DIET you say??? It's only a matter of time!!!

[greatam]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/100612926

 

Made me want to get the Treadclimber warmed up!!! It sits here laughing at me daily.

[Keith1010]

Great post. Times continue to change.

 

Keith

[penguinscott]

Could be sooner than you think. Airlines are desperate to save money and Americans are a gold mine of cash by the weight!

[Zach1213]

I don't see it happening anytime soon. The airline mentioned in the article is a foreign airline...one that doesn't have to put up with the insanely lawsuit-happy American public. If AA, UA, US, WN, etc. tried to do this...the American public would backlash hardcore with the "it's not my fault I'm fat, you're discriminating" lawsuit that would either last forever or just cause the airlines to step back. That's my bet. I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

It would be interesting through, especially with business travelers - would our employees make us lose weight for travel purposes? There's another lawsuit ;)

[Gunner22aa]

Will never happen here. In fact we went the opposite way a couple of years ago. Airlines must now accomodate people of "stature" by either giving them two economy seats or a bump to the wider seats in business if a passenger has a medical note saying one economy seat would be detremental to their medical condition which frankly is sometimes nothing more than a severe case of "over active fork".

[Zach1213]

Will never happen here. In fact we went the opposite way a couple of years ago. Airlines must now accomodate people of "stature" by either giving them two economy seats or a bump to the wider seats in business if a passenger has a medical note saying one economy seat would be detremental to their medical condition which frankly is sometimes nothing more than a severe case of "over active fork".

 

Or "Under-performing legs"

[njhorseman]

Yes, it's very realistic to expect market trends to be set by an airline whose commercial fleet consists of two 9-seat airplanes. :rolleyes:

[Zach1213]

Yes, it's very realistic to expect market trends to be set by an airline whose commercial fleet consists of two 9-seat airplanes. :rolleyes:

 

In a country with notoriously large people, nonetheless.

[ducklite]

I wish it would happen here. Charge everyone a base fee and then by the pound for luggage and body weight. I'd make out like a bandit!

[nobog]

I don't understand why airlines don't charge a "flat fee" and then mileage. There are fixed cost - airplanes, airport fees, maintenance, etc.

 

So... (now I am just making these numbers up) - $200 just to walk on the plane - then charge for milage (fuel) - 1000 miles @ $0.10 a mile so $100 - so there you have a $300 flight. In other words the farther you go the more you pay. I'm sure there's a reason this won't work but it seems simple and fair.

 

Jim

[ducklite]

I don't understand why airlines don't charge a "flat fee" and then mileage. There are fixed cost - airplanes, airport fees, maintenance, etc.

 

So... (now I am just making these numbers up) - $200 just to walk on the plane - then charge for milage (fuel) - 1000 miles @ $0.10 a mile so $100 - so there you have a $300 flight. In other words the farther you go the more you pay. I'm sure there's a reason this won't work but it seems simple and fair.

 

Jim

 

It should take distance and weight into consideration.

 

It should be something like $50 base fare which would cover fixed costs like gate fees, ground personnel, computer systems, etc.

 

The formula would be something like this:

 

($.30 x 400 miles) x ($.20 x 300 pounds) = $180 + $50 = $230 fare

 

($.30 x 3000 miles) x ($.20 x 400 pounds) = $980 + $50 = $1030 fare

[slidergirl]

If you don't scam your doctor into giving you a note that your medical condition requires you to use 2 seats, the airlines WILL charge you. They can also deny to take you, because your excess size and inability to move could cause issues in case of emergency...

 

I took a flight SJU-STT back in 1989 on a Grumman Turbo Mallard, a seaplane. At the check-in desk, not only was ALL our luggage (including carryons and purses) weighed, WE were weighed! We were placed in the plane according to our weight in order to balance out the plane. That whole vacation was interesting. A week before we were to leave, the airline we booked with went under. We scrambled and found other fights, hence the Turbo Mallard. On the way back, it was Aero Virgin Islands in a DC-3. The window where I sat had, I kid you not, paper towels stuffed around it to keep the air out!!! Fortunately, the plane didn't get above 10,000!

[ducklite]

A doctors note won't do you any good in the US. Carriers are not obligated to give a passenger a free second seat because some quack doctor says their patient has no control over their morbid obesity.