WTF? air line to charge by weight of CUSTOMER

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  • xampx
    xampx Posts: 323 Member
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    I think its a good idea. That means that I can carry the 50lbs I lost as luggage instead of fat :)
  • sweetnlow30
    sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
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    I know some airlines now expect obese people to pay for two seats so they can sit comfortably. I am not sure if this is determined by a set weight or if the airline simply eyeballs the person to size them up. I do agree with the two seat charge if two seats are actually required for their comfort. I don't agree with this charging by the pound idea though. It feels a little discriminatory. There should be a set price per seat. I suppose it comes down to fuel charges. :grumble:
  • yanniejannie
    yanniejannie Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Fabulous idea!!!!!!!!!
  • tjs616
    tjs616 Posts: 51 Member
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    I've never flown this particular airline, but flying in general has gotten ridiculous. People of any size are bringing 100+lbs in their carry on to put in the overhead bin so that they don't have to pay the overweight baggage fees. And with airlines charging baggage fees in general, almost everyone is trying to do a carry on which is causing delays on board as everyone tried to jam things overhead. While they want to carry on the largest bag they can get away with, no one wants to put it under the seat in front of them. They also want to store their coats, and largely over-sized purses up there, too, and don't want anyone else's stuff touching theirs. Oh not to mention how it takes everyone twice as long to get through security now because of all the extra stuff they are trying to juggle. If it was all by weight, hopefully it would alleviate some of the pre-flight nonsense. As an obese person (that does fit entirely in my own seat), I'm perfectly fine with this, as long as they aren't making a huge show of weighing it in a way where everyone can see what you and your baggage weight. Not that I'd care, but I'm sure some would.
  • misspastry
    misspastry Posts: 109 Member
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    Does that mean I'll get to stop sharing my seat with whoever is sitting next to me?
    Love it! I booked an aisle seat for next month. I can't stand being close to people.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    Lol, it's Samoa Airlines? Probably makes sense since most people flying it are Samoans who have some of the "biggest" genetics in the world. Not uncommon to see a 16 year old male weigh 200lbs or more.

    I was going to say the same thing! I lived in Hawaii for four years and was around lots of Samoans - there aren't too many little ones!
    Agreed! They're happy, jolly people, but most of them are quite big!

    I have no objection to this policy at all...
  • KilikiMom
    KilikiMom Posts: 237 Member
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    yes please charge me by pound hahaha....I'd have some really cheap tickets!!!!


    but no really I see no issue with this...I am sorry I want my flight SAFE....I do not want to fall out of the sky because there are x amount of people on board and they weigh x amount and the plane only holds y amount....and x amount is more than the y amount.....just my opinion....and I am sorry if you feel embarrassed by your weight or offended then YOU are the one with the problem and maybe you should take a look at your lifestyle and DO something about it....yes some people cannot help their weights but morbidly obese people typically do not have medical issues (weight wise) other than say being depressed, eating disorders, possibly some sort of issue with their thyroid or hundreds of other reasons....which can be controlled with meds, and all the above can be controlled with some sort of intervention medical, physical etc etc....NO ONE has to be obese...no matter what your problem is and why you came to be obese....with the advances in science and medicine there is NO EXCUSE.....only you can stop yourself from being happy and healthy....just my opinion though.....
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
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    I don't want to spoil the controversy but this is a small airline that operates Britten-Norman islanders and Cessna 172 aircraft, which have capacities of 9 and 3 respectively.

    In a 3 passenger aircraft if 1 person is overweight, unless at least one of the others is underweight, the plane will exceed capacity.

    In a big commercial jet, this is not a problem, as over 300 passengers, it averages out.

    Anyway enough of the sensible facts, lets get back to the OMG on the old news!
  • GBOGH_5
    GBOGH_5 Posts: 174 Member
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    Yep. I took one of the puddle jumpers in Costa Rica to get back to the airport from where I was staying. They weighed all passengers and luggage. Had to in order to meet regulations due to strict guidelines on the amount of weight they are allowed to carry.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    You have to pay for overweight bags, so why not overweight people?
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
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    I've never flown this particular airline, but flying in general has gotten ridiculous. People of any size are bringing 100+lbs in their carry on to put in the overhead bin so that they don't have to pay the overweight baggage fees. And with airlines charging baggage fees in general, almost everyone is trying to do a carry on which is causing delays on board as everyone tried to jam things overhead. While they want to carry on the largest bag they can get away with, no one wants to put it under the seat in front of them. They also want to store their coats, and largely over-sized purses up there, too, and don't want anyone else's stuff touching theirs. Oh not to mention how it takes everyone twice as long to get through security now because of all the extra stuff they are trying to juggle. If it was all by weight, hopefully it would alleviate some of the pre-flight nonsense. As an obese person (that does fit entirely in my own seat), I'm perfectly fine with this, as long as they aren't making a huge show of weighing it in a way where everyone can see what you and your baggage weight. Not that I'd care, but I'm sure some would.

    CN: quit letting people bring all their luggage on the plane.

    Agree.
  • ttaylor68913
    ttaylor68913 Posts: 324 Member
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    though at first It kind of irritated me but now that i think about it... its still probably going to pretty equal. I took a 3 hr flight to go see my in laws for 10 days (on a continental commuter plane 60 or so passengers.. all wheel'd carry ons are gate checked).. had all my stuff packed in a back pack and a carry on (neither out weighing the limits to be considered to heavy to be a carry on) I was talking to a girl a lot smaller than me who was also going to be gone 10 days had 3 bags(2 of which she could have fit in) that had to be checked and her 2 carry on items so pound for pound we were probably pretty equal
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    As well they should

    This. The more you weigh, the more it costs to fly you from one place to the next. I would love to see a U.S. airline do the same and then raise their collective middle finger at all the discrimination-baiting whiners.

    Unfortunately, in the new America, anytime people feel they are being treated unfairly, the solution is always more government, and that would just make air travel more expensive for everyone.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    At that ($1 for every 2.2 pounds) tickets for my family would be really affordable, I like it. I actually read an article 2 weeks ago written by an economist recommending that this was a promising business model for airlines to move toward instead of the current model which recommends that passengers who need more space purchase an extra seat. While initially controversial, it would make the purchasing of a seat more equitable, because you're technically not just purchasing a seat, you are paying for and sharing the expenses related to travel which includes the cost of fuel. This would allow airlines to better plan (they use a weight and distance estimate to calculate the amount of jet fuel needed for each flight). Also, if you are a light person packing a heavy bag you are still as taxing on the flight as a heavy person packing a light bag, so it really makes the whole cost more equitable as it takes body weight and baggage weight into account and not just size.
  • luvtcuk
    luvtcuk Posts: 69 Member
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    I think this decision will hurt their business. I would not want to fly with them even though I am not obesse.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    The last time I got charged some ludicrous amount for excess baggage while watching many obese people getting on the plane, I thought exactly the same thing.
  • tenintwenty
    tenintwenty Posts: 92
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    Why don't airlines just make people who can't fit in the coach seets by tickets in first class where the seats are bigger? Or maybe have a few special seats and charge a premium. Anyways, they are private businesses. If you don't like a business practice, just don't buy the product.
  • keola64
    keola64 Posts: 207 Member
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    I think its fair that the bigger you are the more you pay! Its like have to buy to tickets it u take up two seats, not to mention fuel consumption/gas mileage. If it costs more for heavy baggage loads the same should apply to people to a reasonable extent, I think its totally fair on today's economy. What's not fair is if we all have to pay higher prices to compensate for other people that are contributing to the fuel usage, if I have to pay extra because my suitcase is to heavy I don't complain, so if someone is exceeded the populations average on weight than they should have to pay extra as well.
  • misssiri
    misssiri Posts: 335 Member
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    I took a puddle jumper in Fiji and a lady refused to get on the scale to be weighed with her luggage. Guess who's bags didn't make it on that plane? I thought it was hilarious because she made such a stink about being weighed. Hello, this is for the safety of everyone on the plane.

    I think it's just fine and I wouldn't mind paying by the pound at all.
  • keola64
    keola64 Posts: 207 Member
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    Why don't airlines just make people who can't fit in the coach seets by tickets in first class where the seats are bigger? Or maybe have a few special seats and charge a premium. Anyways, they are private businesses. If you don't like a business practice, just don't buy the product.
    airlines make people who are obviously to large pay for two to seats I've seen it done many times

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