Samoa Air boss defends charging passengers by weight "The head of Samoa Air has defended the airline's decision to start charging passengers according to their weight. Chris Langton told Australia's ABC Radio that it was "the fairest way of travelling". Rather than pay for a seat, passengers pay a fixed price per kilogram, which varies depending on the route length. Samoa Air flies domestically and to American Samoa. It is thought the move could encourage other airlines to introduce similar policies. "Airlines don't run on seats, they run on weight, and particularly the smaller the aircraft you are in the less variance you can accept in terms of the difference in weight between passengers," Mr Langton told ABC radio. "Anyone who travels at times has felt they have been paying for half of the passenger next to them." Under the new model, Mr Langton described how some families with children were now paying cheaper fares. "There are no extra fees in terms of excess baggage or anything - it is just a kilo is a kilo is a kilo," he said." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-22001256
Well on balance it might work out even for us. As my wife is less than 5 ft and I am a tad over 6ft. So if we travel together our combined weights should even the average out. However, we would get some benefit when our little one is over 2 y.o., with such a system.
Have you ever stood near a Samoan? There is a reason why the young fit men of Samoa are rather good at Rugby Union... and when they are no longer so young... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_Pacific http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1681297.stm http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1578329/Spam-at-heart-of-South-Pacific-obesity-crisis.html If I were going to pick the first airline in the world to choose to charge by weight, it would have been this one - operating small aircraft, from short strips, on small islands...with big people...
I'm willing to wager that Cebu Pacific will follow Samoa Air's lead for those flights where it uses ATR aircraft. As it is, passengers are weighed at check-in for those flights and there are severe baggage restrictions.
