Can this airline story possibly be true? It almost sounds like an April Fool's story....

[Earlybird]

Airlines to start charging a weight fee?

Excerpt from story: 'with rising fuel costs, airlines have been trying to cut costs wherever they can.....it's been a bumpy ride for the airline industry of late. Carriers have slashed services and raised fees to try and stay in the air, angering lots of fliers. American now charges $15 for a checked bag; Delta now charges $25 for a phone reservation. Since record high fuel prices are a big part of the problem, some airlines have been looking to boost fuel efficiency too, by eliminating extra weight. Could the next step be fares based on a person's size?

It's an idea floating around in cyberspace and aviation expert Aaron Gelman says he understands one airline pitched the idea for a Far East route. So instead of just baggage on the scale, passengers would stand on it too, and would be charged based on their weight......'

Full story here: cbs2chicago.com/consumer/airline.weight.fee.2.741830.html

Sadly, I think it's true. The weight of passengers, along with luggage, cargo, fuel and the plane itself, forms part of a plane's takeoff weight, and each type of plane has a maximum takeoff weight, which is also affected by environmental factors such as outside air temperature, altitude of the airport, etc, and this affects the amount of fuel needed for each flight (which has to be included in the weight calculation). Airlines have to allocate an assumed weight to each passenger (I think it is around 80kgs): some will weigh more and some will weigh less. Passenger weight has been an issue particularly in the US for years. There was a crash a few years back in which the above average size of an above average number of passengers was suggested as being a contributory factor.

i don't think they could logistically do it TBH.

Consider that the airlines have a passenger list of adults, children and infants on each flight.

this is from another forum.
Airlines calculate the weight and balance of the aircraft by using an average weight for each passenger. Men have a weight, women and children each have a weight. It's worked for decades, and it will keep working for many more to come.

I am sure they take it all into account.

Roskva I think the story you refer to about the weight of the passengers was a small 40 seater type aircraft, with excess baggage. So the total weight ratio of all the passengers to that of the aircraft weight is significantly more important.

And if you want some reassurance that our growing weight and size, height is taken into account, even the crash test dummies are putting on weight.

As we in the West get heavier (not only Americans), the people who build and regulate cars, boats and planes are trying to keep up, adjusting design standards and safety rules to account for newly recognized safety risks posed by those extra pounds per person.

It is true that the per bag allowable weight has decreased over the years - while the average weight per passenger has increased. But charging by passenger weight would seem difficult to enforce, and could be humiliating for many.

A (perhaps relevant?) aside: we visited Disneyland California a few months back. One of the most popular attractions - It's a Small World - was closed. We were told that they had closed to renovate/reconfigure as the passengers riding in the boats are now generally so much heavier than when the ride was designed, that the boats have difficulty floating and scrape bottom!

There is a small airline that fly 8 seaters in the West of England that used to weigh you before you get on - It is to calculate fuel and also to distribute the weight evenly in the aircraft . ( no idea if they still do )

It wouldn't be surprising. Airlines make very little money from regular passengers, their profits come from business and first class passengers. Passenger weight is relevant, bearing in mind a fully-laden 747 can weigh over 380,000 kgs at takeoff. (I'm not a complete saddo, I used to work in air cargo).

I've been on a small 40 seater aircraft where the first 3 rows (12 seats) had to be left empty to balance the plane on take off and landing. Nothing to do with me, I'm average in every sense!

I had to tell DH my weight so he could calculate how much fuel he needed when he flew me to France for lunch. I couldn't lie! The weather can also make a difference, but I am talking about really small planes, justs a 4/6 seater.

It does matter whether there is 2 or 4 of us on board and how much champagne we bring back, so that is why I insisted we take the car last week!