People for size already have an option - business of first class - these seats are usually larger , and yes they cost more. That is the cost of being large - the companies incur it and should pass it along - just as you must pay more for eating two meals.

These are not government entities and are not therefore required to loe money to fly fat people - they have the right to protest by taking their money on a train or driving. Flying is a privelege they can 'buy' and if they need more space, then they need to buy 'more'.

I cannot believe people. If the airlines are going to start charging by weight. Then people who weigh less should pay by their weight and children should be almost free since they weigh next to nothing.
Also who isn't uncomfortable riding in coach. It doesn't matter if a larger person is sitting next to you, the seats are still uncomfortable and someone sitting close to you is always going to get on your nerves.
This is total discrimination. Let's start charging people by their looks, and just let certain people ride in the front. I think that anyone who is being treated this way by the airlines ought to rent a car and let the airlines suffer the loss of revune. The true fat cats and pigs are the greedy people in this country.

As a thin person, who exercise, and eats right, I am sick and tired of having fat people squeeze me into a corner of my seat. If they wanted to sit half of my seat, then they should have to pay for half of my fare! Charge them up the ying yang! Maybe it'll finally get the message across that they need to lose weight.

Due to the laws of physics, more fuel is required to fly a heavier airplane. The airlines charge me for an overweight bag. Some charge for any bags. When I have paid twenty-five dollars for my bag being five pounds overweight, or more for a second bag, then it does not seem reasonable to have morbidly obese people spilling over my armrest for free.
Some people do have special health problems that cause them to be overweight. But it is hard to believe that thirty percent of the population has such a problem.
Again, laws of physics. If you consume fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight. Consume more calories and you will gain weight. Different people have different metabolisms, but there is no person that defies these laws of physics.
I am not sure this is true, but my mother tells me that she remembers a time when the airlines weighed each passenger together with his or her luggage. There was a combined weight limit. This sounds good to me. Perhaps there could be a maximum weight allowed for people, taking heights into account.
There seem to be many concessions made for obese people, sometimes because of obesity-related problems being categorized as "disabilities". But nowhere do I see any rewards for people who work very hard to remain healthy and fit. (Of course, being fit and healthy is its own reward.)I am not suggesting that fit people be given gifts for being less of a burden on society. However, incentives for behavior that benefits not only individual people, but society as a whole, should be a part of public policy. And corporate policy.

First of all, this is NOT a weight issue. This is a space issue and the title should reflect that. If you are to big for a seat obese or not (big weightlifter) and you require two seats, that is the way it is. Airlines are not in the business to lose money.

I know it is a little crappy to be fat and have to sit by yourself knowing your being judged by others on the plane, but hey, does someone else have to be uncomfortable for 4 hours in a confined space to spare those feeling. I say no!

I have heard of this situation a few times, and oddly enough, it seems to pitch the chubbier people against the slimmer people, and I suppose both of the battles have their points. But, if you are one of the chubbier people, please don't take offense to this. Also, wouldn't a bigger seat feel better for you? Even if it was a double-wide seat that didn't have an arm rest in between? I have seen larger people in some seats that fit a normal-weight person just fine, and the arm rests always seem to be cutting into their sides. Doesn't that hurt?

Also, I have worked very hard all my life not to fall into the category of over-weight or obese. I find that those who haven't worked hard are those who are the most jealous. But, guess what, it was a conscious decision that is made every day to get up, get off the couch or the desk, and make my life more active. It was also an effort that is made every day to eat healthier, and not allow myself to eat at fast-food places all the time. There is time to pack healthy lunches, you just have to try.

So, while I know that this will outrage those that it affects, perhaps it will get some to realize that they do have a problem, and if they want to see their kids/grandkids/etc grow up, they may want to change to a lifestyle that will help them live longer.

Will all passengers be required to step on a scale before boarding a plane? I mean who determines if a person is too fat for one seat. Frankly coach is small to begin with and even ‘thin’ people hog up the space when it comes to the arm rests! Perhaps we should charge more if you want both arm rests to be yours too! Where does this all end? Perhaps I should complain about flying next to a person with BO. Believe me it’s happened so many times. Perhaps they should be charged for the extra fresh air I required to breath!

Honestly, airlines are going too far! If the average size of a person has gone up perhaps it’s time for the airlines to bring their seats up to the current body standards!

I have been in a situation where I not only had to sit next to someone too obese to fit on their side of the seat, but who also put the armrest down to make it more comfortable for themselves, which meant more of them was spilled into my space. It was the most uncomfortable flight of my life, and I had a terrible back ache the entire time. The kicker is that I actually had the aisle seat, but she wanted it and would not budge so I had less room being crammed into the window seat. Granted, the flight I was on was 2 hours, but if it had been longer, I absolutely would have spoken up.
It made me very angry that I paid the same amount of money for my ticket, and had to be that uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, it has come to this where more and more people are obese to the point that they can't fit into the seats designed years ago when people were smaller. The airlines are taking the necessary steps to make the majority of their passengers more comfortable, and to pay for the higher fuel charges. I'm no skinny minnie myself, but I can definitely fit into a coach seat without making my seatmate uncomfortable.

I don't think this is discrimination at all, it's just a simple matter of if you take up more space than someone else, you should pay for that.

I think that it is fair to charge obese people more for their airline tickets. The more weight there is the more fuel that is being used to move that person. Therefore, more fuel equals more money. If you take the same make and model of car and put a average size person in the car and an obese person in the other, the obese person will use more gas and ultimately be paying more for their gas to get them where they need to go. So then why would any other form of transportation be different? When you put multiple large people in a car or plane, that is a lot more gas you're using. Not only is there the fuel issue, there is also the issue of being comfortable. For one thing, I have never been on a flight where I've been extremely comfortable, but when you add someone that causes you to not have any space b/c they really are taking up 2 seats rather than one, its not fair that the price is the same. If you are big enough to use two seats then you should be paying for two seats. It's just as simple as that.

What skinny people fail to realize is that obesity is not always a matter of overeating. Obesity is often a result of injury which limits mobility, medications which cause weight gain, and simple genetics. Where obesity is caused by overeating, this can be a result of not having enough income to eat well (carbs are cheap, protein is expensive, and if you live on PB&J you WILL gain weight!). Consequently, this policy is targeting those who may be disabled or suffering from various medical conditions, or those on a lower income or fixed income (such as disability social security or retirees), and that population will be unable to purchase a second ticket. And how will people find out if they have to buy a second ticket? At the gate? Will people be required to enter their weight when they buy a ticket on Travelocity or Expedia? I think in certain cases people will find this becomes an ADA issue subject to Federal law, whatever the airlines may say about it. And only 700 complaints in the last year when they carried about 68,000 passengers? What about my pet peeve - parents who cannot prevent their children from kicking your seat back from NY to LA? I don't see any penalties coming for that kind of inconvenience to passengers. I think this is simply a ploy to stem the revenue hemorrhage the airlines are suffering due to the economic climate.

I know Lufthansa actually has larger seats in coach, and I do wish American airlines would do the same. But I don't think they should do it just to accomodate the "new average weight". Obesity is unhealthy, and we don't have to make accomodations to our comfort and/or finances just to accomodate people who choose to be obese. My dad always complains how uncomfortable plane seats are, but no one else in my family complains because we're not that obese. My mom is slightly overweight, but she knows it's her fault so she doesn't complain. And she's been making a real effort to be healthier for several years now. This policy is totally fair.

I don't think that it's fair to ask someone to share half their seat with someone who is obese (whether it's because of overeating or genetics). You've paid good money to sit in a seat not half of one. If a person cannot fit into one seat then they should pay the extra money to sit in two seats, not expect the person next to them to share theirs. I have travelled with infants on my lap before and believe me it's hard enough to fit yourself and an infant in one seat let alone share it with someone else.

I am so glad this is finally happening!!! I have been stuck between/ beside way to many "fat" people on flights. It is their choice to over indulge and over eat, not mine!! This might help a few people drop a few pounds, I would personally find this very embarrassing to have to change flights or purchase two tickets. Good motivation for weight loss :)

I agree that people should pay more if they are going to use two seats. However, there are many different sized people. Some people are mobidly obese while others are just tall and big, just a completely different sized person. Broader shoulders, thicker bodies with larger bone structure, maybe even a body builder. And, I agree with some of the comments as to who decides who needs two seats? I am an average woman of average height but sitting next to or in between two large men (not fat, just big guys) on an airplane is uncomfortable for me. At what point do you decide if someone needs two seats? Everyone over a certain height, bone structure? You can't go by weight in numbers because someone could be the same weight but twice the size as one could be fat and the other could be muscle. Big problem here. I think the airlines ought to just make their seats bigger all the way around instead of being greedy and trying to cram as many people in as they can. Yes, our ticket price might go higher, but I would pay more for comfort, and we wouldn't draw attention to larger people.

I agree that people should pay more if they are going to use two seats. However, there are many different sized people. Some people are mobidly obese while others are just tall and big, just a completely different sized person. Broader shoulders, thicker bodies with larger bone structure, maybe even a body builder. And, I agree with some of the comments as to who decides who needs two seats? I am an average woman of average height but sitting next to or in between two large men (not fat, just big guys) on an airplane is uncomfortable for me. At what point do you decide if someone needs two seats? Everyone over a certain height, bone structure? You can't go by weight in numbers because someone could be the same weight but twice the size as one could be fat and the other could be muscle. Big problem here. I think the airlines ought to just make their seats bigger all the way around instead of being greedy and trying to cram as many people in as they can. Yes, our ticket price might go higher, but I would pay more for comfort, and we wouldn't draw attention to larger people.

I agree that people should pay more if they are going to use two seats. However, there are many different sized people. Some people are mobidly obese while others are just tall and big, just a completely different sized person. Broader shoulders, thicker bodies with larger bone structure, maybe even a body builder. And, I agree with some of the comments as to who decides who needs two seats? I am an average woman of average height but sitting next to or in between two large men (not fat, just big guys) on an airplane is uncomfortable for me. At what point do you decide if someone needs two seats? Everyone over a certain height, bone structure? You can't go by weight in numbers because someone could be the same weight but twice the size as one could be fat and the other could be muscle. Big problem here. I think the airlines ought to just make their seats bigger all the way around instead of being greedy and trying to cram as many people in as they can. Yes, our ticket price might go higher, but I would pay more for comfort, and we wouldn't draw attention to larger people.

I agree that people should pay more if they are going to use two seats. However, there are many different sized people. Some people are mobidly obese while others are just tall and big, just a completely different sized person. Broader shoulders, thicker bodies with larger bone structure, maybe even a body builder. And, I agree with some of the comments as to who decides who needs two seats? I am an average woman of average height but sitting next to or in between two large men (not fat, just big guys) on an airplane is uncomfortable for me. At what point do you decide if someone needs two seats? Everyone over a certain height, bone structure? You can't go by weight in numbers because someone could be the same weight but twice the size as one could be fat and the other could be muscle. Big problem here. I think the airlines ought to just make their seats bigger all the way around instead of being greedy and trying to cram as many people in as they can. Yes, our ticket price might go higher, but I would pay more for comfort, and we wouldn't draw attention to larger people.

I agree that people should pay more if they are going to use two seats. However, there are many different sized people. Some people are mobidly obese while others are just tall and big, just a completely different sized person. Broader shoulders, thicker bodies with larger bone structure, maybe even a body builder. And, I agree with some of the comments as to who decides who needs two seats? I am an average woman of average height but sitting next to or in between two large men (not fat, just big guys) on an airplane is uncomfortable for me. At what point do you decide if someone needs two seats? Everyone over a certain height, bone structure? You can't go by weight in numbers because someone could be the same weight but twice the size as one could be fat and the other could be muscle. Big problem here. I think the airlines ought to just make their seats bigger all the way around instead of being greedy and trying to cram as many people in as they can. Yes, our ticket price might go higher, but I would pay more for comfort, and we wouldn't draw attention to larger people.

Luckily, there are other choices for airline service. Crying & whining children bother me on planes as well, can we ban children all-together??

Some of you guys seem to be missing the important point here. Weight of bags or other cargo affects the safety of the flight and fuel consumption, and people are no different! Although it may seem harsh to charge more for heavier passengers, the fact is this is not a shallow discrimination, but a concern for safety. If an aircraft is unbalanced it is in danger. If you don't fit in a seat, you need more space. If your bags don't fit the standard requirements, you pay more for extra space aboard the aircraft. Common sense if you ask me.

I'm a large woman, about 250 pounds, and my husband is very tall and weighs 385. When we fly (usually on Alaska Airlines or US Air) they have allowed us to purchase 3 seats in a row, which gives us both plenty of room to move inward rather than encroaching on someone else's seat. I don't think people should be singled out or ridiculed -- tell us what the inches are for the seat and let us do our own calculations at home, then see if we need another. As someone who has flown with 3 obese passengers in a row, I fully understand why people would be upset. People, let's just each pay for seating for both our butt cheeks, however many seats that is, okay? Encroaching on someone else's airline seat is like shoving your backpack between you and the bus rider next to you -- uncool. I'm large and beautiful and I don't mind paying extra.

While this decision may have been in part fiscally motivated, airlines have limited their services and begun charging for others. I don't think that is the issue. Forbes reported that overweight passengers cost airlines an additional $538 million annually in fuel. Prior to United et al.'s new rules, I never resented the fact that might seat-neighbor might be larger, because as someone who is quite petite, that was more than often the case.
But I must admit, I did feel there was something a bit strange when a month ago I had to pay $60 additionally on my round-trip ticket to check a small bag weighing 30 pounds. I do feel badly for thinking this unfair, but I couldn't help it: My bag and I together would be 135 lbs, quite an average weight! Of course I don't have a problem paying to check a light bag, but it did strike me that if they are going to charge for bags (which is weight, and in turn, fuel), then why isn't weight a more consistent basis for charges?

While this decision may have been in part fiscally motivated, airlines have limited their services and begun charging for others. I don't think that is the issue. Forbes reported that overweight passengers cost airlines an additional $538 million annually in fuel. Prior to United et al.'s new rules, I never resented the fact that might seat-neighbor might be larger, because as someone who is quite petite, that was more than often the case.
But I must admit, I did feel there was something a bit strange when a month ago I had to pay $60 additionally on my round-trip ticket to check a small bag weighing 30 pounds. I do feel badly for thinking this unfair, but I couldn't help it: My bag and I together would be 135 lbs, quite an average weight! Of course I don't have a problem paying to check a light bag, but it did strike me that if they are going to charge for bags (which is weight, and in turn, fuel), then why isn't weight a more consistent basis for charges?

I do not think they make discounts for thin people!! Besides, they cater for the taller passengers by advertising extra leg room!

OMG - You discriminating SOB's!!!!! Since when is it PC to call someone a FAT person!!!!????? You all need to take a good long look in the mirror and wonder when someone is going to treat you with intolerance and hate. Let some people have SOME dignity. They aren't all over-weight by choice.

Airlines, like the insurance industry pay top salaries to people who figure out ways to nickel and dime the public to death. They will still OVER-BOOK every F'ing flight and have multi-hour delays, with no consideration at all. Why should this issue surprise anyone. It's despicable.

Standing there at the counter with a scale and a tape measure would indeed be very tacky and discriminatory, as people come in different shapes and sizes. Short and muscular, for instance, will weigh more than short and fat (muscle weighs more than fat!).

However, if they are going to charge people who use more than one seat for more than one seat (e.g. charge the guy who takes 2 seats the cost of that second seat) that is fair. You pay for what you get! I fit into one airplane seat just fine and if I wanted a second seat I certainly couldn't get the extra seat for free if I wanted to...

I fly all the time for my company. You can't believe how uncomfortable it is to sit next to someone who is spilling into my seat, squooshing me, and this happens more often than not.

I'm sorry but if you are way overweight and you need the extra room? YES, you should pay for it. It's NOT fair to others around you!! This is NOT about discrimination at all; it's about space and you are taking up more than the average person so you should expect to pay more.

I can see charging more if a person really cannot fit into a single seat, but if they can, and the seat belt goes around them, then they should not be charged for two seats, just to make the thinner people feel better.

I am an obese person, but I fit in a single coach seat and do not need an extension on my seat belt. If I did not fit in the seat, I would ask, and pay, for two seats, or I would not fly.

Contrary to popular belief, fat people are not the slobs that thin people think they are. We do not deliberately sprawl out onto all the seats we are near. We really do try to keep to one seat and give others room, and if a thin person is feeling squished into a corner, it's because he or she is cringing in paranoia away from the person next to them, and their predjudice or phobia is not the fat person's problem.

If this discrimination becomes the norm, what's next? Charging overweight people more for a movie, because they might offend the fat-phobic person near them? How about charging tall people more, because they block the view of a short person? Or charging more for a child ticket, because it might offend a childless person? Or maybe fat people shouldn't be allowed to fly at all! All that weight might make the plane crash! Maybe only thin people should have the right to fly. Or go to movies. Or ride on a bus. Once we start discriminating against others, it never ends.

Lets use some common sense here. It is not about discrimination, it is not about phobias, it is not about weight, it is not about fuel costs, and it is not about the airlines trying to nickle and dime more money out of us. It is about the space you pay for when you purchase an airline ticket. It is also about the space you consume when on a flight.

How should the decision be made as to whether a large person needs to buy an extra ticket... simple... use the, "Arm Rest Test." If you can't sit in your assigned seat without leaving both arm rests down, than you need to buy an extra seat. This does not discriminate because this makes it purely an issue of space/size and the large person in question might not fit for any number of reasons not limited to obesity. By having to put the arm rest up, that person is automatically going to be encroaching on the space of the people next to them and that is not fair. I have been in that situation before and it can be infuriating on a long flight.

As far as obesity is concerned, one of the many possible causes for not fitting properly in an airline seat, no matter what your economic, genetic, or physical condition may be, it always comes down to daily food choices. I agree it can be very expensive to eat super healthy food, and unhealthy food is cheaper, but going for the pack or cookies rather than bagging a few apples is really what it comes down to. What you eat and how much you eat... It is always a choice.