Airlines to start weighing passengers..

Amp34 said:
The weight restriction for baggage handlers is much higher than the limit most airlines impose. As I already mentioned ~32kg is the Max weight for that.
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I know that - hence using the term 50kg. As you've already correctly pointed out Business Class tickets usually have 32kg weight limits and you can purchase additional weight as an economy class passenger - up a maximum of 32kg.

I don't have an issue with this - as an economy class passenger. More weight = more fuel = more cost. I'd rather the minority that want more weight pay for it separately either through an excess charge or a higher class of cabin than have it factored into the regular ticket price. I don't need more than the 23kg I get, therefore I don't want to pay through my ticket price for a higher allowance.

The way it works for baggage seems fair, transparent and reasonable. The elephant in the room is the weight of the passenger and whilst it's technically very easy to solve this I can understand why most airlines are very reluctant to take the step, the fall-out and debate it would cause probably isn't worth the aggro.
 
No argument there. :)

Personally I'd be all for an all in weight limit for every class of ticket. E.g.

Economy - 100kg all in
Premium economy - 125kg
Business -150kg
First - 200kg

Anything over you pay excess weight on.

Simple solution would just be having a square in front of the check in desk (where most people stand anyway) that weighs person, hold and other bags all in one. Fat/heavier than average people would complain but it would be the fairest way.
 
But it isn't fair to charge more for heavy people or that light people can carry more luggage surely?

100kg for economy meana I could carry a laptop and a toothbrush and that's it. Why should a first class passenger be able to carry more bags/weight? (Sure they pay more for ticket but the cynic in me would say they'd add even more of a premium to.those tickets). What if they are a business traveller and don't have much luggage? Those in economy get penalised because they can't afford a more premium ticket and have a modest amount of baggage and why should they pay more just because they are a few kg over some sort of arbitrary limit?

I'm happy to pay for excess baggage for luggage. Not for bodyweight and baggage combined. One I can control easily the other I cannot.

If I can't fit it one seat then of course I'd be expected to pay for more than 1 seat.

I understand what you're saying Amp but I don't think it is feasible or make particularly fair. They would need to change the cost of flights and reduce the costs of excess baggage. Don't get me wrong I don't fly with a lot of stuff especially as we usually share a bag so it would be split over 2 people. That works for couples as they can share the load. But for individuals they'd be unfairly penalised no? Maybe I'm misunderstanding the principle.

I dread to think what my old rugby tours abroad would be like if this rule came in!!! :eek: :o
 
spoffle said:
Mainly BMI, you've never gone down the weightlifting, strength and mass road.
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BMI is fine as a rough indicator... just not so good for elite athletes, dedicated bodybuilders who apparently make up a large portion of online computer enthusiast forums

perhaps a better rough indicator which also works for bodybuilders is the height/waist ratio

you start getting into 'unhealthy' territory when your waist equals half your height... so if you're say 6ft and you get a 36 inch waist then you need to cut down on the pies a bit/stop dodging salads... if you're shorter than 6 ft well you'd best start taking action when the 34 inch jeans get a bit tight
 
Freefaller said:
But it isn't fair to charge more for heavy people or that light people can carry more luggage surely?

100kg for economy meana I could carry a laptop and a toothbrush and that's it. Why should a first class passenger be able to carry more bags/weight? (Sure they pay more for ticket but the cynic in me would say they'd add even more of a premium to.those tickets). What if they are a business traveller and don't have much luggage? Those in economy get penalised because they can't afford a more premium ticket and have a modest amount of baggage and why should they pay more just because they are a few kg over some sort of arbitrary limit?

I'm happy to pay for excess baggage for luggage. Not for bodyweight and baggage combined. One I can control easily the other I cannot.

If I can't fit it one seat then of course I'd be expected to pay for more than 1 seat.

I understand what you're saying Amp but I don't think it is feasible or make particularly fair. They would need to change the cost of flights and reduce the costs of excess baggage. Don't get me wrong I don't fly with a lot of stuff especially as we usually share a bag so it would be split over 2 people. That works for couples as they can share the load. But for individuals they'd be unfairly penalised no? Maybe I'm misunderstanding the principle.

I dread to think what my old rugby tours abroad would be like if this rule came in!!! :eek: :o
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I'm not sure what you're getting at with the first half of your post. That's how the system already works, first get more baggage allowance than business, business more than economy. Pay more, get more. If the business traveller doesn't max out his (overall) weight allowance then, just like now, nothing happens. If he goes over it then he pays for the extra kgs.

The average British person weight in at 76 kg so the 100kg I wrote there is basically what you have today. 20kg for hold luggage and about 5 for hand luggage. At the moment though people like yourself are getting "subsidised" by the people that weigh less than 76 kg.

As for the extra cost for yourself, see it as an extension to the cost of your hobby. Your hobby makes you weigh more so you pay more for your flight, just as my hobby means I pay more for my flight too, except my extra charges are currently on equipment not my body weight.

As fox said, it would be a nightmare and potential political suicide to do but it would be the fairest way. That way you would pay for your seat and the average cost of fuel per person, then top up if you "used" more fuel for the filght, because of your weight. You'd have to pay excess bagging on your luggage, but that 60kg person would be able to take 40kg of baggage if they wanted.
 
so the uk average is 12st then. ok im 6'3 does that mean im having to pay more because im taller now, if so can i have a seat that isnt designed for a midget on long haul flights ?
 
Hmm I just don't see why people should be penalised for something like bodyweight unelss you start charging the actual tickets based on bodyweight too.

People who are outside of the standard deviation get penalised yet don't get a nicer seat as a result of it.

I just don't see it as fair/reasonable or sensible. Doesn't mean I'm right of course but that's just how I understand it. :)
 
It's no less fair than the system now where lighter people are charged more for their ticket based on weight (ie a 50kg person with 30kg of baggage, paying a 10kg excess baggage fee when a 90kg person with 20kg of baggage pays no extra.)

Don't get me wrong here, I'm 6"2 and would not benefit from this change. I still think it's fairer however.

GAC, pretty much apparently http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11534042 . Quite sad in itself! The average woman is 5'3 and 11 stone!
 
Freefaller said:
Hmm I just don't see why people should be penalised for something like bodyweight unelss you start charging the actual tickets based on bodyweight too.

People who are outside of the standard deviation get penalised yet don't get a nicer seat as a result of it.

I just don't see it as fair/reasonable or sensible. Doesn't mean I'm right of course but that's just how I understand it. :)
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The argument would be that you are paying for two components that cost the airline both of which are limiting for them upto a point.

Volume ie the seat and that is determined by the size of the aircraft and how many seats they can place in: now this is an issue because the size of the seat and the area it affords you directly relates to the price. This also applies to large items of luggage in the hold.

and

Weight ie the person and their luggage. This determines that they airline staff can safely move and the cost in fuel.

The first is accounted for the second is only partially. That isn't fair (not that I really give a stuff I am just being pedantic). The person's weight is not accounted for both in terms of cost of fuel and also I bet for most flights safe manual handling of said person in the case of a medical emergency. As Fox says though nothing will happen because you'll they'd get a bad reaction from the 'it's my genes' crowd.
 
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Amp34 said:
As fox said, it would be a nightmare and potential political suicide to do but it would be the fairest way. That way you would pay for your seat and the average cost of fuel per person, then top up if you "used" more fuel for the filght, because of your weight. You'd have to pay excess bagging on your luggage, but that 60kg person would be able to take 40kg of baggage if they wanted.
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If you believe discrimination is fair, then it says far more about you as a person. It would be political suicide because last time I looked, discrimination is frowned upon in this country. As it is perfectly reasonable to discriminate on baggage weight then it is the most sensible option, with the further option to purchase a higher limit.
 
It's all irrelevant really.
Airlines use an average weight for people. The numbers differ between airlines but it tents to be 88kg for a male, 70kg for a female, 35kg for a child and 0kg for an infant.
This forms a part of the load.

Bags and cargo also form the load. Some airlines use the actual bag weight when calculating the weight and balance of the aircraft whereas others also use an average for a bag.

If you weighed each passenger purely for charging purposes then that is one thing but using it for the balance is quite another. The weight of the passengers and baggage also needs to remain separate as they are not loaded in the same place.
 
Xordium said:
The first is accounted for the second is only partially. That isn't fair (not that I really give a stuff I am just being pedantic). The person's weight is not accounted for both in terms of cost of fuel and also I bet for most flights safe manual handling of said person in the case of a medical emergency. As Fox says though nothing will happen because you'll they'd get a bad reaction from the 'it's my genes' crowd.
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You'd get a bad reaction because it would be discriminatory. Besides, if such a system was put in place, all it would mean would be my wife would bring more stuff she doesn't need and has trouble carrying. :D
 
It isn't discrimination, as defined by law, unless you are saying that obesity is in itself a disability. And I know people have argued as such but their arguments are weak.
 
Charlie Bravo said:
It's all irrelevant really.
Airlines use an average weight for people. The numbers differ between airlines but it tents to be 88kg for a male, 70kg for a female, 35kg for a child and 0kg for an infant.
This forms a part of the load.

Bags and cargo also form the load. Some airlines use the actual bag weight when calculating the weight and balance of the aircraft whereas others also use an average for a bag.

If you weighed each passenger purely for charging purposes then that is one thing but using it for the balance is quite another. The weight of the passengers and baggage also needs to remain separate as they are not loaded in the same place.
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Now this post to me seems far more sensible and reasonable.
 
I'm with Amp34, the only fair system would be to have tickets priced according to total weight.

At th very least, if body weight is ignored then baggage weight should be treated equally and also ignored up to the H&S limit, if you pay the same ticket if you weigh 60kg as 90kg then you should certainly pay the same if your baggage weighs 20kg or 30kg.
 
Freefaller said:
Hmm I just don't see why people should be penalised for something like bodyweight unelss you start charging the actual tickets based on bodyweight too.

People who are outside of the standard deviation get penalised yet don't get a nicer seat as a result of it.

I just don't see it as fair/reasonable or sensible. Doesn't mean I'm right of course but that's just how I understand it. :)
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Why should people be penalized for their baggage weight?
 
Xordium said:
It isn't discrimination, as defined by law, unless you are saying that obesity is in itself a disability. And I know people have argued as such but their arguments are weak.
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Probably because it hasn't been tested. Obesity is self inflicted but beyond a certain point, it is pretty much a disability due to health complications, joint problems etc is it not? I'm not saying being fat is a disability in itself.
 
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