Ryanair threatens 'fat tax'
Budget airline Ryanair already charges for checking in and has been threatening to implement a ‘wee fee' - a £1 charge for the use of toilets on board their flights - but here comes a new fee to wow you - the airline plans to introduce a ‘fat tax' which will lump overweight passengers with extra costs...
The Irish-based airline Ryanair is considering how to impose a ‘fat tax' after more than 30,000 passengers voted for an extra charge to be applied to overweight passengers.
More than 100,000 passengers voted for cost-reduction ideas on the airline's website, with the ‘fat tax' being the most-supported idea.
Ryanair's Stephen McNamara said, "Passengers' preferences were clear, with people voting overwhelmingly for this tax."
The airline is now asking passengers to vote for how to implement the charge through another online poll, which closes on April 27th.
The proposed formats include a charge per kg over 130kg (Male) and 100kg
(female) or a
charge per inch for every waist inch over 45 inches (Male) and 40 inches
(female).
Other options include a charge for every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index (+30 points is obese) or a charge for a second seat if the passenger's waist touches both armrests simultaneously.
Recent research by the operator First Choice, using a nationwide sizing survey, found that British holidaymakers are indeed becoming too fat to fit into conventional airline seats.
Two thirds of men have shoulders broad enough to cause discomfort to their next door seatmates and one woman in seven was too wide to fit comfortably into a seat.
Mr McNamara said, "In all cases we have 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."
The other cost cutting measures, which will cost some passengers more but will lower flight prices overall, included charging passengers 80 pence for toilet paper, £2.60 to be able to smoke in a converted toilet cubicle, charging an annual subscription charge to access Ryanair.com or introducing a £1.70 ‘corkage' fee for passenger who bring their own food onboard.
Twenty-five per cent of people opted for the toilet paper option, but this still wasn't as many as the number of people voting for the ‘fat tax.'
Ryanair have a history of suggesting charges that appear to be as much a Ruse to gain publicity as a serious policy, and this new charge could well fall foul of discrimination laws before it ever takes effect.
But, there is already a forerunner to the idea - American carrier United Airlines announced last week that it was to start charging passengers more to fly if they were unable to fit comfortably into the single seat that they had booked.
United Airlines Spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said, "The new policy was introduced after more than 700 complaints were received during the last year from passengers who did not have a comfortable flight because the person next to them infringed on their seat.
Passengers must be able to put their arm rests down and fasten their seat belts - even with an extension.
"Efforts to find two open seats together would be the first preference but if that was not possible, the passenger would be required to buy a second ticket or upgrade to business class," added Robin Urbanski.
Ryanair has even gone so far as to say that it was hoping that the charges may also act as an incentive to some very large passengers to lose a little weight and hopefully feel a little lighter and healthier.
Picture by conboy