Airlines to start weighing passengers?

[tinamarie1]

Have yall heard about this? It was on the evening news here that airlines may start weighing passengers and base their ticket price off of the persons weight.
Not that I needed another reason to stay off of airplanes...but this makes me so mad. Is it just me or does this have "potential lawsuit" written all over it?

 

[klmno]

That sounds ridiculous to me. Each passenger gets a seat. You pay for the seat. They need to find another way to make up for their loss of profits and failure to provide good service on time in a reasonable cost, in my humble opinion.

GEEZ!!

 

[trinityroyal]

Strangely, they've just passed a law in Canada that does the opposite.

Until a few months ago, if you were an obese passenger who needed two seats they used to charge you for two seats. That's now considered discriminatory and illegal. You pay one fare per person.

They've also legislated that if you are disabled and have a personal attendant who must travel with you, you don't have to pay for your attendant's ticket.

The airline industry is strange...

 

[Star*]

They can make me get up on the scales - but it's going to be veeeeeeery hard for anyone to see my weight once I black their eyes.

 

[GoingNorth]

Companies flying small jets and prop planes have been weighing passengers and luggage for years on end.

It's to enable them to determine how much fuel they need for a given flight. I'm overweight, though not to the point of needing a second airline seat by anymeans, but I really can see the sense of it.

 

[DammitJanet]

Southwest Airlines started making fat people buy two plane tickets if they thought you would spill over into the second seat.

At that point I decided I would never fly again. Not that I do much flying anyway but I always attempted to fly on flights that werent booked solid so I could have get a seat that would be comfortable for me. Never was a problem on Continental. Now if they want to weigh me too? Its just getting too difficult to fly at all. I would rather drive so I can smoke, take my drinks in the car with me, and not remove my shoes at the check in.

 

[klmno]

Can I carpool with you, Janet? I'll share the driving and cost of gas.

 

[change]

Sounds VERY discriminating...(and I'm less than 110lbs)...just another thing that will make some people seem better than others. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope it's not true.

 

[Suz]

I've been on several flights in the last year where they've shifted passengers because the weight of the plane was lop-sided and it could cause problems. These are smaller jets where even distribution of weight is critical.

Suz

 

[susiestar]

While I can see the logic, even the need to weigh passengers to determine fuel, balance, etc... I see HUGE potential for abuse. We don't fly much, so it isn't an issue for me.

Susie

 

[hearts and roses]

I've been on several flights in the last year where they've shifted passengers because the weight of the plane was lop-sided and it could cause problems. These are smaller jets where even distribution of weight is critical.
Suz

Me too! Isn't that scary? I was once in a puddle jumper from WV to Baltimore I think and there was this HUGE man, about 6'5" probably weighed in at about 350lbs. Not fat, but BIG. Anyway, after everyone was seated, the flight attendant came out and asked if some folks would mind moving around and she asked him and HE SAID NO!!! I was on his side of the plane so I raised my hand and offered to move. She said I was too small to make a difference, which felt good for my ego, but I was petrified if we fell from the sky, my half of the plane would hit first! Aiyeee~:crazy1:

 

[Marguerite]

This idea was floated in Australia a year ago or so. It's just a kite flying exercise, nothing more. Some person gets an idea, suggests it to the media and the airline industry, who never even thought of it and probably wouldn't dare try it anyway, get the blame.

However - airlines DO need to weigh both passengers and baggage and every so often make a point of doing so, to get a better idea of how much weight it all adds up to per flight. It's vital for them to have accurate estimates of passenger + baggage weights so they can make appropriate adjustments to fuel requirements and controls.

Sometimes the media just gets this all blown up out of proportion and they hit the panic button, making wild inaccurate statements like this.

Marg

 

[DammitJanet]

I dont mind the idea of getting the weight for distribution processes but they really can do it by eyeballing a person. I mean you can look at me and figure out Im over 250, look at Suz and know she is about 120. Ok...put me on one side of the plane and put two of her on the other! I also understand this would be a much bigger deal on little puddle jumpers than it is on jumbo jets. I used to actually fly single engine planes so I know that you have to distribute the weight.

 

[change]

I get it now. (I don't fly much either...1-2 times a year.) I see why it's important. Still...if they're going to do it, they should find a way to do it discreetly and then assign seats accordingly.

 

[SaraT]

I see the logic, as a heavier person would cause more gas usage then a smaller person. Probably the reason for bouncing around the idea of basing ticket price on weight, but not gonna fly with the legal system. If they try it there will be discrimination lawsuits and it will be done away with.

 

[witzend]

How are they going to weigh me at "priceline.com"? Seriously, I don't weigh much. Am I going to get a break?

 

[tinamarie1]

i have wondered that too witzend. i always buy my tickets from hotwire or somewhere like that. and if you have to put in your weight online, WHO is really going to put their real weight? ummm not me.
AND I would die of embarassment if I were on a flight and the stewardess asked me to move to the other side of the plane because of my weight.
I hate flying anyways, so this would just be a reason for me to tell my little bity mother that she has to fly HERE to see me instead.

 

[KTMom91]

Unless things have changed recently, it is not illegal to discriminate because of weight. Fat is not a protected status. Nearly every other difference we have is, however, so if you prove that they're treating you this way because you're a Druid, and not because you're fat, you have grounds.

 

[mom_in_training]

Papers run ads about fake airline Derrie-Air
Fictitious campaign a test, says ‘smile, we're pulling your leg’

Here is the article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25006813

 

[Abbey]

Eons ago, I worked for a helicopter business at the base of Mt. Rushmore. I had to weigh EVERYONE to make sure the balance was met, depending on which pilot was on duty.

It was hugely embarrasing to me to ask for someone to stand on a scale, but I had to do it for safety reasons.

I would think with airlines they'd have a way to pre-determine who needs to be seated on which side of the plane. That would avoid the personal embarrasment of the client.

Now - on another issue, how about the STINK factor on a plane? More than once I've been seated next to someone who absolutely REAKS of BO. All but one time the stewardess found me a new place to sit. The one that didn't happen...OMG. It was 5 hours of hades.

Abbey