Airlines to make heavier people pay more - is this a good idea?

Question

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1511586.ece

Answer 1

It is not just a financial issue it is a safety issue as well as there has been at least one air-crash due to the increase in passenger obesity.

" In January 2003 an Air Midwest Beech 1900 with 19 passengers aboard failed to gain altitude quickly enough and crashed into an airport hanger during takeoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. All passengers and crew died in the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that Air Midwest used "substantially inaccurate weight and balance calculations for company airplanes," which were based on incorrect "average passenger and baggage weights." The NTSB recommended "periodic sampling of passenger and baggage weights [to] determine whether air carrier average weight programs [are] accurately representing passenger and baggage loads."

Answer 2

Fat taxes are the way forward now that smoking has been taxed and banned to near death.

Answer 3

What would their ideal weight be for a passenger is the main thing they don't mention.

If your a few pounds over the weight are they going to have a gym in the airport after check in so you can get the weight down to not pay the extra. It would seem unfair to someone who put on say a kilo waiting in the line for the long security check to pay because of their own policies. So now we cannot bring water to the security check in. I have seen in fact someone faint at an airport due to the line at the security check in. Maybe that person fainted because she did not have a thing to eat for eight hours because of their delays.

We all know if they find out  one weight was not getting as much money as they thought they will change it just to make more money. Same with the baggage allowances, the reason they change them all the time downwards is to make more money.  

Answer 4

thats fair enough but will they give a rebate for children who weigh next to nothing yet have to pay the full adult fare. x

Answer 5

Yeah, cause my flight ticket will be cheaper! But what about pregnant people?

Answer 6

I think they should take a slightly different approach. They ought to set a flat "weight" for travelers... including their luggage and carry-ons. So if a fat person with little (or no) baggage weighs the same as Paris Hilton with a dozen bags full of clothes... then they pay the same for the extra weight. Then no one can claim discrimination.

Answer 7

well... id be a bit annoyed if i was made to pay more cause of my weight

Answer 8

I think the concept is wrong because we shouldn't judge people like that...however, since weight for airplanes is such an issue, I see where authorities are coming up with this stuff.

Answer 9

When I go to the market, they make me pay by the kg/lb. The idea that normal people should subsidise fat ones is out of date. We should all pull our own weight.

Answer 10

thats not fair is it?

It aint their fault there are fat  

Answer 11

Hi there.

If weight is such an issue, they should give you a total weight for yourself AND your luggage and charge for exceeding that - then charge lighter people less. That would be fair.

They should also work out how much seat space a person takes and if they go above a certain size, make them pay for two seats instead of squashing someone else.

Regards, Steve.

PS neither will never come to pass - too much bad publicity.

Answer 12

Hello there,

One nice big fat $25,000,000.00 law suit ought to fix that.  It is discrimination.   If they are going to charge overweight people by the pound, they will have to charge children and pets by the pound as well.     It is a matter of time before it will have to be regulated to be fair for everyone.

Airlines are taking advantage because people are letting them get away with it.   Someone will get fed up and change this for the better of the passengers.