Fat tax

It is not usual for International passengers to have their carry-on baggage
weighed in Australia. I've had it done in Ireland (Dublin) also. It's always
seemed futile to me. Take a book or two out and carry them - and you're
under the limit again. Allegedly it's to ensure overhead lockers are not
overloaded. A Safety Measure!!

Spatial measurements are another matter. If people insist on carrying over
sized bags on - the last passengers to board end up with no locker storage
for their stuff.




"Janet Wilder" wrote in message
...
.. wrote:


If it was a small aircraft it is done for safety reasons.

It wasn't a small aircraft. I've traveled on small aircraft where the
luggage went into the nose of the plane and the seats were a single row of
lawn chairs strapped to the floor. This was a regular commuter-plane sized
jet holding at least a hundred souls.

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:11:50 +1100, Alan S
wrote:

On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:56:21 -0600, Janet Wilder
wrote:


If it was a small aircraft it is done for safety reasons.

It wasn't a small aircraft. I've traveled on small aircraft where the
luggage went into the nose of the plane and the seats were a single row
of lawn chairs strapped to the floor. This was a regular commuter-plane
sized jet holding at least a hundred souls.

You actually flew with the Grace L Ferguson Airline and
Storm Door Company?

(do a search on that and Bob Newhart:-)

I've always liked that one ever since I heard it when it was
new. Found a version he
http://www.jibjab.com/view/195595


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Slovenia
http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/
latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest

Alfred Molon wrote:
Heard today on the radio here in Malaysia some talk
of airlines letting overweight passengers pay more
for their tickets (perhaps in Australia?), a socalled
"fat tax". Is there anything true in this?

How does one measure 'overweight'?
Will 'underweight' people fly for less?

I can see it now:
"Airfare discrimination: Skinny midgets sue airline"

Dick

"Janet Wilder" wrote in message
...
Alfred Molon wrote:
Heard today on the radio here in Malaysia some talk of airlines letting
overweight passengers pay more for their tickets (perhaps in Australia?),
a socalled "fat tax". Is there anything true in this?

When we were leaving the airport at Ayers Rock, they actually weighed our
carry-on luggage. If the rest of Australia is as obsessive with weight, I
wouldn't doubt that they would start weighing people next. :-) JMTCW

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

May have been a smaller airplane and they need to balance the cargo. Or the
weather was hot and the maximum takeoff load may be exceeded.

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:49:30 +0000 (UTC), (Dick
Adams) wrote:

Alfred Molon wrote:
Heard today on the radio here in Malaysia some talk
of airlines letting overweight passengers pay more
for their tickets (perhaps in Australia?), a socalled
"fat tax". Is there anything true in this?

How does one measure 'overweight'?

In medical terms, overweight is defined as having Body Mass Index
(BMI) greater than 25. I'd guess that a rather large proportion of
airline passengers would fall into that category, so they probably
wouldn't even think of charging extra unless a passenger was medically
obese (ie having a BMI of over 30).

Chris

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:19:30 +0800, Chris Blunt
wrote:

In medical terms, overweight is defined as having Body Mass Index
(BMI) greater than 25. I'd guess that a rather large proportion of
airline passengers would fall into that category, so they probably
wouldn't even think of charging extra unless a passenger was medically
obese (ie having a BMI of over 30).

Chris

I can't imagine any airline measuring BMI - it requires
height as well as naked weight. And BMI is an aspect of
health, not the fuel cost of transportation.

If they ever bought in a weight fee it would have to be
simple and quick. I could see it being introduced on a basis
of a "flag-fall" price for a seat plus a price per kg for
the passenger. For example, all the seats on a cut-price
flight from A to B may be $30 + $1 per kg. So a 20kg child
travels for $50 and a 100kg adult for $130.

Of course, it would be a nonsense in the modern system where
budget airlines are cutting staff costs by using net
check-ins and baggage drop points. In those circumstances,
when and how would they weigh the customer and charge or
refund the variation in price?


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Slovenia
http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/
latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest

Calif Bill wrote:
"Janet Wilder" wrote in message
...
Alfred Molon wrote:
Heard today on the radio here in Malaysia some talk of airlines letting
overweight passengers pay more for their tickets (perhaps in Australia?),
a socalled "fat tax". Is there anything true in this?
When we were leaving the airport at Ayers Rock, they actually weighed our
carry-on luggage. If the rest of Australia is as obsessive with weight, I
wouldn't doubt that they would start weighing people next. :-) JMTCW

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

May have been a smaller airplane and they need to balance the cargo. Or the
weather was hot and the maximum takeoff load may be exceeded.


Neither. I think it was more likely a case of employees making
themselves feel important. Hardly anyone but tourists use Ayers Rock
airport. JMHO

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

In article ,
(Dick Adams) wrote:

Alfred Molon wrote:
Heard today on the radio here in Malaysia some talk
of airlines letting overweight passengers pay more
for their tickets (perhaps in Australia?), a socalled
"fat tax". Is there anything true in this?

How does one measure 'overweight'?
Will 'underweight' people fly for less?

I can see it now:
"Airfare discrimination: Skinny midgets sue airline"

Dick

Our travel agent had informed us that small plane air services in Africa
require you to buy a second seat if you are over 220 pounds.

wolf wrote:

Our travel agent had informed us that small plane air
services in Africa require you to buy a second seat
if you are over 220 pounds.

Given the girth of some tribal chieftains, this good
result in an all out gorilla warfare - with the tribes
having gorillas assulting the airports.

I don't have pants that fit as tight as airline seats.

Dick