By The Pound

Rumor has it that airlines are considering charging fat people more for their ticket. Seems to me that would solve at lot or issues at the ticket counter.

Step up and weigh in please....

Since fuel has always been a major consideration for airline companies... it takes more fuel to haul more weight, doesn't matter of it's a mile or a thousand miles... charging by the pound seems reasonable. You can't get a hundred-pound bench vise for your garage workbench delivered to your house for the same cost as delivering a two pound feather pillow for your bed. Mail order houses tell you when something "overweight" is going to cost you more - often much more - for delivery.

Ever bothered to figure out how much more fuel is consumed by your car to haul around one additional person? The answer is quite a surprise.

350 pound porkers should pay more to transport all their fat from point A to point B, since it actually costs more to deliver all that unjustified extra weight. To avoid litigation and charges of discrimination against fat slobs, just charge by the pound... everybody weighs in, no exceptions.

Something like a flat fee per seat, then add so much per pound. That would keep teeny little babies in Mommy's lap, instead of using up a seat, unless Mommy wants to buy the extra seat.

Calculate how much it costs to fly a plane any given distance, factoring in all the costs, fuel, crew, maintenance, etc. Divide that number by the number of seats on the plane. The result would be the flat fee per seat for that particular flight. How much profit do they want? Adjust the cost per pound charge to satisfy that. The price wars could then be between who is charging what per pound.

The airline must always charge enough per flight to ensure that the flight does not lose money. Otherwise, why should they bother to even be in business?

Want the airlines to stay in business? This is one idea that could help, so let's not hear all that whining about how it's "not fair", because - actually - it's the fairest way possible.

Same goes for luggage... charge by the pound... no exceptions.