel costs, guess it took a dude to put into perspective! Thanx, got to go to sleep now:closedeyes: