2 Fat 2 Fly Part II
Weight Loss Surgery News viewers will recall our story last week on Ryanair, the budget Irish airline that makes its bread ferrying Dubliners from the overcast Emerald Isle to sunny Spain.
Earlier this month, Ryanair considered charging overweight passengers twice the price for a seat due to the discomfort their “wide body” effect was reportedly causing sullen seatmates.
Well, guess what? The proposed “fat tax” for overweight flyers has been waived, so long as the extra bulk of overweight passengers – quote – “does not lead to flight delays”. In other words, the idea has been dropped like — well, like a hot potato.
The whole fat tax idea came about due to an online poll in which browsers voted on what to do about overweight flyers. About 30% of the 100,000 or so who responded to the poll voted to add a fatness fee to the ticket price in addition to Ryanair’s current charges for food service and other frills.
The resulting public uproar led to a flurry of finger-pointing at Ryanair corporate headquarters. With the “flat fee for fat” idea temporarily tabled, Ryanair execs are now looking for another way to ensure seatmates of the overweight aren’t subject to crowding.
The airline is currently mulling the idea of charging plump passengers an extra couple of pounds per… uh… pound. Whether the pre-flight passenger weigh-ins would take place on the baggage scale at the ticket counter or at some other location has not yet been determined.
Another brilliant proposal would boost the passenger’s fare if his or her body touches both armrests simultaneously. Way to go, Ryanair execs! That ought to make loyal customers out of females over forty!
While the news media and online pundits have used Ryanair’s proposed fat tax as a source of humor, airline officials insist that the policy is all about safety, not anything as crass as the earnin’ of the green.
Whatever decision the Irish air carrier makes, however, we at Weight Loss Surgery News look forward to watching the inevitable discrimination lawsuits that will follow like a leprechaun chasing a bowl of magically delicious breakfast cereal.
