Fat tax

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:19:30 +0800, Chris Blunt
<chris_blunt RemoveThis @spamfence.net> 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/
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Calif Bill wrote:
> "Janet Wilder" <kelliepoodle RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:473b28d2$0$5168$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
>> 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