Average weight, height, width, etc.

Over time average weight, height, and width can change.

Many people have pointed out that the logistics of actually weighing a person and baggage at the airport could turn into a logistical nightmare.

Assuming most people have the same density (yes I know heavily muscled people are more dense then less muscled people). I see two problems with designing to averages.

1. People who don’t comfortably fit in a seat then impact the people sitting around them. Everyone pays for their seat and they could end up getting less than a seat. (The person who doesn’t fit in their seat is also uncomfortable).

2. Airlines are facing rising fuel costs and are trying to price differentiate to change human behavior. A airline would much rather fly a plane with 100 people with no bags versus everyone with two bags each. Doesn’t cost the airline anything, the impacted passengers pay with lost personal space.

My thought would be to do the following:

1. Strictly enforce a width requirement along with carry on size and weight requirement. The personal width requirement would be based on whether you could fit in a seat and not impact the people sitting to each side. The second portion is to really enforce the carry on requirements. I have flown too many times to watch people with completely unwieldy cause delays in loading the plane and then watch the bag have to be loaded on underneath.

2. They would also charge per checked bag that’s within a certain weight.

Hopefully airlines start to pick up on and it and differentiate.

What would happen if airlines had a few rows of seats that were wider than normal? They could charge more for them, similar to United with their Economy Plus seating with the extra leg room. It would be interesting to see if people would pay for the extra cost of wider seats even if they weren’t so wide that they needed the extra space.

If I paid for a seat, i should be able to enjoy the FULL space of the seat, without having someone rub his massive arms, o ginormous love handles, hip junk on me with every move. ewww.

Also, if we’re going on the “pay for what you use” theory, that would mean that the fare structures as they are now would be reversed, and it would cost more to fly during the least crowded times (in the middle of the week is usually when tickets cost less because there is not as much demand for them, and the airline want to put as many people on board as possible). It’s still going to cost X amount to get the plane off the ground, and if we are all paying for what we use, then it follows that if there are more people to spread the fixed cost across, then it should cost each person less. So this would actually exacerbate crowding on flights, which are already crowded enough in cattle class as it is.

What about the weight of the crew, or is that built into the ticket price?

People will be trying to lose weight, possibly running around in plastic running suits.

Some people will be vomiting in the bathroom.

Someone will die because of their crazy weightloss routine so they can afford their flight.

Food sales will skyrocket in the terminal due to people starving themselves pre-weigh in, and needing food before lift off.

People will be passing out in line and on the plane.

If an airline were to implement some type of weight based system, I think it would need to take into account baggage because many times people take baggage that approaches or exceeds their body weight.

I’m not a disabilities lawyer, but I don’t think obesity is entirely protected by the American’s with Disabilities Act. Here’s a great article put together by the Congressional Research Service on this precise topic: Obesity Discrimination and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Basically, it’s disputed whether or not obesity is actually a “disability” under the ADA. Some courts have ruled that it is, but it vastly depends upon the facts at hand. Not every person who is over “average” weight could claim they have a “disability.”

Interestingly for the airline discussion, not every discrimination is unwarranted. For example, the airlines can require certain vision tests for pilots. People with impaired vision get discriminated against, but we all think that’s just fine, since it protects our safety.

Airlines might be able to make an argument (as a couple commenters did) that tickets should be based on the weight of the load (passenger & bag together). It might not make a lot of sense for a train, but it sure does for a plane.

Please note that I’m not arguing for either side here. I’m just providing some thoughts.

Plus I would hate to be charged for my weight. Im not fat but I have a good bit of muscle and it weighs more than fat. To be charged for that would tell me “you wasted your time working out, now you have to pay to fly”

Do you think car, motorcycle and scooter manufacturers and gasoline companies are in legal jeopardy because travel costs more for heavy people? Sure people can choose not to travel, but they can choose not to travel in the airplane as well.

My point is that people who weigh more pay more than people who weigh less and no one is being sued over it. A shirt that fits a 300 pound person is going to cost more than a shirt that fits a 120 pound person simply because it costs more to manufacture. This isn’t discrimination, it is simply paying for what you use.

Also keep in mind that there are a number of people who are very heavy but not overweight. The 6 foot 4 inch football player who is build like a tank would pay a lot more than a 5 foot 2 inch person who was extremely obese.

Now if the airline started trying to charge based on the percentage of body fat I could see some issues because it is in no way tied to the cost of providing the transportation–but that wouldn’t serve any real business purpose.

There would be serious legal issues here. It is essentially saying people with disabilities must pay more than others.

The same person will pay quite a big more in gasoline to travel in their car and fuel companies aren’t required to give them extra gas just because they are overweight.

I have never heard of being overweight as being a disability. A medical condition that makes you obese might be, but on average I think that is pretty rare. Even if it was, “paying for what you use” is a pretty defensible position because it is tied to the cost of providing the service.