Weight-based fares
Hate to get on the scale? You probably will want to avoid Samoa Air.
The tiny carrier, which shuttles passengers among islands in the South Pacific, has instituted what it is calling a world first: a payby-weight fare system.
The new policy generated a flurry of publicity last week, leaving many to wonder whether it was an April Fools’ Day prank.
Airline executives, who have discussed the policy on the carrier’s website, samoaair.ws, and Facebook page, told media in New Zealand and elsewhere that it’s not a joke.
Samoa Air’s fares are determined by a customer’s weight plus the weight of his or her bags. The traveler enters both weights on the reservations booking page.
“We at Samoa Air are keeping airfares fair by charging our passengers only for what they weigh,” the airline’s website says. “You are the master of your Air‘fair,’ you decide how much (or little) your ticket will cost. No more exorbitant excess-baggage fees, or being charged for baggage you may not carry. Your weight plus your baggage items is what you pay for. Simple.”
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» Travelers looking to stretch their vacation budgets should check out Hotwire.com’s eighth annual Travel Value Index. The top 10 U.S. cities with the hottest travel deals: Orlando; Atlanta; Tampa; Dallas/ Fort Worth; Phoenix; Raleigh, N.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Houston; St. Louis; and Sacramento. The rankings are based on low rates, vacation bargains, affordable entertainment and “overall appeal.”