Overweight man sues Air France over seat row

[kiwimac]

So it is not discriminatory for a large person to pay more if they take up more than one seat but not for a thin person to pay less?

NO aircraft leaves the ground without its running costs having been paid either by freight it is carrying or by the freight division of the airline. A goodly proportion of the airline charges are cream rather than necessary.

kiwimac

 

[Ryan2065]

So it is not discriminatory for a large person to pay more if they take up more than one seat but not for a thin person to pay less?

Huh?

Alright... people don't seem to get this... Here is the way seats work... You either get ALL of the seat, or NONE of the seat. So if an overweight person needs 25% of another seat they get 100% of that seat because no one else can sit in that seat. The same thing happens with very skinny people... They might only use say 50% of the seat but no one else can share the seat with them, therefore they pay for the whole seat.

 

[Mister_T]

How is this discrimination? If someone really does take up two seats then why should they not pay for two seats?

There should be normal seats availible for overweight people. People come in all shapes and sizes and each shape and size should be taken into consideration. It is discrimination when they pull you to the side and pull out a tape measure and measure the mans waist in front other passangers.

There are airlines that you can go on that do not have cramped seats... However it COSTS MORE to have MORE COMFORT. This is how life works.

No, that is how greed works. It's one thing if you pay for first class (if you can even afford it that is). But a lot of people can't afford the luxeries of such things. Business' in this day and age are always trying to cut cornors and maximize their profit and those that suffer are the one who are not as well off.

 

[jeffrey]

Ok, charge fat people more. But I think you should charge ugly people more too. I find it hard to look at ugly people. I should not have to be subjected to that. (Just in case you have ever wondered if you are ugly. 1 of 3 people are ugly. Look to your right, then look to your left. You don't see one, then guess what? GOOD SEATS, HEY BUDDY?)

Or have to sit next to a woman or man wearing Cologne that I find offensive or overpowering. They should be forced to buy at least 3 seats to get them far enough away from me. :sad4:

Or someone that has eaten curry. I hate curry and it's smell! Very offensive!At least 2 seats.

You should also charge pregnant woman more too. They can't sit still, need the bathroom and having to cross over you.

A woman with a baby. Crying, smelly diapers. Definitely charge them for 2 seats.

I could go on...

 

[evearael]

It's not a matter of whether the person is liked or not. It is a matter of how many seats they take up. The seats are small to begin with and the only way to change that is to either start a new airline (as someone suggested) or lobby the airlines for change. The other options are to ride in first class, but I believe that is more expensive than just buying two seats in coach, or chose another form of transportation. The airline is selling seats in their plane and if an ugly pregnant woman doused in too much cologne fits in one seat, she should be charged for one seat. The other passengers may be miserable, but the airline has already made it quite clear that they don't care how happy the passengers are as long as they are still buying seats on their planes. I do agree that baby's should have their own seat for the safety of the child and the rest of the passengers.

Actually, I found the following rather interesting. It is a dialogue with Southwest and American regarding their policies:
http://www.naafa.org/Convention2002/airlines.html

 

[michel]

Sensitivity issue? If someone tried to measure my waist in pubic, I'd deck 'em! Measuring someone is completely disrespectful done in private or public.

Here here! Besides, they'd have to find a tape measure long enough for me..:cover:

 

[Ryan2065]

There should be normal seats availible for overweight people.

Why? And there are already seats that are bigger... they are in first class. Again, if you want comfort then pay for the comfort... If you physically take up two seats (which a VERY small percentage of people do) then you should pay more for another seat.

People come in all shapes and sizes and each shape and size should be taken into consideration.

It is... Do you think when the plane designers made the planes they though "Hrm... Lets not take any persons size and weight into consideration and cram as many seats as we can onto the plane and just hope people fit into them" No... They designed the seats so they could get the max number of people in the plane with a slight discomfort. Again... You are paying for coach... Don't expect to get first class service or comfort in coach.

It is discrimination when they pull you to the side and pull out a tape measure and measure the mans waist in front other passangers.

It is stupidity to do that... Not discrimination. If he agreed to pay the airlines for an extra seat then I highly doubt they would have measured his waist... If they still did then that would be discrimination. If someone says "Im not paying that amount" and you have a waist size posted where if someone is over that they have to pay extra then golly gee how exactly do you prove they have to pay it?

No, that is how greed works.

That is how a business runs. Businesses are out to do two things... Sastisfy the customer AND make money. They usually try to do something in the middle where they make money and keep the customer safe and comfortable. If airlines were jacking up the price way beyond what they needed to do you really think a competing company wouldn't lower the price to what they needed to drive the other companies sales down?

But a lot of people can't afford the luxeries of such things.

So they don't get the luxeries of those things. Its the way the world works.

Business' in this day and age are always trying to cut cornors and maximize their profit and those that suffer are the one who are not as well off.

In a monopoly market yes this is what happens... Again, if there is competition in the market then businesses don't jack up their prices because another company can easily come long with the same thing only cheaper and run them out of business.

Ok, charge fat people more. But I think you should charge ugly people more too. I find it hard to look at ugly people. I should not have to be subjected to that. (Just in case you have ever wondered if you are ugly. 1 of 3 people are ugly. Look to your right, then look to your left. You don't see one, then guess what? GOOD SEATS, HEY BUDDY?)

This does not make sense... A fat person takes up more than one seat... If the ugly person was fat... Then you would be right.

Or have to sit next to a woman or man wearing Cologne that I find offensive or overpowering. They should be forced to buy at least 3 seats to get them far enough away from me. :sad4:

If you are allergic and cannot physically sit next to them then sure!

All the rest of your arguments are a joke... In all your arguments someone can physically sit next to the person in question but with a fat person they cannot physically sit next to him/her. If this was a matter of "I can do this but you are fat so I don't want to" it would be a different story.

 

[jamaesi]

Obesity is considered a disability. Not all people who are obese are just lazy slobs who just eat too much. I'm a bit chubby- try literally not being able to walk without screaming in agony for a few years, see what that does to your figure. Right now I am loosing weight but that's because I can't eat without getting sick- so I just don't eat. Oh boy, I'll be roomy in my seat soon!
Basiclly, shame on you who are okay with them making room for my cane but not okay with treating an overweight person as a human being.

And no, I would never fly with a wheelchair. Wheelchairs don't get a free seat. Wheelchairs go under the plane and wheelchairs are the airline's FAVOURITE thing to destroy- and no, they won't pay for fixing or replacing it. I've never met anyone who has flown with their wheelchair and hasnt had the thing totalled. Disabled people get to crawl or be carried on the plane, and good luck having the airline help you with your stuff or person. I've struggled with my luggage and cane before on planes and buses and had the workers there tell me to "pull on it harder."

 

[jamaesi]

But - you still have alternatives. Not palatable ones (pun intended), but alternatives nonetheless. You fly for the convenience, but in reality it is just a means of getting from Point A to Point B.

Oh yes, alternatives! Obese and disabled people can just stay at home and eat and drool on ourselves or whatever other fullfilling actions we do with our pithy excuses for lives.

America and France both have been big on this "equality" concept since they gained their independence. They really need to get cracking on it.

 

[Zephyr]

I find it hard to believe that some people don't quite get the "if you take more than one seat, pay for two" thing. It's not discrimination, it's common sense. If you don't like how things are done, don't fly. If things are too small, pay for a better seat that will have more room.

 

[Ryan2065]

Ok, charge fat people more. But I think you should charge ugly people more too. I find it hard to look at ugly people. I should not have to be subjected to that. (Just in case you have ever wondered if you are ugly. 1 of 3 people are ugly. Look to your right, then look to your left. You don't see one, then guess what? GOOD SEATS, HEY BUDDY?)

Or have to sit next to a woman or man wearing Cologne that I find offensive or overpowering. They should be forced to buy at least 3 seats to get them far enough away from me. :sad4:

Or someone that has eaten curry. I hate curry and it's smell! Very offensive!At least 2 seats.

You should also charge pregnant woman more too. They can't sit still, need the bathroom and having to cross over you.

A woman with a baby. Crying, smelly diapers. Definitely charge them for 2 seats.

I could go on...

So we can go the other way with this also... Shouldn't restraunts just charge people the same fee for everyone regardless of the amount they are going to eat? I mean come on... Some people do eat more than others and its discrimination to charge them more because of that!

Drug companies... Those heartless ********! Where do they get off charging people per pill? They should charge everyone a flat rate for pills... Its discrimination to charge the people who need more pills more!

Shall I go on?

 

[Katzpur]

I find it hard to believe that some people don't quite get the "if you take more than one seat, pay for two" thing. It's not discrimination, it's common sense. If you don't like how things are done, don't fly. If things are too small, pay for a better seat that will have more room.

Zepher, it's not really a matter of people not "getting it." It's a matter of some people having persecution complexes and feeling that everybody's out to get them. They take everything personally and over-react to every perceived slight.

 

[jamaesi]

Zepher, it's not really a matter of people not "getting it." It's a matter of some people having persecution complexes and feeling that everybody's out to get them. They take everything personally and over-react to every perceived slight.

It's a matter of equality for all people, not just continuing to belittle them.

 

[Ðanisty]

I said when they buy the ticket... I didn't realize a majority of the people bought their tickets at the airport 2 hours before their flight... It would require a little bit of planning but not so much...

What good would that do? The people at the airport are still going to give people with medical problems a hard time when they get to the airport.

 

[Zephyr]

It's a matter of equality for all people, not just continuing to belittle them.

I believe in simple common sense. If you need more, you pay for more.

 

[Katzpur]

It's a matter of equality for all people, not just continuing to belittle them.

I don't believe it's right to belittle anybody over anything. There is a right and a wrong way to handle situations the the one described in the link given in the OP. In this example, the situation was handled in the wrong way. That said, my comments stand.

 

[jamaesi]

I believe in simple common sense. If you need more, you pay for more.

I believe in common sense, too! It's common sense to treat everyone with equality no matter what legally defined disability they have.

I don't believe it's right to belittle anybody over anything. There is a right and a wrong way to handle situations the the one described in the link given in the OP. In this example, the situation was handled in the wrong way. That said, my comments stand.

Where I come from, saying someone has a perscution complex and is "just oversensitive" to obvious ill-treatment is considered rude and belittling.

 

[FatMan]

Oh yes, alternatives! Obese and disabled people can just stay at home and eat and drool on ourselves or whatever other fullfilling actions we do with our pithy excuses for lives.

America and France both have been big on this "equality" concept since they gained their independence. They really need to get cracking on it.

I don't think you understand my point. In everything in life, there are alternatives, However, most of them are not ones we prefer to take.

But, if flying is such a hassle and such a discriminatory practice that you feel strongly about, then you have a host of other alternatives to choose from (decidedly slower, but that isn't the point).

It really boils down to people having alternatives but choosing not to take them.

 

[Ryan2065]

What good would that do? The people at the airport are still going to give people with medical problems a hard time when they get to the airport.

So its no use to have a doctor tell the airliners that the person is overweight due to a medical condition because no matter what they will still get a hard time when they get to the airport? But they won't get a hard time when they are getting their free second seat =p (Remember, the story from the OP the man had flown many times without paying more, its just when the flight is full that they have problems... Not like they were being butts about it)

 

[jamaesi]

I don't think you understand my point. In everything in life, there are alternatives, However, most of them are not ones we prefer to take.

But, if flying is such a hassle and such a discriminatory practice that you feel strongly about, then you have a host of other alternatives to choose from (decidedly slower, but that isn't the point).

It really boils down to people having alternatives but choosing not to take them.

Oh, I understand your point. I also find your point to be not based in any sort of reality but discrimination and lacking in any actual real world experience.