US airlines charging overweight passengers for extra seats

AIRLINE CHARGES:COULD AIRLINE passengers soon face the same penalties for being overweight as baggage?

A recent study in the US shows that the average 10lb (4.5kg) gained by US passengers during the 1990s resulted in an extra 350 million gallons of fuel being used by aircraft.

Southwest Airlines has already started charging passengers who can't fit in a seat without raising the armrest. As energy prices continue to soar, other airlines may look at similar additional charges. Southwest says its decision to charge overweight passengers for two seats follows complaints from customers whose seats were "sat upon" by overweight neighbours.

Canada takes a different line. A new law there prohibits airlines from charging overweight passengers extra for taking up more than one seat. The ruling applies to disabled passengers, including the severely obese, who require two seats. It is estimated that the new law will cost Air Canada about $6.93 (€4.4) million and West Jet Airlines about $1.48 (€0.9) million a year in lost revenue.

Dr Laurie Zoloth, director of the Centre for Bioethics at Northwestern University, supports the penalties. She sees it as more a question of passenger comfort and encroaching personal space, as opposed to carbon or climate concerns over additional fuel usage. While she calls obesity "a tragic addiction", she says it's only a matter of time before overweight people will have to pay more. Insurance companies may also be next in line to assess people on the basis of their weight, she feels.

For the moment, though, Irish passenger carrying a few extra pounds can relax. Aer Lingus says it has "no intention" of following Southwest Airlines' lead. A Ryanair spokesman told Go it also has no plans to introduce overweight charges, adding: "We encourage hungry passengers to enjoy our in-flight menu."