Passengers charged by weight!

[v8Statesman]

This would be interesting if it goes industry wide!

The cost will vary significantly depending on the length of the flight, but passengers will pay roughly $50 - $200 per 100lbs.

Air Samoa starts charging passengers by body weight | The Verge

 

[JohnK]

This is getting a lot of coverage.

If all airlines started doing this then I would reluctantly stop flying. If a lot of people stopped flying then the airfares are going to increase so a lot of the 'skinny' people are not going to fly either as there is no one around to subsidise them.

 

[john_l]

Crazy stuff!

 

[oz_mark]

This is getting a lot of coverage.

Extraordinary coverage for an airline that operates two light aircraft.

(I thought they'd gone out of business years ago, but looks like this they're back)

 

[freepyjamas]

This is getting a lot of coverage.

If all airlines started doing this then I would reluctantly stop flying. If a lot of people stopped flying then the airfares are going to increase so a lot of the 'skinny' people are not going to fly either as there is no one around to subsidise them.

The people doing the subsidising are those flying in premium classes. If any airline was going to charge via weight, it'd be in Y only.

Airfares are at historically low levels. They go up, people adjust. They spend less elsewhere, a few marginal airlines go to the wall, life goes on. Unless you do a lot of discretionary flying, or like the idea of getting a boat to different continents, it's pretty hard to say 'that's it, I won't fly anymore'.

 

[jetlagger]

I'm honest.. I weigh 78 kilos... Confirm if you wish..Scaled weight + luggage = 88 Kilos = $ ? = Nil problems

 

[JohnK]

The people doing the subsidising are those flying in premium classes. If any airline was going to charge via weight, it'd be in Y only.

That may well be the case but it is the people in economy that allow airlines to have the current schedules.

In fact airlines such as VA would be out of business if they relied on premium cabins only.

 

[freepyjamas]

That may well be the case but it is the people in economy that allow airlines to have the current schedules.

In fact airlines such as VA would be out of business if they relied on premium cabins only.

Sure, but IMO it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for airlines to cease this race to the bottom where the only thing that matters is high volume capacity. Bottom line, not too many people would stop flying if airlines adopted this system. Not too many people have the choice (no-one flies Melb-Syd every week for fun). Charge by the kilo and we'd adapt. People like to complain about all kinds of things, but they rarely change their consumer behaviour as a result.
But it's not going to happen so no need to worry.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Weighing in passengers may have a side benefit of reminding some people of their weight and help promote lifestyle change...

I'm all for it, however my guess is premium cabins there would no restrictions?

 

[jetlagger]

Weighing in passengers may have a Ise benefit of reminding some people of their weight and help promote lifestyle change...

I'm all for it, however my guess is premium cabins there would no restrictions?

Absolutely..
With a slight improvement on my lifestyle choices of late & have happily reduced my weight of 3 kilos.
I am planning for a further on track acheivable reduction of 10 kilos within the next 2 months.
Look forward to my monthly weigh in & applicable health improvements savings on all angles

 

[JohnK]

Weighing in passengers may have a Ise benefit of reminding some people of their weight and help promote lifestyle change...

It is not as easy as some people think.

I have been on my own weight control plan for the past 6 months and have lost around 6-8 kilos but I am basically starving myself which is not necessarily the right thing to do. It does not help either that I am on a bunch of medications daily and each one of them doing their bit to ensure the weight does not come off easily.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

It is not as easy as some people think.

I have been on my own weight control plan for the past 6 months and have lost around 6-8 kilos but I am basically starving myself which is not necessarily the right thing to do. It does not help either that I am on a bunch of medications daily and each one of them doing their bit to ensure the weight does not come off easily.

Last August I went on a mission to control my weight as well, so I jumped onboard with some of the best people to help me obtain these goals. Since then I've done around 200 gym sessions and constantly been eating over 4,000 calories/day to put on 15KG of extra mass (14% body fat). To put into perspective - this means I'm eating non-stop, while avoiding all sugars and zero alcohol intake (Flounges are rather boring on this diet!). I imagine this is just as hard as people who are trying to lose weight and this has been one of the hardest things I've ever done. Luckily my partner is a doctor so I have a little extra on my side, but like everything in life that is worthwhile - it's worth doing if you are serious about your health lifestyle. Also, you may find your body reacts differently when you put it in a different position and you may be able to trade out the meds. Doing all this is nowhere near as expensive as you may think and infact, I'm more lazy with my cooking now than I was before starting. So some things get easier!

On the upside - flying may get cheaper in the future for you too!! (but not for me, haha!)

 

[33rpm]

If somebody was large enough to occupy two seats, would they be given two seats with the extra weight payment. Just wondering.

 

[Deleted member]

light planes are probably worth the time to look at weight. however I suspect that large jets have already factored all of this into their calculations for loadings etc

 

[JohnK]

Doing all this is nowhere near as expensive as you may think and infact, I'm more lazy with my cooking now than I was before starting. So some things get easier!

Cost is not the issue.

I am a stubborn old sod and want to try and achieve the weight loss on my own. It was working for a while but has somehow stalled. I shall see what happens when I return from Thailand in 4 weeks time. Last 2 trips over there I have lost weight so hoping the same this time around.

Another option is to go to a retreat for 1 week or 2. They say guaranteed weight loss.

Unfortunately rigorous excercise is totally out of the question. I am in enough pain now without adding more.

 

[TheEmu]

Weighing in passengers may have a side benefit of reminding some people of their weight and help promote lifestyle change...

I'm all for it, however my guess is premium cabins there would no restrictions?

As long as they get their xx_L pyjamas!