This is just discriminatory. I admit to being an above average sized person, one who can (thankfully) still fit in an economy seat (just), however why should larger width people have to pay for 2 seats for 'safety' when extra tall people (there are a few of those in the NL) don't and neither would large muscley bodybuilders / wrestlers(not going to accuse them of being obese). These types of people also have problems fitting into economy size seats / spaces and have 'safety' issues. Is this policy going to be enforoced at airports when you check in? 'I'm sorry sir, we can't let you fly because you are too fat and we are overbooked' or do you have to decide for yourself when you are booking the flight, or is it when you are trying to get the seatbelt closed and the steward(ess) notices the struggle?

I know life isn't fair, but also, if large poeple have to pay extra, then shouldn't small people get a reduction? You might be able to get 2 sharing a seat - thats the flip side. I can see another court case coming on.

By A McKenzie | January 20, 2010 4:22 PM

Mhhh! Since road tax is going into how far one has clocked the kilometers in the use of the car, it does not seem too bad to makle highly overweight - or weighing 2 to 1 passenger - to pay more. So indeed, very soon, our plane ticket prices would be based on one's weight. Of course, a passenger pays extra if the allocated baggage allowance is breached. We are entering a world of fairness in many aspects of life. Like in my apartment, new rules have replaced the flat charge for the use of water - before we the tenants paid the same charge but now the housing cooperation says it is not fair that some one who uses less water should pay the same as the other who uses more. Hence we have all been metered but we did not complain before - la sharing our common burden. The new metro charges are also based on how long you use the metro - less on how far you trabvel in it. Soon, clothes would be sold with size differenciation in prices! NEW WAYS to get more money from the clients as AirFrance and KLM are also reasonably cashing in. Funny world!! Funny people.And powerless clients!!

By toniart | January 20, 2010 5:00 PM

How racist is that?! It's not hard to be classified as obese by current BMI standards. How about rephrasing it to morbidly obese or severely obese as in if you have to wear your bedding as clothing, etc...

By LJK | January 20, 2010 10:30 PM

Are you kidding me? Can anyone of normal size fit "comfortably"?

By bite me | January 21, 2010 4:47 AM

This is WONDERFUL news.

I've often argued that lb for lb, or kg for kg, these fatties get to take more weight on board.

Think about it....they have the same luggage limit, and then they haul themselves onto the plane, weighing twice as much as I do, and putting my safety at risk because they can only fit in an aisle seat, thus preventing people sitting at the window from escaping quickly in an accident.

Solution....pay the same price for a ticket, but bring no luggage, or I pay the same price of the ticket but can bring MORE luggage (thus balancing the weight differential!!)

By Caycu | January 21, 2010 8:02 AM

I am no way a super skinny type - but I am somone who travels a lot. I don't see a problem with this.

I do not mean to offend larger people - but try to think of it from another persons perspective. There is nothing more uncomfortable than sitting next to a much larger person who is taking up as much of your seat as theirs. Try dealing with that for a 12 hour flight.

This will not affect the average person, if you clearly can "fit" in your seat then why is this a problem?

Though I do have to say - seat sizes have certainly seemed to get smaller over the years. Comfort is put on the backseat, rather airlines focus on fitting as many people on a plane possible.

By annonymous | January 21, 2010 8:19 AM

"The new rule will come into effect on April 1."

Heh.

By stingo | January 21, 2010 8:33 AM

Hmmm! To commence on April 1st Seems like an April Fool's joke to me!

(Just don't give the idea to Ryanair or it WILL happen!)

By BerlinAde | January 21, 2010 8:38 AM

If it is all for safety's sake, then KLM and the other companies should stop squeezing people into their planes and set up larger and better separated seats. Most of the times on short distance flights I cannot keep my knees together.
The planes they use were designed to hold less people (you can tell from the size of overhead bins). To keep their profit they come out with these mean tricks instead of looking into they poor management.

By M | January 21, 2010 9:03 AM

To LJK: since when is being obese being part of a race?
and when you think about it, it really all balances out quite fairly. The obese people have to spend more on the flight and the rest of us spend more going to the gym! Its funny...you DECIDE to eat too much and DECIDE to not work out and then you want special treatment. well here you go, 2 seats for the price of 1 and 3/4's.! really i think now thats unfiar to the rest of us. So if i want 2 seats i have to pay full whack for both of them??...hmmm like i said funny..

By Jennifer | January 21, 2010 11:07 AM

I suppose it is all a matter of what you consider normal. On the one hand we would all be appalled (I hope) to hear that someone in a wheel chair is charged extra and being obese to the point of not being able to fit into a single seat is a form of disability. On the other hand most wheel chair users have no choice whereas a large number of obese people do not have a recognised medical condition that has lead to their predicament.

I think the safety idea is a big of a red herring. I can imagine nothing worse for a passenger than to have to sit next to someone whose size causes them to overflow into the neighbouring passengers seat and to be honest it cannot be much fun for the overweight person either.

The policy that I read was that you can buy an extra seat and get a refund if the flight is not full. That is you reserve an extra seat for your own use and pay for it and then if that was not necessary then they will give you the money back.

By Nick | January 21, 2010 12:34 PM

This should have been done years ago. On a cross Atlantic flight one should not have the passenger next to them invading their seat. Just because a person feels compelled to eat until they burst is NOT my problem. In the USA the CDC just released new data, 1 in 3 Americans is obese. Why should us, who are fit and trim, have to pay for their overeating? Just think how many hungry people could have been fed with the excess food these people consume?

By Paul Martin | January 21, 2010 12:35 PM

To A Mckenzie, I am over 2 meters tall and it was not my choice to be this tall, DNA did it. Obese people do it to themselves! Stop complaining, put down the junk food and go exercise... Being tall, I can easily fit into the bulkhead seats or fly business class. Never a problem. So nice to hear a fat person complain about people who are in shape... not the shape of a pear!

By Paul Martin | January 21, 2010 12:41 PM

Well for me its a tough one. Cause i fly alot with a band so i have my guitar and 2 bags and i usually have to pay excess weight charges. But im a very skinny (most would say underweight guy) who looks around him and sees loadsa big fat people getting on the plane. Now weight them and their luggage and i bet, me and all my luggage would still be lighter. But i gotta pay the charges cause my weight is in a bag not in me. So how is that fair. And what about infants. You pay the airline for the privilage of having your under 2 year old sit on your lap. They dont even get a seat. How about refunding their ticket price if the flight isnt full. Its bull shit. Bring back smoking on planes so the bastards have to pay to get fresh air circulating around the cabin and stop that shitty stagnant air they call a well maintained comfortable atmosphere making everyone sick. Airlines are really gone to the dogs. If Ryanair can talk about charging for the toilet then why not pay per lb for your tickets from now on.

By langer | January 21, 2010 3:29 PM

(KLM baggage over the 20 kilo allowance costs €30, per kilo. KLM seats are smaller than that of other airlines.)

This airline is becoming a money grabbing embarrassment. Like the guv, it's searching for new ways to get more money.

I hesitated yesterday with KLM sales at Schiphol while parting with €900+ for a flight next month. I was given the wrong information from KLM twice regarding the possibility of taking an acoustic guitar on board. And NO! - I'm NOT going to buy a 2nd €900+. seat for a guitar that cost €300!!!

Next time, Cathay or Singapore!

By stevie | January 21, 2010 10:07 PM

I'm sickened by the number of commenters who thing extra weight can only be the result of over eating. There are so many factors in weight and it's just wrong to put the blame on people like that. If a person is 500 lbs, I will say umm yes, they played a part in getting that way, but 200? Sure, some of it perhaps, but not necessarily all of it! Just be a cancer patient who is 'cured' those therapies will keep you as fat as possible the rest of your life.. it goes on and on. We don't know every person's history and it's none of our business. Why don't we all just try and get along?!

By LJK | January 21, 2010 11:49 PM

From my experience living in Europe, Europeans seem to be very good at striking. If you disagree with KLM's policies, fly a different airline. Send Air France/KLM a monetary message and see how that changes their policies!

By Tim | January 22, 2010 10:08 PM

The airline companies must know the amount of large people that fly on a regular basis. If they encroach on another persons seat, then thats not fair for the other person. The planes should have larger seats for these people. In fact if a person exceeds seat size before they even board this should be specified and a correct seat should be allocated to them. If the airlines do the right thing then they should build extra large seats for these people and located in a convenient area. Then they need not pay double. There are too many planes in sky anyway.

By Ronald Martens | January 23, 2010 11:36 PM

Speaking of fairness... is they are to charhe extra for fat people, they should charge tall people too. Infact, I'd say let's start with the poorest people at the bottom of the aircraft and as you contribute more by paying more taxes you get higher allowence.

How is that...

I bet, poor people will have a riot! right... and will call this discrimination.

One should stay away from such crappy ways of clustering customers. There are more advanced options...but then again KLM was sold out to the French. 0+0 = 0

By A Fair Person | January 30, 2010 9:08 AM