Fat Tax Near To Taking Off

With multiple sources recently polling airline passengers to determine the British public's reaction to the possibility of a tax on heavier passengers, it seems that the day may soon be here when the larger bodied among us find themselves paying a little bit extra to take to the skies.

First there was a poll by travel site Skyscanner, which surveyed some 550 people and found that 76 percent of those asked would be in favour of some form of "fat tax". Then Irish budget airline Ryanair brought the issue to a head, with 30,000 people polling online in favour of very overweight people paying extra to fly.

You have to wonder whether, should such rulings come in, those deemed to be overweight will find it harder to obtain cheap travel insurance, since weight issues could be construed to suggest potential health issues on their hols.

Although any such legislation would doubtless provoke much argument and debate, Ryanair has nevertheless taken the step of laying down a series of ideas for ways in which the 'fat tax' could potentially be levied. The firm's website is now asking the public to vote on the best way in which to enforce such a charge.

The four proposals include charging by body mass index if a passenger goes over 40 BMI; charging for inches on the waist if a passenger exceeds a certain size; charging for every kilogram over a certain weight for male passengers; or perhaps charging for a second seat if one is required because the passenger's waist bridges the gap between the two armrests.

Whether cheap travel insurance is affected by the legislation or not, it would certainly appear that the dignity - and wallets - of larger passengers may well suffer as a result.