Pay-as-you-weigh fares set to take off
THE airlines have been talking for years about introducing a fare system based on passengers’ weight. Finally Samoa Air, a little business based on the South Pacific island that produced rugby giants Manu Tuilagi and Rodney So’oialo (who weigh more than 112kg each), took the plunge.
Fares at Samoa Air are calculated according to your weight and that of your luggage, and the length of your flight. CEO Chris Langton is among those who believe pay-by-weight is the fairest system because it’s the weight on board, and not the number of seats sold, that has the greatest effect on costs. He also says the system will help Samoans get a grip on their weight problems: obesity is as high as 75% in urban Samoa, says a 2007 World Health Organisation report.
I’m not convinced the health of a nation is the airline’s responsibility but I approve of the system. If it costs more to transport me than it does to carry a small child or bird-like little old lady, then I should pay more than them. I don’t expect my pool-less neighbour to chip in for the additional water I use to fill my pool each month.
Why should those who cost an airline less to transport subsidise those who cost more? I don’t care why you weigh more. It’s a simple equation — consume less, pay less.
But not everyone agrees that pay-as-you-weigh fares are fair. CNN received more than 2,200 comments when it published a story about Samoa Air last week. People were outraged over the “discriminatory policy”. It’s sexist, they fumed.
“Men weigh more than women. It’s biased against pregnant women.” One said it was “discrimination against those who cannot pack light”.
Most, however, approve of the idea and accept its economic principle: if your weight and that of your luggage are in direct correlation with the costs of transporting you, then it’s fair to charge accordingly. It’s not about passing judgment about your girth, it’s about what that girth translates to in costs.
What remains a problem for many, though, is the notion of being weighed publicly.
When you book online with Samoa Air, you’re asked to include an estimated weight for yourself and your luggage. This is used to calculate your fare, which you prepay. At check-in, you’re weighed by the airline. If you’ve miscalculated — a recent UK study found that 75% of people lie about their weight, reducing their actual mass by an average of 5kg — you’re obliged to pay in the difference.
But French company Withings has a solution for airlines that need the exact weight of each passenger but don’t want to embarrass them. It has developed a hi-tech digital scale that sends accurate weight information wherever you want via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. So, you can weigh yourself at home, send the verified information to the airline electronically and prepay the full fare without any humiliating weigh-ins/checks at the airport. What’s not to like? Fares are fair, passengers benefit and airline personnel don’t face the risk of questioning the weight of a 112kg rugby player.