Airline 'fat tax': Should heavy passengers pay more?

[moonbladem]

From excess luggage to excess flesh -- an economist says flight fares should be based on body weight.An economics scholar in Norway has recommended that air ticket costs be calculated according to a passenger’s weight

Comments

[clevermanka]

I think this needs the "not this shit again" tag.

[grimmerlove]

I submit "fuck this guy".

[kittenmommy]

My first thought was, "This comm needs a 'Fly The Unfriendly Skies'" tag.

[lone_concertina]

If someone weighed me while I was just trying to check in for a flight, I would murder their ass. I would murder it so fucking hard.

[lithiumflower]

1) Are we really going to delay the boarding process to WEIGH people? No. So his other option is to allow self-reporting with "random" checks? Which would basically be some attendant looking at you and gauging whether you're really 100lbs? Let's imagine the embarrassing situations that will arise as they abuse their power by over-targeting the obese.

2) High/Average/Low: A base fare is set, with a predetermined discount applying for those below a certain weight threshold and a predetermined surcharge applying for those above a certain weight threshold.What is this average going to be that there can be a LOW? If we use the ever popular BMI, there's a whole range of HEALTHY weights. If you're in the HEALTHY range, are you going to be charged more or less depending on which side of the HEALTHY range you fall on? If you're in the underweight category, do you still get the LOW discount or do you get a penalty fee for trying to cheat your way into cheaper airfare by being underweight? Of if there's bare minimum, the system is now open to

[lithiumflower]

Furthermore, if they charge you more because you're overweight, where does it end? If they think you need 2 seats, does that get included in the overweight tax? Or do you have to buy both seats at the overweight tax price? Or is it put as as an add-on to your first seat at the base price?

[sesmo]

I assume that you would be weighed with your luggage, since you are being treated as luggage. So a thin person who packs a lot of stuff would pay more than a fat person traveling light?

This fails to make sense on so many levels, it hurts my head.

[kangofu]

You know what, I think this guy needs to just fuck off.

Airlines are having enough trouble filling seats without turning off even more passengers with this fatphobia bullshit.

[evilnel]

Hey, that sounds like a great idea. Let's shame overweight passengers and trigger passengers with eating disorders so the airlines can save some money. Passengers are totally the same as luggage and other cargo and have no feelings or insecurities about their weight WHATSOEVER. /sarcasm

Bad idea is bad. Even people of "normal" weight often experience psychological distress at being weighed. I am of average weight but I lost over 130 lbs and being weighed in public would be EXTREMELY distressing for me because I still feel fat and feel judged about my appearance because of how I was treated for so long. Not to mention patients with anorexia or bulimia. What the actual fuck?