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Originally Posted by CNN

You pay for checking your baggage, for snacks and for extra legroom. Word is one airline has even toyed with charging you to use the toilet. So it makes perfect sense to some fliers that heavier passengers should pay for spilling over into the next seat.
Frequent flier Ross Murphy, 54, has been sandwiched between larger fliers in coach, and he believes they should have to shell out for a second seat.
"They have a right to sit in the seat next to me," said Murphy, who travels cross-country at least 15 times a year to watch his sons' sporting matches. "But they don't have a right to sit in my lap."


A growing number of airlines are forcing bigger passengers to pay more as they cope with the costly and uncomfortable quandary that arises when obese passengers cannot squeeze into a single coach seat.
With airlines trimming flight schedules -- meaning fuller passenger loads this summer -- the issue is bound to spur some awkward encounters. Chart: Compare some of the common airline fees
"It's a growing problem, no pun intended," said George Hobica, president of AirfareWatchdog.com, a site that is part of Smarter Travel Media LLC, which provides airfare deals and advice. "Everyone suffers. The obese people suffer and the people who are skinny and get spilled over on suffer as well."
U.S. obesity rates have mushroomed during the last 25 years, but the width of a coach airplane seat has changed little, remaining between 17 and 18 inches in most commercial planes. More than one-third of Americans fall into the obese category, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This makes traveling in tight spaces vexing for airlines trying to bolster profits by selling the maximum number of seats.
The Federal Aviation Administration does not regulate seat width, but it does require passengers be able to sit belted and with both arm rests down to comply with safety standards.
In April, UAL Corp.'s United Airlines formalized a policy that says passengers who are unable to safely fit into one seat must pay full price for a second seat. They may receive it free if the plane has vacant seats. Flight attendants on the airlines are responsible for making sure passengers are fitting in their seats and may ask a heavier passengers requiring two seats to pay extra.
Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman for United, said the company received 700 complaints in 2008 from passengers who were upset because a larger passenger encroached on his or her seat.

Originally Posted by David-

At one point in my life I was flying at least 4 times a year and my experience with that is - you're already sardined together. Very rarely do you get the luxury of an open seat next to you.

I can understand the complaints of extremely obese people "spilling" over into the surrounding seats. But, I can't help but remember the Tyler Perry movie I watched, when they showed a flight attendant informing the larger woman she couldn't fly because she was to "big". It was incredibly heart breaking. (Maybe no heart breaking, but it sure made ya feel bad).

I understand the policy, but the execution of it sucks. Either way, we have to be reasonable, if a passenger can't fit in the one seat, then they should be paying for two seats. I don't think it'd hurt, though, to explore increasing the size of the seats. But I'm aware that its highly unlikely.

OH- while we're at it though, can we charge people who wreak of cigarette smoke and some serious B.O problems? This was my last encounter on plane. I had the unfortunate pleasure of spending the 5 hour flight next to her. Hell, we even had the same connecting flights. Go figure.

My point? It caused discomfort having to smell such toxic smells for that amount of time while sardined in a plane. Charge 'em.