I think it is ridiculous to expect them to buy two seats, Airlines should have 4 or five rows of specially wide seats which could be reserved when booking for a small premium.

Really, special seats for heavy flyers? I think having to buy an extra seat is only fair.

They do. It's called "First Class."

We should also charge handicap people for wheelchairs and walkers because that is another piece of luggage, tall people for blocking the view of the in-flight movie, and children should be 1/2 price because they don't take up much space.

Thats insane to think all Airlines and every plane remodel their planes becuase someone cant control their eating and are obese. I dont know how many times I was subjected to sitting next to someone who was obese and or has no idea what someones personal space is. How about these people lose weight, that way they dont have to make the person next to them have a miserable flight. You're nuts to think the airlines should remodel their planes.

The special wide seats mentioned by commenter above are called first class. Southwest's policy and other similar airline policies are appropriate. On 2 recent flights I have been near passengers who were so large that they struggled to get the armrest down, though I have never seen any like in the article's photo.

Roger, that is a very sensical accommodation. However, you can't allow someone the right to have a larger seat. Think if you were on a plane and not all of the larger seats were taken up by the folks in need of them. This would cause controversy, because everyone on the plane would want those seats. If airlines were to have larger seats, those seats should be priced at a market value, similar to how people pay for larger seats in business class and first class. I do agree with the idea that large people should not pay double for a seat, but they should still pay extra. This would also allow people the opportunity to upgrade their seats in the case that they are not filled by the ones in need of them and are willing to pay an extra fee. Or, what airlines could do is raffle the seats off randomly. The main point is that if the larger seats are not filled by the people who need them, then who should be able to sit in them? In the case of Southwest where you have first come first serve seating, this might become problematic. In this case larger people should be required to pay a little extra in order that they board before this rest of the flight. You could then allow the rest of the large seats to be filled by those that were designated an early boarding spot.

@Roger -- why is it ridiculous? If I need more leg room due to a medical condition, I don't get business or first class for free.

Your suggestion of 4 or 5 rows of wider seats pretty much describes domestic First on US airlines. You can book it for a premium.

@ Roger Shien

They already do, it is called first class.

Great Idea! Maybe they should put these wider seats toward the front of the plane too. And maybe give them a catchy moniker... to make the customer feel classy. Maybe #1 class? or primary class? hmmm... what could we call those special first seats on the airplane...?

Roger - Way to show your insight. As a non obese person, I would book those specially wide seats for extra comfort on the flight.

Coming to think of it, those seats already exist. First class.

The issue is safety. If they don't want to lose weight, pay for two seats. And If your carry-on has to meet a specific size requirement so should your butt.

The bloke in the picture is not just fat, he's about 7ft tall too!! He should be in cargo hold...

haha i love Sam and Hilary's comments... true dat. as a flight attendant, i cant tell you how many rather large passengers try to squeeeeze in 1 seat- usually the middle seat bc they purchased their ticket on expedia or some other discount website, and they have 2 full fare passengers on either side of them, who are subject to it. our flights are usually always full, and theres no place to reseat anyone. i feel so sorry for them... sux. so- buy 2 seats, or drive, or get the lapband.

As a crew member I am being faced with more and more obese passengers. They do not have the right to inconvenience others simply because they cannot take personal responsibility for their weight. Ironically, these folks are the very ones who drink and eat too much on the airplane while in a premium cabin. They assume they have rights when they don't.

John Doe children should not pay less, they should pay more because they disrupt the whole plane!!!

I heard that the Usa and Europe, are passing a law so that one cannot discriminate against obese people, too much hatred of these people exists, just read the above, it is proof in itself!

could they not design expandable seats?, I am quite large and often sit next to a very thin person who has space to spare, so the armrest could move closer to the thin one and I would have more room and a comfortable journey. The idea is that when you book you put L or T (large or thin)this way it can be arranged for them to sit next to each other.

ermmm why do people assume the people are obese because they eat to much? There are medical conditions that can cause obeseness.

We are in a world that are full of all kinds of people and we have to get on with it. Ok it is not comforable to have someone that is obese sitting next to you, but neither is it comfortable sitting next to someone who has just smoked cigerettes before boarding and have the smelling their clothes or someone who has just eaten garlic and so on. Those people ARE reasponsable for thier own actions, wheras not all obese people are.

Some of you are talking about obese people as though they are not human.

By the way, i am not obese, i just think people should not judged by thier weight.

If someone is living in one body that is the weight and heft of two average bodies, they should be requied to take responsibilty for two tickets.

I feel sorry for those overweight people, life must be unpleasant enough as it is when you are that large. However I am 6'4 and often barely fit into airplane seats. That is through not fault or eating habit of mine. And unpleasant as it is I usually get no expect any extra treatment, nor do I expect or demand any.

Safe flying everybody!

@Irene so conversely if someone is only half the weight or size of an average body, they should only be required to pay half the price?

Please people, tell my why if someone has a medical condition, they should be penalised or discriminated against. There is way too much hatred in this world

My friend lost both legs, according to the reasoning above she should pay less because she takes up less space. Stop discriminating.

I've sat next to LARGE people who have literally spilled into my space. I sat with my back bent sideways for the entire flight. The person next to me would not have fit through the emergency exit on an MD88. Large people are infringing on my comfort when they don't fit in the seat. Make them buy two seats.

I've just had a great idea after reading these comments. At the beginning of the flight those people who think making obese people pay for 2 seats is unfair can make themselves known to cabin crew and they can sit next to the obese people. Problem solved!

Nick that is inspirational, I could not agree with you more!

One journey would teach to stop saying these things!

Look guys. I am 6'8 290 and was born to a 6'3 250 pound bearded woman, so how the hell am I supposed to control that. Luckily I got all kinds of amazing talents, however they require me to fly roughly 1-2 times per month. No doubt, this generates a many awkard situtaions. So i'm sorry folks if we are to meet paths and I am an inconvenience to your comfort for 2 hours of your life. Just remember though, that in the end i'm the mother-fu**** whose got to sit in a seat designed for average sized joe. So stop putting this sh** on me.

I spent a 3-hour flight nearly on my side, unable to vary my position due to the fact that a very overweight man required his entire seat as well as a third of mine. I have arthritis in both knees and a degenerating disc in my lower back. I left the plane in great discomfort. I consider this more than a mere inconvenience. Oversized people don't advance their argument by minimizing and dismissing the very real discomfort they inflict on their seatmates.

Most overwieght people have a medical condition like diabetes or metabolic syndrome! Have you ever stopped to think how uncomfortable and sad they feel? So why are you all kicking them in the back? You make me SICK!

If an obese person is interested in purchasing a Honda Civic but, due to their size, is unable to fit in the car, is Honda obligated to give this obese person one of their larger, more expensive SUVs at the same price as a Civic?

Is Honda being discriminatory because this obese person does not fit in the Civic?

The obese person is fully aware that they don't fit in such a small car. Is Honda expected to make larger Civics for obese people?

Doesn't common sense tell you that if you're obese you need to purchase a larger car?

If airlines are discriminatory then why don't we continue and might as well accuse Giorgio Armani for not making suits for obese people, Banana Republic is discriminatory because obese people can't buy their clothes, Lazy-Boy is discriminatory because obese people can't fit in their recliners, Disneyland is discriminatory because an obese person can't fit in the Space Mountain ride. I don't hear anyone demanding that Disneyland make a few rows of their rides wider and larger for obese people etc, etc.

Contrary to popular and widespread belief, airlines are a FOR-profit business and should not be expected to give their product away. If you are obese and you know you don't fit in a regular seat you have two choices: purchase two main cabin seats or one first class seat.

No, this is not discriminatory! Let's go back to my Honda Civic correlation. If your ass doesn't fit in a Civic, you purchase a larger car. You don't stand there and whine at Honda for making the Civic so small and you can't afford anything larger.

How about Amtrak or Greyhound? Are they expected to make larger seats for obese people? I assume they must also have problems with obese passengers. Do they give free seats away for obese passengers?

This opens up a pandoras box!

I really cannot belive some of the comments you guys are making. airline seats are generally smaller than Amtrak seats, seast on the trains here in the uk etc etc because they want to try an cram as many people in as possible. Instead if whinging people who may have a medical condition and be obese, have a go at the airlines that make the seats too small!

I bet some of you whingers smoke, rights ? well i have news for you, you are more of inconvience because i canst stand the smell of smoke bt sometimes, smokers make me suffer by sitting next to me when their clothes stink of smoke.

It is no wonder there are so many hate crimes in the world when there are so many people that are discriminatory. I bet some of these overwight people are a lot nicer person than some of you obviusley are.

Get real people and start thinking of the real issues in life instead of whinging about people who have medical conditions. You should be ashamed of yourselves, but with the kind of mentality you are portraying, i doubt that you are.

If you want to attack anyone, attack the airlines.

W-H-A-T discrimination?? Being denied boarding because you're black, jewish, asian, hispanic IS discrimination. HEELLOOOOO????? Did you see the above picture? How are airlines to be blamed for this? Why are airlines held to a higher degree of scrutiny? Can the man in the picture purchase "normal" anything? Are movie theaters at fault for not offering double-wide seats? Is Harrods at fault for not selling circus tent-sized clothing? Can this man sue the makers of the Mini Cooper for making such small cars? I am 6ft tall (1.83m) and I did not purchase a Honda Civic because I couldn't fit into it. I decided to purchase a Honda Accord even though it was more expensive because I knew that I needed to be more comfortable. Should I have sued Honda for MAKING me purchase the larger, more expensive car? After all, it WAS Honda's fault the Civic is not large enough for me. I SHOULD blame Honda for making such a small car. I can't be blamed for being too tall for the Civic. Hell, if Honda didn't make the Civic so small I wouldn't have encountered such a problem. This has nothing to do with cruelty or whining about people with medical conditions. That seat was his Honda Civic (coach class) and he should've purchased the Accord (first class) instead of blaming the airlines for making such small seats. Why is the airline to be blamed for this man's size? By the way, sitting next to someone smelling of smoke is bothersome, I admit it, but at least the smoker is not taking up 3/4, if not all, of your seat, which is the point we are talking about. Would you like to sit next to this man? I sure as HELL would not! If anyone is being discriminated is the man sitting next to him because he's being made to sit there and pretty much give up his entire seat. Where's the sympathy for him? I purchased a seat for me and not for my neighbor. Why am I being made to purchase a seat that I can't even use because my neighbor has engulfed it? Comparing the smoker/obese is like comparing apples/oranges. Again, airlines are a FOR-PROFIT business and should not have to give seats away for fear of "discrimination". That man has not been denied boarding, he simply needs to purchase two seats next time. There is nothing cruel about this.

yes discrimination takes many forms. It is not just about colour or race. As for comparing smoking to size, it is about the discomforat caused to others, not the actual size or smeall. You CHOOSE to annoy others by smelling of smoke, he dosnt choose. I was not refferring to him whinging, i was refffering to others on here.

Now if you look closley at the photo, you will see that he must me the one in discomfort as he does not have support for his whole body, look at his rigt shoulder, where does that stop? yes thst rights at the edge of his seat, not half way across the other seat.

Soemone does not have to be obese to end up rubbing shoulders with the person next to you on some aircraft because the seats are so narrow. So YES, that is the airlines fault. But then with the menatlity of some of you on here, you would be saying anyone that is just broad shoulderd would have to buy 2 seats.

People get real, if you cant live with your fellow human beings or accept people for what they are, do the human race a favour and get of the planet

Look at the rest of the passengers on that photo. Do they look like they're sitting on top of each other?

You're right, that man's shoulder stops at the edge of his seat because half his body is hanging out in the aisle. The airplane cannot fly with someone blocking the aisle. If he were to move in and out of the aisle he would be taking the majority of his neighbor's seat. How fair is that?

There is nothing cruel or discriminatory about making this man purchase two seats. He does not fit in ONE seat, therefore he must purchase TWO seats.

It is not about not accepting people for what they are or being unable to live with your fellow human beings.

If you had to sit next to this man would you not have a problem if he took up the majority of your seat? Please don't refer to how the man's right shoulder is not touching his neighbor. There is NO way the flight would be dispatched with the man hanging out in the aisle. If the obese passenger is forced to sit in his seat, by nature, he would take up two seats and guess what would happen to his neighbor? Yes, you're right, he would lose 3/4 of his seat.

Rubbing shoulders with someone is not the same as this man taking up 3/4, if not all, of your seat.

I would like to see you sitting next to this man to see how much love, acceptance and patience you show when he pushes you off your seat.

I agree with you that discrimination exists in many ways besides color and race. Making this man purchase two seats is not discriminatory. I would say the same thing about someone who is 7 feet tall. That person needs to purchase a first class seat because he/she does not fit in a regular seat.

It is not the airline, movie theater, car maker, shoe manufacturer, clothing designer's fault you are obese/large.

This man CHOSE to buy one seat, next time he needs to CHOOSE to purchase two seats.

So, do we begin to charge people(senior citizens or physically handicapped) additional charges?

Yes it would be discriminatory to make him pay for two seats. In any case if he did pay for two seats, it would be uncomfortable for him due to the fact that it is not a continuous seat.

How is it not discriminatory if he has to pay twice as much as you? If someoen has a medical problem, why should he pay more that anyone else?

This is an issue fo rthe greedt airlibes to address, they should have seats that can accomodate obese people. Please dont say first class as it is not only the seat that is being paid for, but the extra service as well.

There should be an allocation of several large seats in coach class for teh larger person.

Oh and please dont use the Honda Ciciv analogy as it is not the same.

I suggest that people on her should aim their discriminatory rematks to the airlines, not the people that have medical problems

It's true airlines are making seats smaller, and smaller. It's true some people can't control their own weight. It's even true that tall people need more leg room. It's not true that oversized people of extreme should be expected to fit in one seat....honestly...if you pay for a seat...that's your seat...you shouldn't consume another seat and feel good about it...you should feel guilty..and the idea of sticking large people next to thin people....LOL...yeah, that's a treat for everyone. I am normal sized...and if I had a child of mine being moved to sit next to a larger person...I honestly wouldn't feel 100% safe.