Experts have weighed in on one of the travel industry’s most controversial debates – should passengers sit in their own section if they are overweight?
A recent study in the UK has found that four in five people want overweight travellers to sit in their own special zones, The Sun reports.
If this concept became a reality, that would potentially mean overweight travellers would pay erxtra to sit in an area on a plane which would offer wider seats, aisles, and more leg room.
Depending on whether the plans for accommodating larger passengers goes ahead, it could become a real issue for Australia. A recent health report today found that Aussies in their early twenties are nearly twice as likely to be obese, compared to their parents.
UK Travel website Jetcost saw one in ten passengers complain about an uncomfortable flight when seated next to an overweight traveller.
Jetcost agreed with the idea of a “plus-sized zone”, and claimed that these areas wouldn’t segregate travellers, but instead allow them to enjoy their flight more.
On the other hand, health practitioners were against the idea, and explained that this is the wrong way to tackle the issue.
“I can understand why people might consider these plus size zones from a safety point of view, and it would also be less embarrassing than getting stuck in seats that are too small,” weight loss expert and health service consultant Dr Sally Norton told The Sun.
“But we should support people to lose weight instead of creating segregation and making people feel ostracised,” Sally explained.
“At the same time, we must also be careful not to normalise obesity by creating areas with larger seats, because obesity damages our health,” she added.
So far, no airlines have weighed in on the topic.