Airline says bigger bums on seats will cost more

Irish carrier Ryanair may begin charging overweight passengers more to fly. Photo / Wikimedia Commons image

Low-cost Irish carrier Ryanair plans to introduce a 'fat tax' after more than 30,000 people supported such a move in an online poll run by the airline.

The poll asked people to vote on five potential measures which would cost some passengers more but result in lower overall fares.

More than 100,000 people voted, with 29 per cent saying overweight passengers should be charged excess fees.

The other poll options, in order of popularity, were:

* That passengers be charged 1 euro for toilet paper (25 per cent)
* That passengers be charged 3 euros to be able to smoke in a converted toilet cubicle (24 per cent)
* That an annual subscription charge be introduced to access Ryanair.com (14 per cent)
* That a 2 euro "corkage" fee be introduced for passenger who bring their own food onboard (8 per cent).

Ryanair's Stephen McNamara said passengers' preferences were clear, with people "voting overwhelmingly" for a 'fat tax'.

In a statement posted on the Ryanair website, he said the airline was now seeking further guidance from passengers about what form that tax would take, through another online poll.

The proposed formats are:

* A charge per kg over 130kg (male) and 100kg (female)
* A charge per inch for every waist inch over 45 inches (male) and 40 inches (female)
* A charge for every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index (+30 points is obese)
* A charge for a second seat if the passenger's waist touches both armrests simultaneously.

McNamara said the four options "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," he said.

The idea of fat taxes is not new, but few carriers have implemented them.

A notable exception is United Airlines, which last week announced it would begin charging passengers more to fly if they were unable to fit comfortably into a single seat.

Efforts to find two open seats together would be the first preference, the airline said, but if that was not possible, the passenger would be required to buy a second ticket or upgrade to business class.

United Airlines spokeswoman Robin Urbanski told the Los Angeles Times 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".

McNamara said any revenue gained from Ryanair's proposed 'fat tax' would be used to lower airfares for all passengers.

"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," he said.

Voting on how Ryanair's new charge should be implemented closes on Monday, April 27.