How long will it be...airlines charging by weight?

[mrsilv04]

How long will it be until the first airline starts to charge by weight for an airline ticket?

UPS, FedEx, USPS and all of the package delivery companies have done it for years and years. Why is there a difference when it comes to Fred Jones or Sally Smith?

Aren't the airlines still delivering from point A to point B? If Fred sends a box to Phoenix via UPS that weighs 25 pounds, and his neighbor Sally sends one that weighs 15 pounds, Fred will pay more, right?

Then why is it different when Fred flies to Phoenix and he weighs 250 pounds, and Sally is on the same flight and she weighs 150 pounds...?

The heavier a plane weighs, the more fuel it uses.

To reduce the level of "embarassment", the airlines could group passengers into "ranges". All children under 12 in one category, then young adults and adults from 100-200 pounds, 200-300 pounds, and 300+ pounds.

 

[tom slick]

UPS charges by size up to a certain weight for packages.
i.e. a 14x14x14 package can weigh 5 lbs or 35 lbs and the cost to ship is still the same.
That's why you'll often receive multiple packages from the same shipper. If they were in one big box it would cost more even though the weight would be the same.
The amount of space allotted to each passenger is the same for each class. First and Business class subsidize economy class.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
To reduce the level of "embarassment", the airlines could group passengers into "ranges". All children under 12 in one category, then young adults and adults from 100-200 pounds, 200-300 pounds, and 300+ pounds.


And the whole on-line check-in will then go out the window as now you will have to go to the check-in counter where they'll put you on a scale to verify your weight, just like they do with check-in luggage.

But I'm all for it - maybe that'll force people to lose weight. By the same token, you could get better mpg (and thus save gas money) if you lost some weight.

 

[LoneRanger]

I agree. My wife recently had to sit next to a guy in coach class that was large he was literally spilling over onto her side, said he had to tip the scale 300lbs minimum. to make matters worse they were delayed on the tarmac for awhile and she was trapped bewteen the window and this guy for longer than the flight time.

Beyond a certain weight, should have to pay for two seats.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
UPS charges by size up to a certain weight for packages.
i.e. a 14x14x14 package can weigh 5 lbs or 35 lbs and the cost to ship is still the same.
That's why you'll often receive multiple packages from the same shipper. If they were in one big box it would cost more even though the weight would be the same.
The amount of space allotted to each passenger is the same for each class. First and Business class subsidize economy class.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
UPS charges by size up to a certain weight for packages.
i.e. a 14x14x14 package can weigh 5 lbs or 35 lbs and the cost to ship is still the same.


The cost to ship a 14x14x14 box that weighs 5 pounds or 35 pounds is NOT the same.

I'm not sure which shipper YOU use, but it sure isn't the UPS that I use.

 

[Gary Allan]

There are certain "loopholes" in the schedule, however. You get charged "oversize" if you're oversize or over a certain weight ..yet each, by itself, may not be over weight or oversize. So, in that case, multiple lighter/smaller packages may be less. That was a good bit ago when I was in shipping at Trend Instruments.

 

[MGregoir]

It's called dimensional weight, UPS says 194 cubic inches is a pound, so a 14 by 14 by 14 package is calculated as weighing no less than 14.2 pounds for the purpose of rate calculation.

Your five pound box will cost the same as a fourteen pound box to ship, but a thirty-five pound box will cost more.

 

[firemachine69]

Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
I agree. My wife recently had to sit next to a guy in coach class that was large he was literally spilling over onto her side, said he had to tip the scale 300lbs minimum. to make matters worse they were delayed on the tarmac for awhile and she was trapped bewteen the window and this guy for longer than the flight time.

Beyond a certain weight, should have to pay for two seats.



Fat people were being charged 50% for a second seat a few years ago - no longer. The airlines were brought to court and litigated for millions of dollars as 'discrimination'.

Can't wait until people are charged 'by the pound' to travel!

 

[The_Jeff]

They could give you a 350 lb allowance for person and baggage. Fatties would ave to bring less luggage.

When I cremated my dog, I was billed by the pound.

 

[tom slick]

Originally Posted By: MGregoir
It's called dimensional weight, UPS says 194 cubic inches is a pound, so a 14 by 14 by 14 package is calculated as weighing no less than 14.2 pounds for the purpose of rate calculation.

Your five pound box will cost the same as a fourteen pound box to ship, but a thirty-five pound box will cost more.


I guess I got carried away with my weights. The idea is still the same. They charge by volume up to a certain weight.

 

[Cutehumor]

maybe the high gas prices will do one thing. make fat people lose weight. more money for food, get more fuel efficiency, lose weight for flights. but I don't see it happening.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: firemachine69


Fat people were being charged 50% for a second seat a few years ago - no longer. The airlines were brought to court and litigated for millions of dollars as 'discrimination'.

Can't wait until people are charged 'by the pound' to travel!


Disgusting... they are infringing on my rights and my hard earned money... by taking up my space.

But that isnt worth anything???

Guess not...

JMH

 

[tom slick]

maybe they should charge by width. you could walk through a guage, similar in idea to the carry-on guage, if you don't fit you pay a fee.
Maybe develop a different "class". first class, business class, economy class, and wide class. wide class takes the same floor space as economy but divides it by the number of wider seats.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
maybe they should charge by width. you could walk through a guage, similar in idea to the carry-on guage, if you don't fit you pay a fee.
Maybe develop a different "class". first class, business class, economy class, and wide class. wide class takes the same floor space as economy but divides it by the number of wider seats.


But that has to occur in the booking stage of the flight. I imagine that the law suits probably used the fact that (I'm speculating here), although the fat person was charged for an extra seat ..the extra seat may not have been available ..and/or if it was, not offered.

Think about it, a flight booked fairly close to limits. Tiny from Walmart walks up and they say that he's too fat. After crushing the throat of the boarding lady, he reluctantly pays his fat tariff and finds that he's still getting just ONE SEAT and still has someone next to him who didn't get a discount for the inconvenience.

Turn it around the other way. You have PLENTY of empty seats ..and you still try and charge Tiny more.

 

[oilyriser]

Next flight I take I'm bringing a crate of stones, up to the weight limit, unless they offer me a per pound discount.

 

[The_Jeff]

This is all reminding me of the "I dream of Jeannie" where Jeannie didn't want Major Nelson going up in space so she fattened him up over the weight limit...

 

[firemachine69]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Originally Posted By: tom slick
maybe they should charge by width. you could walk through a guage, similar in idea to the carry-on guage, if you don't fit you pay a fee.
Maybe develop a different "class". first class, business class, economy class, and wide class. wide class takes the same floor space as economy but divides it by the number of wider seats.


But that has to occur in the booking stage of the flight. I imagine that the law suits probably used the fact that (I'm speculating here), although the fat person was charged for an extra seat ..the extra seat may not have been available ..and/or if it was, not offered.

Think about it, a flight booked fairly close to limits. Tiny from Walmart walks up and they say that he's too fat. After crushing the throat of the boarding lady, he reluctantly pays his fat tariff and finds that he's still getting just ONE SEAT and still has someone next to him who didn't get a discount for the inconvenience.

Turn it around the other way. You have PLENTY of empty seats ..and you still try and charge Tiny more.



As with all travel, 'first come, first served'.


Fatty takes two seats, he gets to keep'em. Last seat available, fatty and smaller person, smaller person will be brought forward and seated, fatty having a half-fare 'partner' discount will be told to take the next flight and get in the line earlier.

 

[crinkles]

i guess i will be driving across the pacific ocean next time i fly somewhere...

 

[Steve S]

In a way they do already. The aircraft is weight limited in performance .