Member-only story
The Fat Tax Is Real—and It’s Getting Worse
Inflated prices, surcharges, and limited employment opportunities are expanding the wealth gap between fat and thin
I am booking a work trip across the country. It should be a simple task: find a flight at a reasonable time, for a reasonable price, and purchase it. But this otherwise mundane task isn’t so simple for me, so I brace myself to pay double—or more—to reach my final destination. I am fat, and this is one of the many prices I pay for it.
My destination is a new one, and there are no nonstop flights between here and there, so I will have to change flights, and my itinerary will require me to fly on two different airlines. That means researching the frustratingly inconsistent “customer of size” policies for multiple carriers to find out who will allow me to stay on the flight and for what price. Some airlines allow fat customers to purchase two seats in advance, but may sell the second seat without that fat passenger’s knowledge or consent. Others will simply wait for a fat passenger to arrive, then inform them they’ll be charged for a second seat at the day-of price, regardless of availability. The policies vary greatly from airline to airline, and only the worst of the bunch fly from my hometown to my final destination.
