Tubby or not tubby? Ryanair ponders slapping 'fat tax' on weighty passengers

Published on Wednesday 22 April 2009 21:57

NO-FRILLS airline Ryanair has moved a step closer to introducing a "fat tax" for overweight passengers by launching a consultation on how it should be introduced.

The move suggests the Irish carrier could follow several airlines in the United States in charging extra for "very large passengers".

The company wants customers to vote by next Monday on four options for the charge, after the tax came top in a passengers' poll seeking the best cost-reduction idea. Ryanair said revenue from a fat tax would be used to reduce fares.

The airline has asked for views on whether the charge should be based on a passenger's weight, their waist size or body mass index. A fourth option would require a passenger whose waist touched both arm rests simultaneously to pay for a second seat.

The move won strong support from the National Obesity Forum yesterday as an incentive for passengers to lose weight.

Ryanair appear to be more serious about their latest planned "extra" than a 1 charge to use aircraft toilets, proposed in February, which met with widespread derision.

In outlining proposed thresholds for a new charge, the airline indicated it would target passengers only at the extreme end of the size and weight scale.

It said a weight-based charge would be for every kilo for men over 130kg (20 stone) and women over 100kg (15 stone).

On a waistline measure, the charges would be for every inch over 45in for men and 40in for women. Ryanair said 29 per cent of more than 100,000 votes in its cost-cutting survey had been for a fat tax. The online poll has been carried out over the last two weeks.

The airline said it "will now consider how to implement such a charge".

Stephen McNamara, a spokesman for Ryanair, said: "Over 100,000 passengers logged on to ryanair.com to take part in our competition and almost one in three (over 30,000] think that very large passengers should be asked to pay a fat tax.

"With passengers voting overwhelmingly for a fat tax, we are asking them which format the charge should take. 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."

United Airlines and South West Airlines are among US carriers to have introduced extra charges for larger passengers.

Tam Fry, a board member of the National Obesity Forum, which seeks to improve prevention and management of the condition, said: "We have got to think the unthinkable.

"Taking individual responsibility for being properly weighted is very important, and this may be the kind of thing to push the message home."

How costs rise and rise when you book a flight on a budget airline

RYANAIR is so keen on cutting costs to the bone that passengers are often faced with a raft of extra charges which bump up apparently bargain fares.

Travellers are charged "payment handling fees" when booking, of 5 per person, per flight.

They would have to fork out 10 each for checking in at an airport, and another 3 for priority boarding.

Passengers checking in luggage are charged 10 per flight for the first bag, and 20 per flight for further bags.

Making changes to flights incurs a 25 fee, while changing the name on a booking costs 100 per passenger.