Last week it was reported that Delta, one of the biggest airlines in the USA, are being sued because they refused to allow a 30 stone woman to board one of their aircraft. Delta have since claimed that they did try to allow the woman to board but she was so fat, sorry, obese, that she was physically unable to take her seat.

It got me thinking. I fly a lot and much of that is long haul and, as anybody who regularly takes flights of six or more hours knows only too well, comfort is not always easy to find particularly if, like me, you fly cattle class, there I go again, sorry, economy! If you are lucky enough to have nobody or somebody of slim build sat in the seat next to you then, in the absence of screaming infants (another scourge!), the journey will probably pass pleasantly enough with no harm done.

On occasion however, I have sat next to somebody of a larger build and have spent most of the time pushed up against the wall of the cabin or the person on my other side, consuming my meal and refreshments at a 60 degree angle and, once the ordeal has ended, have emerged from the aircraft with my head resting limply against my shoulder.

Airlines need to do something about this, particularly since obesity is quite clearly a worldwide problem (at least in the West) with this country apparently leading the fatty charts. Two things stand out to me. Firstly, nobody should be denied the right to board an aircraft on account of their body shape or size but if they are clearly too big to sit on a normal seat (without crushing the poor b***er next to them) they should have to pay for two seats or alternatively a special large seat should be available at double the cost of a single seat.

Secondly, all airlines, but particularly budget airlines, are now getting very keen to whittle down the weight of hand luggage and if you are carrying a bag weighing 11kg instead of 10kg you will be compelled to check it in as hold luggage usually for an extra £30 or so. This really does irritate me, particularly when I see someone twice my size taking on their 9kg bag without a problem. Clearly, in the interests of safety, airlines have to carefully monitor the weight of the load carried by their aircraft but wouldn’t it be fairer to base their charges on the combined weight of each passenger and his or her luggage? Of course it would but there’s fat chance of it happening!