The head of Samoa Air has defended its policy of charging passengers by their weight, arguing such a system is not only fair but the future for other airlines.
“The next step is for the industry to make those sort of changes and recognize that ‘Hey, we are not all 72 kilograms (about 160 pounds) anymore and we don’t all fit into a standard seat,”’ Chris Langton, Samoa Air chief executive told CNN.
“What makes airplanes work is weight. We are not selling seats, we are selling weight.”
Langton said Samoa Air’s policy went into effect in November for domestic fliers and in the “past few weeks” for international routes.
Should airlines use weight-based fares?
According to the airline’s website, “your weight plus your baggage items is what you pay for. Simple.”
I – Word Understanding
Samoa – a country in the South Pacific Ocean, it became independent from New Zealand in 1962
Pay-as-you-weigh – cost of airline ticket is based on a passengers weight
II – Have your say
1.Planes are run by weight and not by seat. The plane can only carry a certain amount of weight and that weight needs to be paid. There is no other way. But weight is too sensitive an issue to address.
2.Weight stigma, also known as weightism, is discrimination or stereotyping based on one’s weight, especially very large or thin people.
3.In some cultures, having a fat wife was a status symbol: there was plenty to eat, and she did not need to work hard. In centuries past, a degree of plumpness has been seen as indicative of personal or family prosperity.
