KLM lets obese passengers pay for a second seat

[hardhatter]

Translated with Babelfish from nu.nl


KLM lets obese people book second ticket

Spent:19 January 2010 20:35Last modified:19 January 2010 21:34
AMSTERDAM - obese people who want fly with airline companies KLM and air France must soon possibly twice will pay.

http://media.nu.nl/m/m1dz26naggy7.jpg © DUTCH PRESS AGENCY

Because people whom not well in a chair are appropriate, must book a second ticket. That for the of KLM has let know Tuesday.
'' It is new policy. The reason is the fly security, this way can guarantee this we and moreover a bit comfort offers the zegsvrouw to '', thus. The new rule enters by 1 April.


Refused


If as from that date in the plane appears that someone is not appropriate nevertheless in a chair, the passenger is refused. The criterion for this is that the guardrails of the chair must be possible on and.
Obese people who must book a second chair, get, however, 25 per cent discount. If the plane is not fully booked, the passenger can recover be second ticket.

Ridiculously


Marieke of Spain of the Dutch Obesitas association call the measure ridiculously and frequently give to that the overweight of obesitaspatiënten by a medical disorder are caused.
'' We find very this to regret and we go our beraden on steps '', thus of Spain. She had rather seen that the societies are based on broader develop.
And it will cause its much bureaucracy and practical problems according to. '' See you already such a thick person by the pace path to run looking at if there are based on still free are, so that he are money can ask back? ''


god, that English is awful! Sorry about that.

What do you think? Is this a logical decision or is this discrimination?

[piton]

KLM: dikke mensen moeten extra stoel boeken - Reisnieuws - Telegraaf.nl [24 uur actueel, ook mobiel] [reiskrant] (http://www.telegraaf.nl/reiskrant/5826012/__KLM__dikke_mensen_moeten_extra_stoel_boeken__.html?p=1,1)


From De Telegraaf (Dutch tabloid).

"Fat People have to book an extra seat"

The main points - KLM is introducing this policy as of April 1st. The passenger gets a 25% discount on a second seat. The KLM spokesperson says this will garantee safety and increase comfort. The criterion is that the armrests have to be able to go down. If the flight isn't full the passenger can get the extra fee back.

A representative of the "Obesity Association" thinks this is ridiculous and would prefer to see airlines developing broader seats. They are considering legal steps. She thinks there will be bureaucratic and practical problems and says "Can you see the fat person walking up and down the aisle to see if there is an empty seat so he can ask for his money back"?

[Katamarino]

I think this is great. Perhaps the 'Obesity Association' representative can inform us why the passengers who can control their eating should be forced to subsidize those who can't!

[ab33t]

Yeah what about my rights to have the seat I paid for. I flew once before with someone of sizeable stature and it WAS terrible

[Piltdown Man]

One person, one seat, one ticket. One person, two seats, two tickets. I cannot stand HAVING to sit (squeeze) next to a salad dodger. Professional musicians who travel with cello's, viola's, guitars etc. book and pay for a second seat as do those who wish to have a vacant seat next them for a bird of prey. So it's no such a new phenomena.

PM

[rmac]

I have always felt that instead of a seat + baggage allowance we should have a net weight allowance, why should I have to pay for an extra 5-10kg just because I am not carrying it on my person like the passenger who is spilling in to my space from the next seat :E

[ExXB]

... :bored: of size? Two seats at 175% of the fare might appeal to us 60kg weaklings. But would we get double the baggage allowance??? ... (oops it was decided this wouldn't happen in another thread)

[sTeamTraen]

Why are all the seats the same width?

I suggest removing one seat from a couple of rows and making the seats in that row wider - in fact on some planes that might not even be necessary, if the width is not completely uniform down the aisle.

Then, depending on marketing requirements and how much you don't want to be seen to discrimnate against the lardy, either charge more for the wider ones, or reserve them for obese people and if none of those turn up less than X minutes before boarding closes, make someone's day with a free "near-upgrade".

To remove three seats from a 300-seat plane will cost just over 1% of the Y cabin's revenue, which shouldn't be too much to either add to the PR budget or charge back to the horizontally challenged. (Plus, the airline can skimp on a meal. The big guy can probably stand to miss out on a few Kcal. :))

[hardhatter]

From the Telegraaf, translated by Babelfish

Unbelievable! :ugh:

Protest against 'fatso'-tax air France-KLM
PARIS - also in France protest rises against plans of airline company air France-KLM to let pay passengers be appropriate whom too thick are in one chair, a second ticket.



http://images2-telegraaf.nl/multimedia/archive/00676/dikke_man_676233d.jpg (javascript:fotovenster()







„Pure discrimination! thus Anne-Sophie Joly, president of the national collective of associations of sigh patients (CNAO), Thursday in the newspaper Le Monde. „You leave also another sick or do not pay extra a blind person who has adaptations necessary. Thus blindengeleidehonden are for example taken along for free. She reminds that the world health organisation (WHO) recognises obesitas as a sickness.
THE CNAO want that the European Parliament takes measures against the plans. From the French government the sigh patients get already support: State Secretary for family matter Nadine Morano calls the „fairly shocking that people „two times must pay because of their sickness.
The Dutch Obesitas association called the plans earlier these yielded already ridiculously

So, what do you think of this protest? To be honest, I think that people who are obese are mostly themselves to blame. If people who are obese because of 'hormones' or anything else outside of their control, they should get written proof from a certified physician, and could be exempt from this tax. All others, just pay-up or lose weight!

:=

[flyingfemme]

Airline seats are, mostly, an unrealistic size. I am not fat or particularly tall but generally find seats barely wide enough to accomodate my shoulders and my knees are often hard against the seat in front. My Beloved is 6'4" and 46" chest with shoulders much wider than mine - he just doesn't fit in an economy seat. How is "oversize" to be measured? And what about inadequate legroom?
Business class seats are much better but airlines seem to charge around ten times the fare for 2-3 times the space. Many people cannot hope to afford this.
People have got bigger in the last 20-30-40 years but airline seats seem to have shrunk.....

[Hartington]

I have occasionally wondered about buying three economy seats for two people. That's three fares. Now, if I go KL/AF it looks like I can save a miniscule amount by paying 2.75 fares for three seats. But I'm not fat - tall maybe, but not fat. Will I be allowed to buy my 2 seats?

[spiney]

This system has been in place in the US for many years on some airlines... If you are a 'larger' customer, you can choose to buy a second seat at a reduced price (60-75%) and if the flight isn't full and the seat wasn't sold or occupied, you get your money back... saves the hassle involved if someone is overspilling the allocated seat - better for the airline, better for the chunky and better for everyone else...

[Wildpilot]

But by making Mr Fat Guy buy two seats surely this means he now gets two meals and this perpetuates the problem!

What about strapping him to a pallet and putting him in the hold.

[MungoP]

I'd like to see the whole thing taken one logical step further... A weighing machine incorporated at the the check-in desk.. Pax allowed a total weight inclusive of luggage.. Why should I be forced to pay X amount per kilo over my baggage weight while some 300 lb pax in front creates problems for those around them and pays nothing extra.. ?