Heavier Passengers Pay More To Fly

It seemed inevitable that it would come to this. Samoa Air has become the world's first airline to charge passengers by the pound, meaning heavier customers pay more than their slimmer counterparts.

On the front page of the airline's website is the message "We at Samoa Air are keeping airfares fair, by charging our passengers only for what they weigh. You are the master of your Air'fair', you decide how much (or little) your ticket will cost. No more exorbitant excess baggage fees, or being charged for baggage you may not carry. Your weight plus your baggage items, is what you pay for. Simple."

Passengers flying on the airline are weighed at the airport and charged based on their overall weight, including luggage, according to a report appearing in the International Business Times. Samoa Air's CEO Chris Langton told Australia's ABC Radio that "this is the fairest way of travelling."

The prices range from a dollar per kilo on short domestic routes to $4.16 per kilogram ($1.98 per pound)on "longer-haul" flights.

Those "longer" flights would be only to neighboring American Samoa. The airline flies only two aircraft; a Norman BN2A Islander Twin and a Cessna 172.

Families traveling on the airline seem to be appreciative of the fact that their children are charged much less for a seat than they would be under a more traditional fare system. Langton said that the formula is simple, and as more people become more overweight, he thinks other airlines may follow suit and charge by the pound.

FMI: www.samoaair.ws