PWBCSA

Hi,

Although having travelled fairly extensively I can honestly say that my baggage allowance has never really been an issue. When my wife and I go away on a suitcase type trip we tend to only take one between us so there isn't a problem weight wise. If we take rucksacks, because we will have to carry them, we take far greater care when packing.

I have noticed a lot of interest on this website about baggage allowances, which I now understand as we are currently wandering around our house commenting to each other 'that will have to stay, but we'll take this etc'. I have also just read a very interesting post regarding weight concerns and how Aussies are as overweight as Americans; this has got me thinking...

Over the last few years my wife and I have lost just over 7 stone between us through a combination of a complete change in lifestyle, exercise and diet. We are now spot on for our heights and far healthier*.

Is it fair that we have the same baggage allowance now as we did a few years ago i.e.- I used to weigh 16 stone, I now weigh 12, but the cost of an airline ticket for me is still the same. Who gets that extra 4 stone?

To carry this forward is it fair that a 'weight challenged person' has the same allowance as someone who is a 'normal or average' weight? What about people who are under weight, should they get an even more increased allowance or maybe even cheaper tickets?

I wonder if the airlines should set a, obviously tightly controlled and scrutinized, standard weight to height ratio and an individual’s baggage allowance and ticket costs would increase or decrease in direct relation.

It could help bring down the cost of air travel and also be extra motivation for those who require it. More importantly, if it motivates more people to lose weight, it could increase the general levels of health* in certain Western countries like Australia, the USA and the UK thus easing demands on government’s health care costs.

With the possible exception of certain major Fast Food chains, sweet manufacturers and retailers of over size clothing... Surely everyone would be a winner.

Regards.


* I am not saying that all overweight people are unhealthy, but personally I believe it to be a general rule of thumb and most certainly have found it to be so.

Pollyana

Think I'll just sit back nd wait for the fun to start......

Deadmeat

Budge over and ring for a pizza could you Polly?

Hels

Thinking this might end up being another pointless thread.....


How much baggage allowance would a toothpick get???

PWBCSA

1. What is the definition of a pointless thread?

2. I am pretty sure that I have never seen a toothpick fly.

3. Personally, if I have no interest in a thread I tend not to bother reading it more than once or replying to it at all...

Cheers.


http://www.britishexpats.com/forum/s...d.php?t=267716

wmoore

I think you missed the cheesy grin smilies in the last three replies .....

Anyway, I think this is a fair question (and one raised by the airline industry recently if memory serves). If I pay, say, $1000 for a flight ticket and weigh, say, 100Kg and take 25Kg baggage, that means I am getting better value than someone who weights 75Kg and still only gets 25Kg baggage allowance. Now as one of the aforementioned porkers, I'd be a bit p'ed off having to pay more but the weight of a plane is proportional to it's fuel used on a journey so I think the airlines would be within their rights to start charging.
Would cause a hell of an uproar mind you.....

Deadmeat

It's going to be a busy week.

bundy

I believe this argument has been raised before, somewhere in The Lounge....all I remember is waving a hand for all those (myself included) who have genuine medical complaints meaning that they cannot actually lose weight. Might be a little demoralising to this group to be told that they are too heavy....

And if we want to take the argument to the point of the ridiculous, what about the fact that people of larger girth tend to require more material to make up their clothing due to the increased surface area. What are we going to do? Tell them they can only take on shirt and a pair of undies cos of the extra weight?

Nancy

It could be said for all methods of travel though.... this morning I sat on the bus going to work and a huge lady sat next to me taking up 2 of the 3 seats, she still squashed me, she paid for one ticket yet took 2 seats and squashed me in my third! As she sat down she said "sorry" I felt like saying "for what? eating too much!!!" APOLOGIES FOR ANYONE OFFENDED IF THEY ARE LARGER DUE TO ILLNESS. But when she took out a bag of crisps at 7am I knew this was a food issue!
Well done for loosing so much weight though! But I can see it now when we are at the airport.... "How many bags please" "Ok now please step on the scales" NIGHTMARE!

DagBoy

Interesting idea. At least if the ticket price were linked in some way to weight then 6 year old kids would not cost 75% of adult fare.

Obviously, in your case, PWBCSA, there is not a lot you can do as the airlines are unlikely to change their policy before you travel. Don't let that worry you though - I have a cunning plan.

Write to the airline and ask specificaly if they impose additional charges on large or heavy passengers. It is highly unlikely that they will state that they do for fear of the bad press. Then pack your bags within the limit with all your stuff except clothing and rock up to the boarding gate wearing every item of clothing that you own and just tell them to treat you as if you were obese.

Cheers,

DagBoy

wmoore

That sounds like a bloody good idea to me. In fact, when your bags only weight about 4 Kg cos they're almost empty, ask for a refund on the 16Kg you're not carrying.

PWBCSA

Bundy,

This could be covered in the additional charges that they would pay in the first place.

Basically if they paid more for their ticket then they could still have an acceptable allowance meaning that, no matter how large their pants were, they could still take an adequate amount.

Bear in mind the general increase in the heat and humidity... a decrease in the quantity of underwear that someone takes could be a nightmare for everyone else.

I am sure that the airlines could accept that there would be some exceptions to the rule. Maybe the decrease in the governments overall health spending could be directed to cover the costs for people flying who have health/weight issues- think 'shared ownership' for public servants in the centre of London for example.

bundy

LOL! Good one DB. Bit like taking a million carrier bags and passing them off as full of duty free or something.....

bundy

See, it's all coming together now! (I should point out that, despite having no metabolism, I am technically underweight and would therefore benefit from the aforementioned sliding scale).

What about exceptionally tall people while we're at it? Those that always get to sit in the bulkhead seats because of their thigh length? Maybe they could pay a little more for the privilege?

PWBCSA

You are one very clever cookie.