Should Airlines Price Seats by Body Weight?
 

Just heard on CBC News that since 1990 airlines burn up to 25% more fuel because passengers are considerably heavier

Thus should airlines price seats by passenger weight?

Seems only fair - and i'd perhaps have to pay a tad more?

Should there be a wide-rear seat surcharge per kilo?

I suspect you've opened a can of worms!

I think so. I'm tired of paying for one kilo of extra luggage when half the passengers are twice my size.

And can I get a discount because my luggage is always WAY under the limit?

Why not have separate flights for big people and little people? The big people would get bigger seats, meals, lifejackets and washrooms but pay more. The little people would get smaller seats, meals, lifejackets and washrooms but pay less.

The planes could race …

I have no problem paying by the kilo for me and my luggage... as long as the seat I get is adjusted accordingly. For instance, I am overweight, and my luggage is usually pretty average (but I only check one bag). If I pay for 300 lbs of weight on myself, I want room for it on the airplane seat... paying by inch :)

I think it could be solved with bench-style seats and moveable armrests (moving back and forth). That way little people (weightwise) and kids get a discount, because they don't need as much room.

I'd love it if we paid for our seats by body weight. I'm tiny, my boyfriend is big. But..I think it would never work - its discriminating against people who weigh more. No? Or penalizing them for weighing more. That sounds really sad to me.

The show the Biggest Loser could do a whole special on this one.
"Help the overweight travel for less!" "Who will get to do the world tour for less?"
LOL
colduphere "let them race" LOL That cracked me up!

"The planes could race …"

LOL! :-)

I like the idea only because I'm on the small side, but overall, I can see it not being fair in some way. I figure I have to pay if my luggage goes over a certain weight, then why not?

Well I am downright fat so it would cost me a lot. If the seat was comfortable then fairenough, but to pay extra and still risk DVT I think not.

However if they do introduce it maybe airlines could then also charge extra for screaming kids - a soundproof compartment maybe so the rest of the passengers don't end up deaf? (Not to mention bruised by the little monsters kicking the back of your seat)

I like it. I weigh 105. I can also manage with a 21" roll aboard (can pack alot of small clothes in there. My friend is 5'10" and her shoes are twice as big as mine! Takes up her whole bag!

my son just flew back from Paris and on the flight he said he tons of screaming kids - several huge families from India with kids sitting ahead of them and constantly bothering

there should indeed by a child-free section - good for both i think

I once flew with a small airline that weighed the passengers with their luggage.
It would be simple to have a maximum weight for passenger plus baggage and would mean that the slimmer folk could take more clothes with them.
That makes sense.

Would they take your word for it, as at the driver's license office, where I hear that men routinely add an inch, and women subtract 10 pounds?

Least embarrassing fair solution: you and your baggage stand on the scale together.

Or they could charge extra for a discrete weigh in

"Would they take your word for it, as at the driver's license office, where I hear that men routinely add an inch"

My God, where do you live that that information is on your drivers license?

Yup.
to clarify: that would be height and weight. Not the other.

Such a policy would really suck for people who are tall. I mean, if you are 5'2", you almost certainly will weigh less, even if substantially overweight, than someone who's 6'2", no matter how lean and fit that person is. So this would also amount to discrimination by height.

Although, if paying more would get you more leg room (you guessed it, I'm on the tall side), I'd go for it in a heartbeat.

Now if they weigh the person and their luggage together, I might not come out badly - I always travel in carry-on only and am perplexed by folks checking two massive suitcases in addition.

They should weigh and charge for everything you bring onto the aircraft--body, clothes, luggage, babies, etc.

The whole idea of charging per pound just makes me think "yikes". I'm a small person and I pack light so I'd benefit, but it does seem very discriminatory to me. As long as my neighbor isn't taking up any of my seat room, I feel no need to charge him/her more to benefit myself as a reward for my 120lb weight and 35lb suitcase.

I think the interesting ruling that just come out in Canada was the one person one fare policy, where the airline can only charge one fare to people who would require more than one seat. These were identifed as passengers who require caregivers to travel with them as well as obese passengers who require more than one seat. It was ruled discriminatory to charge double fares to these people. Costs would be passed along to all passengers.