Obese Airline Rights: Canada Court Rules The Obese Have Rights To Two Seats

Reuters:

OTTAWA (Reuters) -- Obese people have the right to two seats for the price of one on flights within Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Thursday.

The high court declined to hear an appeal by Canadian airlines of a decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency that people who are "functionally disabled by obesity" deserve to have two seats for one fare.

The airlines had lost an appeal at the Federal Court of Appeal in May and had sought to launch a fresh appeal at the Supreme Court. The court's decision not to hear a new appeal means the one-person-one-fare policy stands.

Read the whole story: Reuters

Comments

[w8aminute]

Nothing brings out the "holier-than-thou" group like a discussion of obesity.

[breakingnews]

Lighten up...........

[noamjunior]

no I just think one 20-piece chicken McNuggets and a large fries is enough for a pre-dinner snack

[gypsysoul111]

wow. how many people want to gain weight now so they don't have to be so close to their seat mate?

[breakingnews]

Just wait this these chubbies start suing car makers for making such tiny, fuel efficient autos.

You just cant stuff a lardass into a Mini Cooper.

[joebaggadonuts]

Well, they will have to sue the bankrupt US manufacturers since the foreign brands make the little cars. If heavy folk want comfortable transportation, there's plenty of it sitting on the lots now for low low prices. Get a life, breaking.

[frantaylor]

Indeed! Charge by weight. You and all your stuff go on a scale and there it is. Multiply by the number of miles travelled, add fees for landing and takeoff, and that's the price. It's the way all other shipping is charged. Why not airlines too? It's a nice way to do it because it makes sense and it's not just an arbitrary price. It gives people an incentive to save weight. It gives the airlines a better handle on costs because now income is directly related to costs.

It is indeed "fair" because the fee charged is proportional to the cost of the service rendered, and what could be more "fair" than that?

[fedupwiththis]

That is waaaay to logical for our society. We'd much rather whine about "disabilities."

[arvada]

Only if they add a screaming baby charge as well

[Isis N]

Seconded.

[phillylaw08]

I dont understand this decision at all. If you take up two seats - pay for two seats. Its too bad that you are so overweight that you cant fit into one. Southwest airlines has this policy. Very poor decision.
http://www.itaffectsus.com

[chicago25624]

Say goodbye to the Canadian airline industry. By definition, I'll bet 40% of passengers are obese.

But what the heck, we can always redefine the meaning of any word these days

[BigBagel]

Are they as fat as Americans?

[RachelMc]

no

[Furby]

Here's what I found (2004 stats). 30% of Americans are obese, 23% of Canadians are obese. These stats are for people over the age of 18. The childhood obesity data is much scarier but too detailed for this post.

[joebaggadonuts]

Not 40% of Canadians. And frankly if the Airlines worried more about passenger comfort and less about profit, they would do better. This skimping their way to the lowest cost fares is the road to ruin. Bring back regulation and raise prices. It will be the only price rise over the next year or so with the coming deflation.

[Myshkin57]

How about those that are functionally disabled because they have children? Do all the children fly free? I suppose there are people who have real disabilities that make them overweight and I'm fine with them getting an extra seat, but just being overweight is in-and-of-itself not a reason to get a free extra seat.

[gfs5541]

Hear I am trying, stuggling to lose weight every day, and folks just make it easy for me to be fat. Yay.

[luvronpaul]

hahaha

[AKJM]

Canada has a fat problem too, I feel better.

[Furby]

Not quite on the same scale as the US, but yes, Canada has a fat problem, particularly in poorer areas.

[Myshkin57]

Not on the same scale? Are you talking about weighted averages?

[gevan]

Just raise your hand if you are "functionally disabled" and you get two seats for the price of one..

[3fingerbrown]

I can't raise my arm ... it's too heavy. Can I just jiggle my chins in approval?

[breakingnews]

Nice.

[drkazmd65]

And I thought that the US courts made lots of stupid decisions,... Is it any 'releif' that the Canadian ones are filled with a similar level of nimrods as ours appear to be?

[wadenelson1]

Having established a precedent with the airlines, GM Canada is now required to supply a full-sized Cadillac to any overweight Canuks who can't fit into a GM compact vehicle -- at the same price.

[MarsAmbassador]

Laziness, horrible eating habits, gluttony, lack of self-respect and inability to maintain willpower is NOT a medical condition. And if I have to pay one iota more to cover the cost of these dregs of society who eat McDonald's 3 times a day, then the solution is clear. I am going to start a business called Fat Holidays, booking up every plan in Canada with nothing but gigantic fat people that take up two seats, thus running the airline industry into the ground and giving the Canadian government a global reputation for being morons.

[Geoffreys]

Come on. Tell us how you really feel ... don't hold back on our account.

[camper65]

I totally agree. But, let's take your argument one step farther. Why should national health care pay for illnesses that are caused by "laziness, horrible eating habits, lack of self-respect and inability to maintain willpower"? So many expensive-to-treat illnesses are caused by exactly the same things!
The same rule should apply - if you won't take care of yourself, why should I have to pick up the tab?

[luvronpaul]

hahaha fat holidays I love it!

[redlinemetro]

How about instead of a free seat you push the drink cart up and down the aisle for a little cardio.

[Ramirez]

Airlines need to charge by weight. Seriously. The heavier the cargo the more fuel it costs to transport it.

A skinny person with a lot of luggage would pay the same as an obese one traveling light.

[noamjunior]

first thing you ever posted that I agree with

[camper65]

Used to work for an airline. You, sir or madame, are RIGHT ON THE MARK!

[lungfish]

Wierd.... I can understand that obesity can be a disability but if its caused by bad habits that lead to health problems, then why should the airline foot the bill? Of course they are in no position to
determine how someone became ridiculously big but it still doesn't seem fair.
I am 48 years old, was 80lbs overweight five or six years ago and now I am at my ideal weight. It wasn't hard to do but I see a lot of people of all ages who simply can't avoid eating while they are very good at avoiding activity... Once they are overweight and the secondary disorders arise, bad knees, GI disorders, heart disease, etc.... who is responsible for their own failure to take care of themselves? I never felt that the world needed to change to accomodate my failure to manage my weight... wonder where the sense of entitlement comes from?

[Samalabear]

I agree with you, lungfish. That we're even addressing issues like this in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere is ridiculous. Obesity is an epidemic, but it is self-created in most cases, by bad eating, laziness, etc. I have never had a weight problem, but I can't for the life of me figure out that if I wanted to eat and eat and eat and become obese, that I should be accommodated by others because of my self-indulgence. BTW, congrats on the weight loss. These entitlements make no sense as they certainly don't encourage people to change their bad habits.

Plus-size clothes are extra in most places. There's a reason for that -- extra time and extra labor. I know I make and sell hand knit and crochet items and I do charge extra for different sizes. A small poncho might take me 8 hours to make but a plus size takes about 12, plus added material. It is what it is.

[rigormrtis]

Then why do XL and small cost the same?

[luvronpaul]

I have to say, way to go on your own weight loss, thats great!