Green Taxi

The cost of flying is a very interesting issue to me.  First of all, it take many interesting parameters to price: oil, customer service, psychology, online competitive bidding, predictive pricing interest, etc.  Secondly, like you, I fly a lot these days.  I do not fit well into seats (I am long, not wide) and often take long-haul flights to Asia and beyond.  I am willing to pay up for certain amenities, but not rich in the sense that I can fly First-class every flight.

I previously discussed how to improve airlines by taking more pricing to the markets online and offering the ability to pay for smaller perks to improve pricing (such as leg room).  I would like to follow up on more Freakonomics commentary on how much you are willing to pay for safety.

The blog points out that some domestic airlines that do not fly over water are removing the life preservers from the seats.  They say it is to conserve fuel by reducing weight, but according to their calculations, this comes down to roughly 3 cents per seat per flight.  In total, this is significant money, but on a per ticket charge, this could easily be itemized and tacked on the end.

Personally, I see no need for the life preservers and have even heard that there has never been an incident where they have been used.  Paying 3 cents to have them in my seats would be a tiny afterthought.  However, there are many more things they could charge for that I would pay much more for.

But another issue I’d like to tackle is getting what you pay for now.  Last week, flying back from Newark to LAX (with a nasty wedding hangover to boot), my girlfriend and I arrived to our seats in part of a three-person row.  The window seat was occupied by a man that was 400+ pounds.  And he did not limit himself to his seat.  The armrest was up and he was more than halfway into our middle seat, using a seatbelt-extender to hold him in from expanding further into our seat.  My girlfriend, bless her heart, sat down in the middle next to him and we battled through the five hour flight with her basically sitting on my lap. As you can see from the arrow I drew in the picture (cell phone pic), the edge of the seat runs right into the middle of his back.

So, I ask, why should we be the ones that have to suffer?  Shouldn’t the airlines make this man purchase two seats if that is what he has to occupy?  I will completely discriminate against fat people if it means that they are taking advantage of me.  They have to pay more at dinner if we go out and they eat twice as much as me.  So why should they not have to pay more if they take up twice as much room as me on a plane?  Let’s not forget that airlines are taking off seat cushions that cost them 3 cents per flight because of the extra weight.  What about the extra weight this passenger is carrying on board?  They are charging extra for checked baggage, but not for an extra gut.

If airlines do not charge for taking up extra room due to size, I should be able to put my legs into the aisle or my feet into the footroom of the person in front of me.  This will obviously not happen.  It always results in my toes either getting run over or stamped on aggressively.  So, why are we afraid to make obese people pay more?  Please tell me, why?

No related posts.