Wednesday, April 15, 2009

TANSTAAFL: Airline Seats for Obese Passengers

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Under new rules outlined by United Airlines, passengers who "are unable to fit into a single seat in the ticketed cabin; are unable to properly buckle the seatbelt using a single seatbelt extender; and/or are unable to put the seat's armrests down when seated" will be denied boarding unless they purchase an extra seat.

I guess this would actually be TANSTAAFAS.

Good News: At least for international flights when food is provided, wouldn't the overweight passengers have the advantage of getting two meals when purchasing two tickets?

Update: In the UK, the NHS is paying (bribing") people to lose weight.

12 Comments:

At 4/15/2009 10:42 PM, Blogger Dave Narby said...

FYI, the acronym popularized by Heinlein is correctly spelled TANSTAAFL.

I think perhaps you're correcting the grammar, but that kinda defeats the purpose of referencing the meme, y'know?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TANSTAAFL

 
At 4/16/2009 1:28 AM, Anonymous Johnny10 said...

Actually, this is good thing. And there is one more to do: why the hell dont these airline companies count the total weight of passanger? I mean, that is totally unfair when my girlfriend has to pay extra 25 bucks for overweight luggage, even if her own weight is 50 kilograms (sorrry, I am from Europe). And some big guy with 100 Kilograms and smaller luggage pays nothing, even if his total weight (him and his stuff) is way higher than my girlfriend´s...you know what I mean?

they should just put a total weight limit (for you and all your stuff) and if you exceed, you pay extra. that would be the most fair in case they justify those stupid extra weight fees for bigger fuel spendings....

 
At 4/16/2009 5:46 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At 4/16/2009 5:48 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dave Narby,

If you really want to be accurate and cruel it's TANSTAAFLFA

 
At 4/16/2009 6:38 AM, Blogger juandos said...

"why the hell dont these airline companies count the total weight of passanger?"...

Its a leftover from days gone past in the airlines...

Seats are individual sales per flight and that's how they've been sold for decades...

"I mean, that is totally unfair when my girlfriend has to pay extra 25 bucks for overweight luggage"...

Then she made the mistake of checking in oversized luggage or NOT reading the terms on her airline ticket...

None the less Johnny10, you do have a valid point...

Until very recently those passengers checking a set of golf clubs weren't charged for oversized luggage but someone checking something like a bicycle was... Some airlines still have this practice...

AIRLINE SEAT SPACE - Cruel and unusual punishment?

 
At 4/16/2009 7:40 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If I recall, passenger weight is calculated as 170 pounds in warm weather and 180 pounds in cold weather. I flew a puddle jumper to Key West that only allowed 25 pounds of baggage & carry on combined. They did weigh each passenger as well. I was 150 pounds but had 30 pounds of gear. They let it slide when I brought up the FAA standard.

 
At 4/16/2009 8:03 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If that's the case, most female travelers should be charged extra as they tend to pack more heavily than men. I'm a corporate pilot (and load the bags also) and just trust me, women's bags in weight and quantity easily eclipse what men travel with.

 
At 4/16/2009 10:11 AM, Blogger ExtremeHobo said...

There is nothing worse than setting on a plane next to an overweight person except for maybe setting next to a small crying child. Do people get charged for crying babies yet?

 
At 4/16/2009 5:52 PM, Anonymous Dr. T said...

ExtremeHobo: You need a portable music player and in-ear, noise-blocking earphones. With those, you will barely hear jet engine noise or crying kid noise.

 
At 4/17/2009 10:57 AM, Blogger ExtremeHobo said...

Ill still feel the stupid kid that keeps kicking the seat! What I need is chloroform

 
At 4/18/2009 4:41 PM, Blogger juandos said...

"Ill still feel the stupid kid that keeps kicking the seat! What I need is chloroform"...

No! No! No! extremehobo, what you need to do is follow these simple directions:

How to Make a Taser From a Disposable CameraThis little party favor will give the, 'stupid kid' a reason to kick and give you some entertainment besides...

 
At 4/19/2009 5:42 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Obesity is the last bastion of discrimination out there that is not recognized as such and has provided fodder for many of you. I hope for your sakes you never suffer from an accident or condition that would put you in a position to be freely derided, ridiculed and insulted at every turn. If you have to tear someone down to make yourself feel good, you are in a sorry state. Next time you fly and there is a larger than normal person on your flight...have some compassion....(they do not want to be there anymore than you do.) It's only a few hours out of either of your lives and as adults you can either make it miserable or tolerable....your choice....

 

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