In Transit Blog: Worth Your Weight in Gold

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 10 April 2013 | 17.35

Travelers taking the carrier Samoa Air have an incentive besides health and vanity to shed a few pounds. The airline has adopted a policy of charging its passengers according to what they weigh.

"It's simple. A kilo is a kilo is a kilo," said Chris Langton, Samoa Air's chief executive. "And the cost of a kilo is the same for everybody."

However, the cost to the flier varies based on the route, distance, type of aircraft and the amount of weight a plane can carry. Rates range from a few cents to a few dollars a kilo. Travelers enter their approximate weight when they book a flight; at the airport, the airline weighs them and their bags to verify the weight. Though Samoa Air introduced the policy in November on its regional flights and in late January on international flights, it gained attention from the news media on April 2, leading some people to believe it was an April Fool's joke.

But Mr. Langton defended the policy. Because planes have a limited capacity, charging based on weight makes sense, he said. He added that knowing a customer's weight makes for a more comfortable flying experience for them. The carrier can adjust seats and make assignments according to passengers' sizes. And he said the policy is family-friendly because you won't have to pay full price for a toddler on a flight.

Does pay-what-you-weigh have any hope of catching on with American carriers?

Probably not, said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com. Even if a carrier did want to risk offending its passengers by adopting a pay-what-you-weigh policy, it would be a logistical nightmare and would not be cost-effective. "Just the check-in process would take forever," he said. Airlines are more likely to propose charging a fee for wider seats, as they now do for extra legroom. "We are not getting taller; we are getting wider," he said.


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