At the airport last week I handed over my baggage and was embarrased to find that it was over-weight, I opened my case and redistributed some items into my hand luggage. Then I got to thinking about distribution of weight. What weight could the aircraft carry? Were obese passengers placed over the wings? and indeed what would happen if a party of Sumo wrestlers wanted to board? :loopy: Would they have to pay for excess baggage?

I remember Southwest Airlines in the US introduced a tariff on overweight passengers...can't remember the details though...I think it had to do with them taking up two seats. Anyways there was a big kerfluffle and I can't remember if they rescinded or not (too lazy to google).

Has a plane ever not being able to take off because it had too much weight on board ?

Originally posted by sequin
Has a plane ever not being able to take off because it had too much weight on board ?

Probably not, but the more the aircraft weighs the more fuel it will burn to stay in the air and that will dent the profits of the carrier somewhat.

You really have to watch some companies with excess baggage. Most flights when going on holiday allow 20kg per person for luggage and 5kg for hand luggage. This is normally plenty enough and they don't charge if you go over by a few kg.

My brother however got stung by ryanair who advertised ski flights (flight only) for £5 each way. What people didn't know was they had reduced the allowed weight to only 10kg. Now anyone who has been skiing will know that people getting flight only ski flights tend to take their own boots and ski's, ski poles etc etc which alone weigh far more than 10kg. My brother like everyone else got charged a stupid amount per kg over so ended up paying £40 each way for the flight!! How can ryanair get away with this, particularly when they advertised the flight as a ski flight! On the way back my brother tried wearing his heavy ski boots to reduce the weight of his luggage and they wouldn't let him through security so ended up paying excess luggage again.

Originally posted by sequin
Has a plane ever not being able to take off because it had too much weight on board ?

All aircraft have a Maximum Take Off Weight which is calculated to take account of the number of passengers (with an "average" weight per passenger), baggage (hence the maximum baggage allowance) and fuel. If the total of passengers and baggage and fuel exceeds the MTOW, the amount of fuel may be reduced - unless this means that there isn't enough fuel to get there, with reserve. In which case there is a choice:

1) Insist on all baggage being under the baggage allowance, with no payments for extra baggage
2) Leave some baggage behind, and take it on a later flight
3) Leave some passengers (and their baggage) behind, and take them on a later flight

There is usually a fair amount of slack in the calculations, because you never know when a Sumo team is going to turn up!

I was also stung by Ryanair coming back from Rome. I think I was about 4kg overweight (wish that was true of my body). They charged me £20!

Funnily enough, they put it on to my credit card and didn't ask for a signature. I was tempted to call my card company and refuse the transaction upon returning home, but like a typical uncomplaining Brit I let it ride.

When I went to Greece in the summer, by the time I' d squeezed in about 12 bikinis, full size hairdryer, straighteners, a sweatshirt (just in case the weather unexpectedly went cold) and various other paraphernalia my luggage was extremely heavy.

I wasn't exactly surprised when the check-in attendant rolled her eyes and told me I'd have to pay excess-baggage (though the £36 fee was a bit shocking).

What did annoy me however was the fact that at something around 9 stone in weight, I was seated behind a very large man who must have weighed at least 20 stone. Far be it from me to judge him for being that weight but I can't help but feel if it is a question safety about the weight on the plane then it's hardly fair that mine and my luggage's combined weight incurred such a charge when other passengers must have been effectlively putting far more weight onto the plane.

And by the way, on the return flight I brought just as much home. At check-in the woman before me had her case weighed in at some unbelievable weight, as did many others (presumably full of souvenirs) and yet this time the very same airline didn't charge anyone. Perhaps the Greek check-in attendants didn't fancy handing out charges to tired Brits who would probably go mad, but if it really is a safety issue then I didn't feel too confident in that flight home!

was the flight home not full?

RE: larger passengers. It would be impractical to charge everyone by body weight. Can you imagine either having to declare your weight upfront when you book and then have it verified at the airport, or to not know precisely how much you have to pay until you get weighed at the airport?

Originally posted by Foxxx
On the way back my brother tried wearing his heavy ski boots to reduce the weight of his luggage and they wouldn't let him through security so ended up paying excess luggage again.

surely there not alowed to tell you what you are & not allowed to wear on a flight! Even when I went to russia I bought a (fake) full length fur coat which was extreamly heavy. I wore it on the plane because lots of people told me not to put anything expensive or of personal value in the suitcase as the airport staff go through you case & pinch stuff. I had no problem getting on the plane, they didn’t even check the pockets for the 5 bottles of vodka I had stashed!

Originally posted by Cyclone
was the flight home not full?

RE: larger passengers. It would be impractical to charge everyone by body weight. Can you imagine either having to declare your weight upfront when you book and then have it verified at the airport, or to not know precisely how much you have to pay until you get weighed at the airport?

I know its alittle unfair to charge eveyone by body weight but I find it unfair that because my suit case is over weight (as it was when I went to corfu last yr) I have to pay. yet I’m only stick thin & weight in at 7 & ½ stone, yet the bloke in the que in front has a case just below maximum weight yet weighs 18 & ½ stone. It just dosent add up & is not fair on other people.

to make it fair though would **** everyone off and some would feel it to be intrusive. (The delay would be the factor in annoying everyone).

I'm not sure about telling you not to wear ski boots. By the time you go through customs your luggage is already checked in, i've never had anyone at the checkin desk mention what i can and can't wear.

I think you're probably being paranoid about the staff nicking stuff. But you use a padlock anyway right, afterall your suitcase could be in the pickup area before you are!

Originally posted by Dick Dastardly



The more the aircraft weighs the more fuel it will burn to stay in the air and that will dent the profits of the carrier somewhat.


Exactly.


And Airlines cannot discriminate against fat people.

Originally posted by SaxonLeigh
surely there not alowed to tell you what you are & not allowed to wear on a flight! Even when I went to russia I bought a (fake) full length fur coat which was extreamly heavy. I wore it on the plane because lots of people told me not to put anything expensive or of personal value in the suitcase as the airport staff go through you case & pinch stuff. I had no problem getting on the plane, they didn’t even check the pockets for the 5 bottles of vodka I had stashed!



I know its alittle unfair to charge eveyone by body weight but I find it unfair that because my suit case is over weight (as it was when I went to corfu last yr) I have to pay. yet I’m only stick thin & weight in at 7 & ½ stone, yet the bloke in the que in front has a case just below maximum weight yet weighs 18 & ½ stone. It just dosent add up & is not fair on other people.

Of course they can tell you that you're not getting on the plane with ski boots on, they are a safety hazard as you cannot walk properly and they have no grip, also with the weight they can easily be used as a weapon - anyone ever been kicked by someone with them on will know what I'm on about :)

As for the weight issue they are perfectly correct there as well - when you buy a ticket you are paying for a seat and also for them to carry your baggage up to a weight e.g. 20kg. The weight of the passenger has nothing to do with it as you have paid for a seat, not a seat for say a 10 stone person. The baggage is treated seperately. If a person takes up 2 seats then IMO the airline should be able to charge them twice as much for obvious reasons.