I've recently re-encountered the topic of "passengers of size" having to pay for extra seats. For some context, check out this article:
https://www.smartertravel.com/airline-obesity-policies/
My thoughts on this so far:
With many things, we are charged for a range we fall into. Think of phone and internet plans: you might pay a certain dollar amount for 0 to X amount of minutes or data, pay an extra $20 up to 2X that amount, and pay an extra $20 for unlimited. You can pay for a whole gallon of milk or half - not typically 7/8 of a gallon - and you don't get a second gallon free just because you're thirstier. Hell, Sean and I are forced to pay for multiple drinks all the time while watching less thirsty people only buy one. So, airline seats.. Why, if a parent can't pay for only 1/2 a seat for her skinny daughter, should someone who needs a second seat not be charged for it (aside from as a courtesy, perhaps, when there are extras)? If you're using the human rights argument that we should pay per person, regardless of individual needs, then I want my extra beverages free of charge!
Some countries cover their citizens' medical expenses using by doing things such as taxing income but that coverage only goes so far towards the differences in expenses people with varied medical issues encounter. Even for those who don't independently pay for their medical issues and abnormalities financially, there are countless ways in which sacrifices they have to make cost them dearly and significantly affect the quality of their life. I'm sure we can think of a lot of things people's abilities, health, etc vary on that cause added expenses that they must cover themselves.
A few admittedly bad examples off the top of my head of why thinking that the expense of airline seat accommodations for larger people is not currently in line with the way our society functions:
Height-challenged people don't drive the prices of theme park admission up by having rollercoaster rides made to accommodate them; they simply miss out on the rides they aren't considered tall enough to ride. To my knowledge, they also don't typically get to pay a discounted admission rate to make up for any rides they aren't tall enough to experience. Basically, they pay more per ride or experience than others.
People with food allergies don't cause all restaurants to provide each menu item without any known allergens. Costs would be greatly driven up if they did. Instead, most people with food allergies learn where and what they can eat and some restaurants make efforts to provide foods that can be consumed by people with common allergies. Such foods often cost the customer more. They usually pay more per meal, financially and in time and effort, than others.
Smaller adults, who don't require and typically can't consume as many calories, don't pay discounted rates at buffets. They pay more per calorie consumed than others.
I'm not arguing one way or another that this is the way it should be but if we're looking at a more communistic approach to handling airline seating then perhaps we should start rethinking how we balance other inconsistencies in our society.
^Pardon me for not taking the time to make this sound like an intellectual rant but hopefully you can develop your own ideas on this enough based on my quick brain dump.
Edit: A friend asked how I was being forced to buy multiple drinks. I realized I hadn't clarified a lot of things here:
I'm forced to buy multiple drinks because I'm dehydrated and will literally die if I don't. People have different physical needs. If I sweat more than someone else but only hydrate as much as they do, I won't live very long. Even water costs and electrolytes cost more. It's the same concept as a 6'5" man eating the same as a 4'11" woman - not typically feasible. I would argue that I'm being forced to buy additional beverages more than a "person of size" is being forced onto a plane where it would be necessary to pay for an additional seat. My problem is actually life and death.
Additionally, extra weight on a plane costs more in fuel, fuel cost per pound is actually very significant, and the burning of that fuel is very harmful to the environment. The price we pay for our seat on a plane, typically estimated by the airlines at 220lbs per person, is meant to offset these expenses somewhat. If someone is over that weight, they drive these costs up significantly in addition to causing the airline to carry fewer people in total and the only way to accommodate for that, aside from charging the individual the excess, is to charge more per ticket. If we go that route, it's then only fair that we all start covering the costs of those who will no longer otherwise be able to fly due to increased costs. It wouldn't be consistent or just not to if we're saying that we should all split costs in order to cover for one another.
If we're saying that we just need to increase the size and weight allowances for everyone and account for that in the ticket cost, it would only be fair that I'm allowed to bring additional luggage so that I'm getting equal value for the price I pay. Either that or such people are not allowed as much luggage as others.
It's not a matter of being unkind to one group; it's a matter of being fair to all groups. We can't trample one group of people just for the convenience of others and those who are barely able to afford plane tickets as is, for example, are being done a huge injustice if we also start forcing them to pay extra to cover others.
As it was, my family NEVER traveled via plane when I was growing up because we could never afford it. Other families came back from summer vacation raving about their incredible vacations while I was crushed and humiliated, not to mention struggling to eat and being sent home from school because we couldn't afford clothes that fit and weren't falling apart, thanks to poverty.
We are asked to pay for what we use in most areas of life. Unless we're planning to change that mindset on a large scale in society, it isn't logical or consistent for instances like this be any different.
No comments:
Post a Comment