Should heavier passengers pay more?

[Jac1978]

It has been suggested that heavier passengers should pay more to fly. Every extra kilo costs more in fuel and affects the environment and we pay extra for heavier baggage so why not pay extra if we weigh too much? Would you be happy getting weighed at the airport? Should the onus be on airline companies to carry less passengers at one time and provide more spacious seating?

[Xenia]

They weigh the air stewardesses on Air India once a month as they have become notorious for being some of the fattest of their kind on the planet apparently. It is certainly a big issue.

[Jac1978]

No way! That's horrendous!

[Katz]

I think that it should be a joint weight allowance. They weigh you and your bags together. Every passenger gets a set amount to include themselves and luggage. Average weight of a man as the person weight plus 15kg baggage. If your in a booked group you can trade any underweight amongst the group but over it you have to pay. I'd even give a refund if you were under.

Not sure I'd like being weighed st check in though.

[EggMcDunnough]

are you researching an article Jac?

[TheNebulousBoojum]

Already a thread running on this debate in AIBU.

[Jac1978]

Ha no Egg I copied it from a daytime tv discussion board - that's probably why my posts sound journalisty but just thought it would be a good topic for mumsnet to discuss!

[malinois]

I've been weighed several times before flights when working offshore. Doesn't bother me at all. They use it to calculate fuel load and weight distribution in the helicopter.

If the human payload of an aircraft was known more accurately (they already know the baggage payload as it's all weighed), the operators could potentially save on fuel by more accurately calculating the fuel load - saving money and emissions all round.

[TheNebulousBoojum]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1716459-The-bigger-you-are-the-higher-the-cost-of-a-plane-ticket-AIBU-to-think-that-this-is-ridiculous

[ElegantSufficiency]

I was weighed flying from hyannis pirt to nantucket. so were all my friends. all weighed in front of each other. lovely.