Airline fees: Pay by weight is idea that could fly

My husband and I recently flew from New Zealand to San Francisco – a long, bumpy, 12-plus hour flight, the kind that makes you wish you sold off your retirement for a first-class ticket.

We were seated in the middle two seats in a block of four. When we boarded and found our seats, I almost cried. Two morbidly obese women shared our block of seats, flanking my husband and me. Neither of us had a whole seat, as the women on either side were effectively sharing.

One woman actually lifted the armrest in order to turn so that her derrière was physically in my husband’s seat. Why are we paying all these airline fees for this?

Airlines now charge for checked luggage, possibly because the average American weighs more every year, resulting in excess fuel costs, etc. Instead they should charge by total passenger weight, i.e: body weight plus luggage weight.

If the weight exceeds a prespecified number, say 225 pounds, a fee would be charged. Also, they need to enforce the purchase of two tickets if one doesn’t fit in a seat, or have a section of extra-wide seats available for a fee.

This story was originally published February 28, 2017 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Airline fees: Pay by weight is idea that could fly."