United Airlines is the latest US carrier to penalize 'passengers-of-size' by introducing a plan to charge them for two seats if they can't fit into one seat or use a single seatbelt extender.

Fact is the average American is larger today than a few decades ago, but airline coach seating doesn't reflect that reality. Seating is so cramped it is even challenging for passengers who are not overweight - especially if they happen to be taller than average.

Instead of turning a discriminatory practice toward large passengers into a two-seat money grab, the airlines should change their seating arrangements.

The Association for Airline Passenger Rights (AAPR) has it right. Brandon M. Macsata, executive director of AAPR said "United is now the latest airline to shelve customer service standards in search for higher profits, while claiming that the new policy is to 'protect' other passengers. At issue should not be the size of any passenger, but rather why the airlines continue to pack coach passengers like sardines into the cabin."

Humiliating and 'punishing' larger passengers is bad PR aside from anything else and it does nothing to address the issue of coach seats that still reflect the "sardine can" metaphor.

Roomier coach seats would help to resolve some of the current challenges, but don't hold your breath. So long as the airlines can get away with packing already cramped planes in order to maximize profits they are unlikely to consider seating modifications. Meanwhile it looks as though larger travelers are going to have to pay the price for sub-standard industry practices.