Reported in The Times on 22/04/2009 Ryanair propose to charge fat people more for flying with them. The proposals are as follows:-


* Charge per kg over 130kg/20 stone (male) and 100kg/15 stone (females);

* Charge per inch for every waist inch over 45 inch (male) and 40 inch (female);

* Charge for every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index (+30 points is obese);

* Charge for a second seat if passengers’ waist touches both armrests simultaneously.

The first two proposals one could question why are men being given a bigger allowance for size and weight. this could be seen as sexist. The third point in regards to BMI. What if a person is very toned and muscular, which would cause an increase in their BMI. The third point is just stupid, considering the seats are very slim indeed.

This just seems to me as another way for Ryanair to make more money and just another 'let's pick on the fatties'. On the other hand if your very slim will they allow you extra baggage to make up for the lack of weight? I doubt it.

What do you think?

Simple don't fly with them! They started out as good value but now they charge you for every little item they think they can get away with. Imagine having to pay extra to put your luggage on board.

if they triedthis with muslim, black or pakistani people it would be classed as rasicism, what makes them think they can get away with it with big people?

They can get away with it as there are no laws to some discrimination against fat people.

Do they plan on measuring everybody and weighing everybody before they board or purchase a ticket. I can understand that they could charge for an extra seat if a person can't sit in one seat but to actually measure and weigh people, it seems ridiculous. There is a fine line between discrimination and legal size regulations. Speaking of rules, is it required that someone get a physical in order to get health insurance or is that just for life insurance?

During my recent flight back to London from New York City's JFK Airport last week I was unexpectedly bumped from premium economy into economy for "operational reasons" (also known as airline incompetence) and was seated next to a highly obese gentleman whose personal excess spilled over the armrests and onto my good person, which made the whole flight rather unpleasant and uncomfortable. It seems all of the posts made thus far are a selfish and one-sided as they only consider the concerns of obese people and not the concerns of other flyers, so i'll try to bring a bit of balance here.

The absolute bottom line is that physics doesn't do political correctness. The heavier someone is the more fuel it takes to keep them in the air. Like it or not, that is a fact and I would suggest that it is little other than ignorance that some of these moaning gastropods don't understanding that. Morbidly obese people aside, the oversensitivity of politically correct do-gooders on this issue causes them to react with an over-zealous knee jerk but in reality the only thing being discriminatory here is the laws of physics - the laws of physics offend them? Why? These are simply laws that mankind have observed govern the natural universe - it's just the way things are. How can any malice be intended?

Whilst I support the principle of charging passengers according to their weight, the inconvenience and financial cost of implementing and policing this would cancel out any financial gain to either the airline or slim, sexy, athletic people. But then I hear the the morbidly obese people cry “what about tall people, pregnant women or body builders? – Why not charge them more for being heavier?". Well, from the perspective of physics and getting a commercial jet in the air and keeping it there, a 300lb passenger is a 300lb passenger, regardless of the specific nature of the excess bulk they are carrying. I for one am not really happy with subsidising fat, tall, muscular or pregnant passengers. Considering though that an empty Boeing 747-400 weighs about 600,000lbs, carries over 400 passengers (whom would typically constitute only approx between 5-10% of its take-off weight), and that the statistical standard deviation of weight for the populous isn't really that dramatic, I'm sure that if one did the calculations it would be seen there really isn't much to be had here in terms of financial loss or gain to slim people or fat people respectively. However, times are hard - maybe 1.5% off a ticket price might be very helpful to someone.

So in summary, in principle I support charging passengers by weight but I do not believe it to be feasible. And given the statistics, it might be a moot point anyway. I would be much more interested to see a £100 surcharge for anyone who wants to put their seat back (paid directly to the person behind them). I just don't like it when people aggressively knee-jerk to such passenger weight proposals without considering (or being educated to) the facts, those being it does cost the airlines more to fly obsese people. This is not up for debate - the laws of physics dictate it. And though not practicle to do otherwise, is it really fair to distribute this excess cost across everyone?

The scenario in which a passenger spilling over the armrests into another passengers personal space is of course a completely different story. They should buy two seats. I don't think any reasonable person would argue against that. There is a reason the seats are "very slim indeed" - economics dictacte this, as airlines need to get a certain number of people on a flight or it is not economically viable to run it. Most people fit into these seats and are happy to take the inconvenience to enjoy air travel at low cost.

I can now flatter myself that I have blessed this forum with a comprehensive and coherent assessment on the issue of flying obese people, built upon indisputable scientific and economic facts, practicalities and completely decoupled from any misplaced emotion. So, a hate speech? or just good science? I now invite any comments or abuse you may wish to direct at me on this matter.