Weighing passengers used to be the norm, particularly in the early days of aviation
A FAVOURITE PASTIME of air passengers is to moan about all the extra fees that airlines have introduced in recent years. First came charges for stowing baggage in the hold, then more for in-flight food, allocated seating and even for using the overhead lockers. Yet would the idea to charge passengers according to their weight be one extra fee too far?
This is exactly what could be done with a proposal from Fuel Matrix, a British firm, to weigh passengers before boarding a flight. The company is currently in talks with several airports about “discreet” ways to introduce weighing technology. According to the company’s chief executive, Roy Fuscone, flyers’ weights will be stored in the same secure system as facial-recognition data, another technology some airports are trying out to eliminate the need for paper tickets at boarding gates.
Yet weighing passengers used to be the norm, particularly in the early days of aviation. Before the second world war, most passengers in America and Europe were weighed before take-off and charged more for extra heft . This was because early planes were smaller and had strict weight limits. For instance, on the inaugural flight of the Boeing 247 airliner in 1933, from San Francisco to New York, the plane could not carry more than 16,805 pounds including fuel.
That practice was phased out as airlines began to rely on broad guidelines to estimate how much passengers weighed. But to be on the safe side, that means airlines carry much more fuel than they need to for each passenger. Airline executives reckon that carrying all that extra unnecessary kerosene around itself burns a surprising amount of fuel. That not only pushes the cost of tickets up, but also means that far more emissions are produced than is needed.
From there comes the temptation for airlines to start weighing passengers again. In 2013 Samoa Air in the Pacific began to charge passengers according to their weight. In 2015 Uzbekistan Airways started measuring how heavy flyers were for safety reasons. But predictably, the practice has got some airlines a lot of flak from their passengers. In 2016 Hawaiian Airlines announced that it would assign seats on flights to American Samoa based on passengers’ weights, to ensure even distribution.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
'The Simpsons' mocked upstate New York and politicians couldn't help but weigh inThe latest episode parodied Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York,' and people in state politics had some thoughts.
Leer más »
S&P 500 notches back-to-back-to-back record but Apple, Amazon share declines weighThe S&P 500 index logged its third consecutive record on Tuesday, ahead of a key policy update from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. However, gains for...
Leer más »
US still weighing military options for Venezuela amidst another day of protestPres. Trump begins his remarks at the National Day of Prayer ceremony speaking on Venezuela: 'The brutal repression of the Venezuelan people must end, and it must end soon.'
Leer más »
Canadian National Railway profit misses as harsh weather weighs on expensesCanadian National Railway Co on Monday became the latest railroad operator to bl...
Leer más »
A strong dollar is weighing on earnings, report saysNorth American companies reported over $20 billion in currency value losses for the fourth quarter of 2018, according to a new report.
Leer más »
Wall Street opens mixed; Alphabet weighs on S&P 500, NasdaqU.S. stocks opened mixed on Tuesday, as investors parsed a barrage of earnings r...
Leer más »
Trade talks closing in on finish line as markets weigh inflation data, earnings in week aheadA trade agreement between the U.S. and China could be a strong catalyst for stocks, even though analysts say the market may have already priced in much of the gains.
Leer más »
Danske Bank cuts outlook as money laundering scandal weighsDanske Bank lowered its outlook for 2019 after a disappointing first quarter, du...
Leer más »
Spain's Socialists, short of majority, weigh partners for forming governmentSpain's ruling Socialists were considering possible partners for a new gove...
Leer más »