Weigh in at the airline ticket counter is this possible?, page 1

I was reading an article by the Bloomberg News and there is on going discussion by the airlines to weigh you as an individual just like you would your freight or your luggage to see if you will be charged extra for being over the weight limit.

Southwest already charges extremely over weight passengers for 2 seats. Do you think it is fair for the airlines to weigh you in at the ticket counter and charge you extra if you are over their weight limit to help offset fuel costs? Would this not be embarrassing to the overweight passenger to be weighed in in front of everyone? Rik Riley

www.gadling.com...






[edit on 4-6-2008 by rikriley]

reply to post by LateApexer313

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The hot fudge sundae would weigh to much LOL and some airlines are considering not bringing soft drinks and water aboard because of the weight factor. Why not throw the seats out while there at it and let us sit on the floor with our seat belts.

This was a spoof video I had seen and people were being charged for the use of a seat belt, looking at the instruction card in the back of the seat in front of them was $4.00 plus if they wanted oxygen with mask during an emergency with loss of cabin pressure that was extra also.LOL

It use to be fun to fly before 911 and sky rocketing fuel costs. Those were the good old days when you did not worry about the cost of gas to get to where you were going. Rik Riley

Well, it might run off some passengers, but technically, it would be fair.

Weight affects fuel usage. Fuel usage affects cost to fly. They weigh your bags and charge you if your bags are overweight for that reason.

In a sense, by NOT weighing passengers, some people fly cheaper per pound than others, with the "others" who weigh less subsidizing their extra pounds in their ticket cost.

They used to average out the weight of passengers and assign a particular number;

query.nytimes.com...

Since 1995, most airlines have assumed a weight of 180 pounds for each adult passenger in summer and 185 pounds in winter; checked bags are assumed to weigh 25 pounds each.

However this averaged figure is proving to be inadequate. Clearly in todays world there are many, many people who exceed the 180lb average weight, and since 60% of us are overweight here in the US, those anorexics that do travel are unlikely to balance the books.

There are safety reasons, as well, for wanting to know how much weight the plane is carrying;

query.nytimes.com...

Saying that overloading may have contributed to a fatal plane crash this month in North Carolina, federal aviation officials announced today that thousands of passengers flying on small planes over the next month will have to tell ticket agents how much they weigh, or step on a scale, to check whether existing estimates of average passenger weight are accurate.

Would it be inconvenient or embarrassing to be weighed like cattle at the check in? Sure, I suppose so. Would it be worth it to ensure that the plane didnt crash? I think it would.

I doubt the airlines would pass the "cost savings" of tiny little passengers back to them, however, so it is likely to be a very lopsided arrangement for ensuring that the fuel costs are covered. It would be nice if you got to add the amount of weight you "saved" by being under the average to your total baggage allowance.

reply to post by galatea

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Hi galatea, I believe the Airline passenger has had it up to here as far as what they will go through to catch a flight. With the new visual scanners they can supposedly see through a persons clothes which is a bad idea as far as the passenger is concerned. Rik Riley

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander

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Yes Terminal Diet is a bit severe and the word Diet has the word Die as part of the word. The Check Out Diet, bad idea or Crash Diet LOL. Probably the best idea would be the name Cash Diet because if you lose the weight you will be saving cash when weighing in with your luggage and not going over the surcharge limit. We may laugh now but I look for the airlines to actually weigh you in with your luggage as part of the ticket price. If you have lost weight and the airlines charge you a surcharge for a certain amount of combined weight over a certain weight limit with you and your luggage just by not going over the weight limit because of your weight lose you could pack more items in your luggage. LOL Rik Riley



[edit on 4-8-2008 by rikriley]

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