Weight based airfares generates weighty responses

Diane Clarkson | June 04, 2008, 04:46 PM

Bloomberg published a story yesterday quoting an aviation consultant who suggested that charging airline passengers by weight “may be a logical step” in combating rising fuel prices. Another consultant quoted in the article called the idea “unrealistic”. But that hasn’t stopped bloggers from adding their two cents, mostly concerned about the embarrassment weight pricing would create - and with sufficient expletives to prevent my linking from this blog.

I agree that the idea is unrealistic. I can’t imagine any airline going forward with weight pricing. But I find it interesting that the airlines’ ongoing array of fees has created a situation where the idea of weight pricing has actually generated concern among travelers and been picked up by some media.

I hope I’m right about this. I had a big lunch.