Overweight air passengers – often the victims of ridicule and the butt of many jokes – were given something of a boost this week when Air France (part of the Air France-KLM group) released a new incentive that allows them to purchase additional seating for their own comfort.
As it stands, obese passengers can already purchase an extra seat with a 25% discount. As from February 1st 2010, this discount will be free as long as a flight isn’t full. Controversially, non-overweight passengers are also given the option for booking a second seat for 25% off the actual price, but they would not receive a discount if the plane turned out to be not full upon take off.
However, it was not all good news for overweight travelers. Air France also confirmed that passengers who are too large could be prevented from flying at the captain’s discretion. This is to ensure a plane can be evacuated within 90 seconds in case of an emergency.
Obviously safety comes first where air travel is concerned, but the issue of overweight passengers is one that has no easy answer, and with the world growing larger and larger, and obesity becoming more common, it is one that will be with us for some time to come…
Tags: air france, air passengers, booking, klm, seat, travel