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Ryanair may charge a ‘fat tax’ for its overweight passengers
Thursday, 23 April 2009
First there was the ‘wee fee’, then the charge for the privilege of checking-in, now it seems budget airline Ryanair has finally tipped the scales by announcing it is considering a fat tax.
Yes, that’s right, a fat tax.
The budget airline (and more largely — pardon the pun — its boss Michael O’Leary) has never really concerned itself with political correctness when it comes to brash promotions, and it would seem this latest headline-grabbing idea is no different.
According to the airline, it was you, the consumer, who voted for this fat tax on its website after it launched a competition giving customers the chance to win free flights by coming up with strange new ideas to save or make the company money.
Around 100,000 passengers took part in the online competition and of those 30,000 (29%) voted for a fee for overweight passengers.
A quarter voted to charge €1 for toilet paper — with Mr O’Leary’s face on it — and 24% voted to pay €3 to smoke in a converted toilet cubicle.
As a result of the response to the so-called fat tax, Ryanair says it was now seriously considering implementing it.
But for those who are only slightly overweight, do not fear, airline bosses have assured the tax — if implemented — will only apply “to those really large passengers who invade the space of the passengers sitting beside them”.
There was no mention of Ryanair making seats larger.
But, just when you thought they couldn’t possibly take this any further, there’s more.
The company needs customers’ help to figure out how to charge the fat tax and its offering the following options:
- Charge per kg over 130kg/20 stone (male) and 100kg/15 stone (females).
- Charge per inch for every waist inch over 45 inch (male) and 40 inch (female).
- Charge for every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index (+30 points
is obese).
- Charge for a second seat if passengers’ waist touches both armrests simultaneously.
Stephen McNamara, spokesman for Ryanair, explained the four options being offered appeared to be the most “simplest”.
“With passengers voting overwhelmingly for a fat tax, we are now asking them to suggest which format the charge should take,” he said.
“The four points seem to us to be the simplest, fairest and administratively easiest to apply.
“In all cases we’ve limits at very high levels so that a fat tax will only apply to those really large passengers who invade the space of the passengers sitting beside them.
“These charges, if introduced, might also act as an incentive to some of our very large passengers to lose a little weight and hopefully feel a little lighter and healthier.”
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Comments
61 Comments
Great about time someone dealt with this issue - over weight people should be charged more - we should not be forced to sit beside someone who is overweight - if an overweight person is an obstuction to aircraft safety they should not be boarded
Posted by dermot | 22.06.09, 21:46 GMT
Myself and my large family will refuse to book another flight with Ryanair. Ryanair is not the cheapest by the time all the extras have been added and you get a much better service from other airlines, who provide more space and larger seats and some do not charge for food and hot drinks etc. A Ryanair flight it is one long sales drive and staff are sometimes rude and unhelpful, although this does not apply to every staff member. Ryanair have a very bad record with regard to discrimination against disabled people and have had to pay heavy fines when taken to court. We do not know why each person has a weight problem; there are many reasons, and it is possible many over-weight people come under the category of disabled. We should not be so quick to judge less fortunate people and Ryanair should provide more space for everyone and not be so greedy. Maybe a new laws need to be passed.
Posted by Rose Worthy | 25.05.09, 18:51 GMT
Do people sitting beside a 'fat person' get a reduction in the cost of their ticket as they would be sitting in a 'reduced space' ?
Posted by mavis | 29.04.09, 23:29 GMT
my doctor advised me to give up those intimate little dinners for two - unless i had one other person eating with me.
michael o'leary has lost a lot of weight - illness or fear of being overcharged ???
Posted by mrs o'leary | 28.04.09, 21:29 GMT
At long last, hurrah for Ryanair. who would always be my first choice to fly with if they introduce the overweight tax on obese passengers. Having had to endure several flights sitting between huge lumps of lard, with an arm almost completely across my chest on one flight, I say bring it on. If a 10stone person is 1kilo above his luggage weight, that person is charged extra so why shouldn't obese passengers be.
Posted by Eeby | 28.04.09, 20:29 GMT
Pure publicity
Posted by Majella | 25.04.09, 23:44 GMT
Why not have two boxes on your plane ticket that can tick? These would state something like this:
"I have no objection to being seated next to an oversized passenger" alternatively "I do NOT wish to be seated next to an oversized passenger".
Let's see then how many tick the first box.
Posted by Plannisaurus Rex | 25.04.09, 22:14 GMT
Tax them. People will shed pounds to save pounds.
Posted by Laura Fitbod | 24.04.09, 10:33 GMT
I agree with some of the other comments. They shouldn't just weigh your bag. They should weigh everything that you want to transport and that includes your body. What is wrong with that? Fair is fair. If you are heavy you are costing more - why should others have to pay for it? It could be done discreetly and may encourage people to get fit and lose weight. It isn't about humiliating fatties.
Posted by Slim Jim | 24.04.09, 10:31 GMT
This has certainly got you all talking .... but having travelled on Ryanair on a return journey, I would never, ever travel with them again. Complaining about fat tax ......., I can't see that this fat tax would deter those who already travel with them.
Personally, I think they should be thankful that anyone would actually travel with them, let alone pay for it!!!!
Posted by Nee-Naw | 24.04.09, 07:38 GMT
I cannot believe the immaturity of some of the people who have posted comments here, grow up and stop being so rude about people weather they weigh 5 stone or 25 stone, judging by some of your comments you are showing the same low level of maturity as that as ryanair.
Half an ounce of sense would tell you that this stupid tax will never happen and quite rightly,Unfortunately things like this always seem to show the childish immaturity of a lot of people in Northern Ireland...sad but true and thats half the problems with this country,people are too quick to judge.
Posted by 11stoneguy | 24.04.09, 04:17 GMT
There is a weight restriction for luggage, so why not a weight restriction for passengers?
Posted by Stuart | 24.04.09, 02:46 GMT
There was a court ruling a few months ago in Canada where a judge ruled that an obese person could have a second airline seat at no extra cost. On the talk radio station most of the callers were appaled at this ruling, stating that they did NOT want to have a fat person encroaching onto their seat which they had paid hard earned money for. So YES, I would be in favour for this tax, if they need an extra seat, MAKE them pay for it.
Posted by Stuart | 24.04.09, 02:45 GMT
fat liberation Front has hit the nail on the head!!! Its all about spin....of course they're not going to tax fatties....but they've got the country blogging about it.
Months ago, O'Leary said on BBC Breakfast news that ryanair were 'thinking' about putting a coin slot on the toilet door....before the interview was finished, the presenter had already interpreted this as if the decision had already been taken..Result- Free publicity across the media!
Posted by Simon | 24.04.09, 01:03 GMT
dis is absolutely disgusting i do not find this acceptable with an airline. i think micheal o'leary is doin this to make more money for himself. he doesnt take everyone's considerations in2 context. u dont see any other airline thinkin up of these ideas, do u? i dnt agree with this at all. so are they goin start chargin people taxes that are skinny? or even reading a paper or something reli stupid? so long low-cost airlines, there goin 2 be more expense since micheal o'leary is thinkin up of these stupid ideas
Posted by karen | 23.04.09, 23:10 GMT
Great idea... fatties should pay more for everything.
They obviously have plenty of money to stuff themselves with all that rubbish they eat, and this would be a great incentive for them to cut down.
I'd actually pay MORE myself, if I could be guaranteed a seat that WASN'T beside one of these mountains of flesh. It's most unpleasant being squashed into a corner by an obese individual.
Sorry to get personal, but I also find overweight folk to be subject to excess sweat and body odour. This is just an honest reaction.
Posted by Plannisaurus Rex | 23.04.09, 19:32 GMT
keep it up ryanair,and you can keep your cheap flights i would rather pay a one off all inclusive fare and know what im getting for it instead off the hidden extras you make a mockery of the airline industry
Posted by alicat | 23.04.09, 18:44 GMT
i would pay for the space
budget airline - sure its only a few hours
Posted by upoorbuilders | 23.04.09, 18:33 GMT
I agree there should be a charge for people who take up the seat that I have paid for. I have sat nest to an obese person on a trans Atlantic flight and let me tell you it was no picnic. His body DID come across into my seat and we were touching for most of the flight. He also used the armrest that was meant for me because he really had no other place to put his arm. I like to get up and walk a bit in the aisle a few times during a flight to stretch my legs ( and use the toilet ) but was greatly constricted as it was a hardship to him to have to move and I did not want to be rude and bother him so much. I did ask for an aisle seat but it was not available and he refused to change with me for obvious reasons. Now we both paid the same amount for the flight but I was very much inconvenienced because of the size of the man next to me. How is that fair? He should have had to pay for the 2 seats that he USED. Or paid me for using half my seat.
Posted by Charlene | 23.04.09, 17:09 GMT
as a very frequent flyer clocking upwards of 10000 kmhs per 6 -7 weeks through work thro the calendar year ,it is about time airlines took this very seriously. obese people are not only encroaching on the personal space of other passengers , some passengers being young children who have to sit next to these very selfish overweight people , they also are in the majority that also have seriously offensive body odour , which in my case sitting on aplane for 6 hrs plus next to a very overweight person with smelly body odour , pushing their arms over the as it is very small arm rests is not my idea of a pleasent flight as all captians and staff like u to have! i think that as for degrading and human rights what about us who have to put up with these selfish people who cannot keep themselves to a reasonable state of health what about my human rights as a passenger, why should i have to put up with them snoring belching smelly sweating in the heat of summer next to me
Posted by mike | 23.04.09, 16:49 GMT
61 Comments