Fatties eating into airline profits

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...ntstory.jsp&1c

~~~~~~BEGIN QUOTE~~~~~~
Study: Fatter travelers weigh on airline profits
More weight means higher fuel costs, the CDC reported. The added cost in 2000
was estimated at $275 million.
By Daniel Yee
Associated Press

ATLANTA - America's growing waistlines are hurting the bottom lines of airline
companies, as the extra pounds on passengers create heftier fuel costs, a new
government study reveals.

Through the 1990s, the average weight of Americans increased by 10 pounds,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The extra weight
caused airlines to spend $275 million to burn 350 million more gallons of fuel
in 2000 just to carry the additional weight of Americans, the federal agency
estimated in a recent issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

"The obesity epidemic has unexpected consequences beyond direct health effects,"
said Deron Burton of the CDC. "Our goal was to highlight one area that had not
been looked at before."

The extra fuel burned also had an environmental impact, as an estimated 3.8
million extra tons of carbon dioxide were released into the air, according to
the study.

The agency said its calculations were rough estimates, issued to highlight
previously undocumented consequences of the obesity epidemic.

The estimates were calculated by determining how much fuel the 10 extra pounds
of weight per passenger represented in Department of Transportation airline
statistics, Burton said.

Obesity was the underlying cause of 400,000 deaths in the United States in 2000,
a 33 percent jump from 1990. If current trends persist, it will become the
nation's No. 1 cause of preventable death, the CDC said earlier this year.

More than half - 56 percent - of U.S. adults were overweight or obese in the
early 1990s, according to a CDC survey. That rose to 65 percent in a similar
survey done from 1999 to 2002.

Although the Air Transport Association of America has not yet validated the CDC
data, spokesman Jack Evans said the health agency's appraisal "does not sound
out of the realm of reality."

With most airlines reporting losses blamed partly on record-high fuel costs,
airlines are doing everything they can to lighten the load on all aircraft.

Bulky magazines have gone out the door. Metal forks and spoons have been
replaced with plastic.

Large carry-ons are being scrutinized, and heavy materials that used to make up
airplane seats are being replaced with plastic and other lightweight materials.

"When you consider airlines are flying millions of miles, it adds up over time,"
Evans said.


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If you're a lean bike racer, you should leverage your light weight and ask for a
cheaper ticket. "Forget" to tell them how much your velosafe + bike wieghs.

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 12:42:37 -0800, gwhite
wrote:

"When you consider airlines are flying millions of miles, it adds up over time,"
Evans said.


~~~~~~END QUOTE~~~~~~


If you're a lean bike racer, you should leverage your light weight and ask for a
cheaper ticket. "Forget" to tell them how much your velosafe + bike wieghs.

You forgot to reference this to the use of the special USAC flight
deals and Fattie Masters. Kurgan doesn't grade on a curve, you know.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 12:42:37 -0800, gwhite
wrote:

"When you consider airlines are flying millions of miles, it adds up over time,"
Evans said.


~~~~~~END QUOTE~~~~~~


If you're a lean bike racer, you should leverage your light weight and ask for a
cheaper ticket. "Forget" to tell them how much your velosafe + bike wieghs.

You forgot to reference this to the use of the special USAC flight
deals and Fattie Masters. Kurgan doesn't grade on a curve, you know.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

"gwhite" wrote in message
...


http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...mplate=content
Modules/printstory.jsp&1c

I love it. I have always said that airfare should be dependant on actual
load. There should be a surcharge for extra weight and for people that can't
keep their arms within the space designated for their chair.

I have so many nightmare stories about fat ass Americans on intercontinental
flights, that is the number one concern I have about flying. In my first
flight without my parents, I was on what I thought was a non-stop to London
from SFO. This was back in the early 80s when the airlines had not been
deregulated (ticket prices) for very long and I did not know the
terminology. I booked a flight for 9:00 am and stayed up all night before
the flight. I also got a sedative (most MDs will give you something for a
flight...if you ask) and I figured between that and the long hour without
sleep I would be able to sleep most of the flight and then stay up another
long (more than 24 hours) day and hopefully most of the jet lag would be
behind me fairly quickly. I fell asleep while the plane was in the air and
did not wake up until I could sense the altitude drop and lining up for the
final approach. In my mind, between that and the Sun coming up I thought I
had made it. The seat next to me had been empty the whole flight. The
problem was that the plane was landing somewhere on the east coast of the US
(Boston I think). I was unhappy to find out that I would need to fall asleep
again but the worst part came when a 300 + pound female sat in and around
her seat next to me. Not only were her arms so huge as to prevent her from
keeping the arm adjacent to me away from her, but the sounds from breathing
problems and who knows what else was way too much for me to get any rest at
all. I landed in London having slept about 2 hours in the past 42 and I
would not have another chance until another 12 hours later. Ever since then,
every flight I take reminds me of that and although I never had anything
quite so bad happen, there were other similar cases. I can't keep these huge
people from flying next to me, but I can make sure that I don't count on
using flight time to get my sleep.

"gwhite" wrote in message
...


http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...mplate=content
Modules/printstory.jsp&1c

I love it. I have always said that airfare should be dependant on actual
load. There should be a surcharge for extra weight and for people that can't
keep their arms within the space designated for their chair.

I have so many nightmare stories about fat ass Americans on intercontinental
flights, that is the number one concern I have about flying. In my first
flight without my parents, I was on what I thought was a non-stop to London
from SFO. This was back in the early 80s when the airlines had not been
deregulated (ticket prices) for very long and I did not know the
terminology. I booked a flight for 9:00 am and stayed up all night before
the flight. I also got a sedative (most MDs will give you something for a
flight...if you ask) and I figured between that and the long hour without
sleep I would be able to sleep most of the flight and then stay up another
long (more than 24 hours) day and hopefully most of the jet lag would be
behind me fairly quickly. I fell asleep while the plane was in the air and
did not wake up until I could sense the altitude drop and lining up for the
final approach. In my mind, between that and the Sun coming up I thought I
had made it. The seat next to me had been empty the whole flight. The
problem was that the plane was landing somewhere on the east coast of the US
(Boston I think). I was unhappy to find out that I would need to fall asleep
again but the worst part came when a 300 + pound female sat in and around
her seat next to me. Not only were her arms so huge as to prevent her from
keeping the arm adjacent to me away from her, but the sounds from breathing
problems and who knows what else was way too much for me to get any rest at
all. I landed in London having slept about 2 hours in the past 42 and I
would not have another chance until another 12 hours later. Ever since then,
every flight I take reminds me of that and although I never had anything
quite so bad happen, there were other similar cases. I can't keep these huge
people from flying next to me, but I can make sure that I don't count on
using flight time to get my sleep.

Chris wrote:
I was unhappy to find out that I would need to fall asleep
again but the worst part came when a 300 + pound female sat in and
around
her seat next to me. Not only were her arms so huge as to prevent her
from
keeping the arm adjacent to me away from her, but the sounds from
breathing
problems and who knows what else was way too much for me to get any
rest at
all. I landed in London having slept about 2 hours in the past 42 and
I
would not have another chance until another 12 hours later. Ever
since then,
every flight I take reminds me of that and although I never had
anything
quite so bad happen, there were other similar cases. I can't keep
these huge
people from flying next to me, but I can make sure that I don't count
on
using flight time to get my sleep.

Keep your perverted mile high club stories of tapping fat chicks all
night to yourself.

RVD

Chris wrote:
I was unhappy to find out that I would need to fall asleep
again but the worst part came when a 300 + pound female sat in and
around
her seat next to me. Not only were her arms so huge as to prevent her
from
keeping the arm adjacent to me away from her, but the sounds from
breathing
problems and who knows what else was way too much for me to get any
rest at
all. I landed in London having slept about 2 hours in the past 42 and
I
would not have another chance until another 12 hours later. Ever
since then,
every flight I take reminds me of that and although I never had
anything
quite so bad happen, there were other similar cases. I can't keep
these huge
people from flying next to me, but I can make sure that I don't count
on
using flight time to get my sleep.

Keep your perverted mile high club stories of tapping fat chicks all
night to yourself.

RVD

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 16:07:40 -0500, Curtis L. Russell
wrote:

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 12:42:37 -0800, gwhite
wrote:

"When you consider airlines are flying millions of miles, it adds up over time,"
Evans said.


~~~~~~END QUOTE~~~~~~


If you're a lean bike racer, you should leverage your light weight and ask for a
cheaper ticket. "Forget" to tell them how much your velosafe + bike wieghs.

You forgot to reference this to the use of the special USAC flight
deals and Fattie Masters. Kurgan doesn't grade on a curve, you know.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...


It's kind of interesting that we hear about the 'tyranny of the thin'.
BUt most equipment, etc is usually made for thin,or just regular,
average sized people. Chairs will be all made the same, etc. Now, we
hear about special sized chairs, or special hospital equipment that
has to be made to accommodate obese people. SPecial surgical
instrument, wheelchairs and gurneys, special surgery tables and beds,
and they have to hire huge wrestler sized hulks as orderlies and
nurses simply to get these people out of bed. They also have to use
more anasthesia for obese people. And so on. They now have to have
special seats, special desks, special ladders etc- all of which costs
more money. ANd the obese now cost the health care system even more
than smoking- since many of the health problems associate with obesity
are irreversible. It's not the same has having a tall shop or big
mens' shop; that used to be the exception. NOw it's becoming the norm.

See how so many of society's problems could simply be solved if people
would just ride a bike?

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 16:07:40 -0500, Curtis L. Russell
wrote:

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 12:42:37 -0800, gwhite
wrote:

"When you consider airlines are flying millions of miles, it adds up over time,"
Evans said.


~~~~~~END QUOTE~~~~~~


If you're a lean bike racer, you should leverage your light weight and ask for a
cheaper ticket. "Forget" to tell them how much your velosafe + bike wieghs.

You forgot to reference this to the use of the special USAC flight
deals and Fattie Masters. Kurgan doesn't grade on a curve, you know.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...


It's kind of interesting that we hear about the 'tyranny of the thin'.
BUt most equipment, etc is usually made for thin,or just regular,
average sized people. Chairs will be all made the same, etc. Now, we
hear about special sized chairs, or special hospital equipment that
has to be made to accommodate obese people. SPecial surgical
instrument, wheelchairs and gurneys, special surgery tables and beds,
and they have to hire huge wrestler sized hulks as orderlies and
nurses simply to get these people out of bed. They also have to use
more anasthesia for obese people. And so on. They now have to have
special seats, special desks, special ladders etc- all of which costs
more money. ANd the obese now cost the health care system even more
than smoking- since many of the health problems associate with obesity
are irreversible. It's not the same has having a tall shop or big
mens' shop; that used to be the exception. NOw it's becoming the norm.

See how so many of society's problems could simply be solved if people
would just ride a bike?

(Boston I think). I was unhappy to find out that I would need to fall
asleep
again but the worst part came when a 300 + pound female sat in and around
her seat next to me. Not only were her arms so huge as to prevent her from
keeping the arm adjacent to me away from her, but the sounds from
breathing
problems and who knows what else was way too much for me to get any rest
at
all.

Yup, been there- 400+ pound guy in aisle, me in middle, hubby in window seat
(he's not small either, but not really a fattie- just a big guy, so I
couldn't squeeze into part of his seat.) Anyway, the 400 lb fattie smelled
bad too. It was so difficult for him to get up (he could barely squeeze
into the aisle) that I stayed in my seat for the entire 5 hour flight, but I
didn't have to pee too bad anyway, since I couldn't easily reach my water
bottle. Dude was spilling over his seat so much, I couldn't move.

Found out he was going to meet, for the first time, the girl he had met
online and was supposedly in love with. I felt kind of sorry for him,
wondering how she was going to react when she saw what he really looked (and
smelled) like. I hope it worked out okay.