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Posts Tagged ‘obese’

Free air tickets for the dangerous flying obese

IF you’re obese, Air Canada will give you a free extra seat. You just need a doctor’s note.

One problem is that airline seats might not be strong enough to support obese travelers.  The New York Times:

More than six decades ago, when the federal standards on the strength of airplane seats and seat belts were written, government regulations specified that seats be designed for a passenger weight of 170 pounds. But now the average American man weighs nearly 194 pounds and the average woman 165

“If a heavier person completely fills a seat, the seat is not likely to behave as intended during a crash,” said Robert Salzar, the principal scientist at the Center for Applied Biomechanics at the University of Virginia.

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Posted: 21st, November 2012 | In: The Consumer | Comment


You’ll Believe A Fat Canadian Can Fly

IN Canada it just got a lot harder to book an airline ticket. The planes are full – to bursting:

Obese people have the right to two seats for the price of one on flights within Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Thursday.

The high court declined to hear an appeal by Canadian airlines of a decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency that people who are “functionally disabled by obesity” deserve to have two seats for one fare.

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Posted: 21st, November 2008 | In: Strange But True | Comment (1)