Discrimination? Or an alternative solution to Obesity?
If you love traveling and is searching for a reason to lose weight, then the Fat Tax may just be the motivation you are looking for.
Skyscanner, a leading global travel search site, revealed that almost two-thirds of international travellers polled are in favor of an airline ‘Fat Tax’, which would see airlines charging more for their seats to overweight passengers.
The results of the survey commissioned by Skyscanner in March follows a call by Norwegian economist Dr Bharat P. Bhatta, who has stated that a pricing model based on passengers’ weight could bring benefits to airlines in the form of cheaper fares and reduced carbon emissions.
Samoa Air, which operates in the Pacific, already charges passengers according to weight in what it says is a “world first” cost-per-kilo fare system.
Forty-one percent of travellers in the study however were against the introduction of the so-called ‘Fat Tax’ stating that it was unfair to discriminate.
In the Philippines, no local airlines have considered this move yet. However, ‘Fat Tax’ in general has been gaining attention as an alternative way in solving obesity in the country In 2008, the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) reported that 26.6% of Filipino adults are overweight, 5.2% of these are obese.
Skyscanner Philippines Manager, Janet Ranola said: “While the so-called ‘Fat Tax’ is a sensitive issue for airlines who will not want to offend larger passengers, it’s interesting to note that many travellers are more open to such tax enabling them to take a look at their own health and wellbeing and save money on their airfare.”
Skyscanner is a leading global travel search site providing instant online comparisons for millions of flights plus hotels and car hire.
Founded in 2003 by three IT professionals, Gareth Williams, Barry Smith and Bonamy Grimes, Skyscanner is the no.1 travel search website in Europe and no.3 worldwide, receiving over 30 million visits per month.
Skyscanner’s travel search site is available in 40 countries and in 30 languages. Its highly-rated free mobile apps are available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Windows 8 devices and have been downloaded over 20 million times.
The company employs 200 staff and has its global headquarters in Edinburgh, with a second Scottish office in Glasgow. Skyscanner also has offices in Singapore and Beijing and plans to open a Miami office in 2013.
Follow Skyscanner on Twitter @SkyscannerPH
sources:
Health and Taxes by Boo Chanco, http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/blogs/insights/10/21/12/health-and-taxes
Overweight Filipinos increasing survey says http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/11/06/11/overweight-filipinos-increasing-survey-shows
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