According to an advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration airlines could be asked to start updating average airline passenger weight to account for increases in the average weight of American adults, and – wait for it – passengers in the United States may be weighed at boarding gates. Now this is an idea whose time has definitely come – though not quite how the FAA are framing it.

There is no question that people’s weight has increased in the past few decades. North Americans in particular have generally packed on the pounds and when it comes to air travel that is an issue.

I’m not fat-shaming here – you can’t carry as many extra pounds as I do and point fingers. In any case there’s no necessity for any shyness – only your check-in agent knows for sure.

However…

It is just wrong, I think, that someone weighing 130 lbs with 10 lbs of overweight baggage, or 2 bags , be penalized, when their seat mate weighing in at 260 lbs but whose bags are under the wire – does not have to pay – especially if individually their personal weight combined with their bags are similar.

Having worked at Toronto International for many years and travelled a considerable amount, I have advocated for decades that airlines should set their ticket prices as they do now for the various seat types, travel days/times etc., but include set weight limits – a specific number of lbs/kilos to cover both passengers and baggage combined.

“Here’s the scale step on along with your bags.” If the total weight is over the amount set by the airline the passenger pays excess charges. If not, they step off the scales, their bags go down the belt, and they head for the Departure lounge.

Ah Ha! You say – spotting the flaw – what if an individual bag is too heavy to be checked in (there are union rules). Well, the check-in agent can see the baggage weight on the scale either before or after the passenger steps on/off, and, as they do now, request the passenger to remove some of the bag’s contents to lighten the load.

Carry-on would be part of the overall weight count, though size restrictions would still apply. Speaking of which, has anyone noticed that size restrictions do not seem to apply anymore – or at least they didn’t before I stopped flying – thanks to the pandemic.

Aircraft are required to ensure a safe weight before taking off and currently they factor in averages for passengers and crew, along with cargo and fuel. They can precisely determine some of those weights – the passengers are always the wild card.

Media aviation specialist AirInsight, reported that the FAA advisory said surveying would be random and voluntary, with passengers able to refuse.

“Regardless of the sampling method used, an operator has the option of surveying each passenger and bag aboard the aircraft and should give a passenger the right to decline to participate in any passenger or weight survey,” the FFA advisory wrote.

“If a passenger declines to participate, the operator should select the next passenger based on the operator’s random selection method rather than select the next passenger in a line.”

How does this make an iota of sense? If they can refuse, why bother? Who do you randomly check without causing embarrassment and irritation.

“What? You think I’m fat?”

So, presumably it would work like this: for some reason you line up to check in knowing you will refuse to participate in any questions about your weight (so why line up – just for an argument on your rights and privileges?).

If you refuse, will you get put on the flight or not? Yes, you will – the agent will just ‘estimate’ your weight. Then the passenger in the spot behind you gets bypassed because the agent doesn’t want another fight randomly selects someone else – likely someone skinny! Then the person you have just asked wants to know why this guy isn’t being asked his weight. Another fight.

“Whatzamatter? You think I’m fatter than him???

Don’t check in agents have enough stress?

Check everybody or nobody.

Meanwhile, the FAA says average weights for male adults will be increased to 190 lbs in the summer and 195 lbs in the winter – up 12 percent from 170 lbs and 175 lbs, according to AirInsight’s analysis.

A further increase is also coming for female passengers, from 145 lbs to 179 lbs in the summer and from 150 lbs to 184 lbs in the winter.

Do note that men’s average estimated weight is being increased by 20lbs to 190lbs and women’s by a hefty 34 lbs to 175 lbs.

An airline blog, View from the Wing, said “the FAA realises that passenger weight can vary by route and airlines may want to document this difference.”

“Standard weights may not be appropriate for smaller planes, with smaller sample size and greater likelihood of variance from average.”

The weighing of passengers, according to the FAA, would set “standard average passenger weights” for crew members, baggage and passengers every 36 months.

It is unclear when the weighing airline passengers could begin, although the FAA circular was first issued on 9 May 2019.

In a statement to The Independent, the FAA said it “issued an Advisory Circular in May 2019 that stressed the importance that airline weight and balance programs accurately reflect current passenger weights.”

“Operators are evaluating their programs to comply with this guidance. While weighing customers at the gate is an option, most operators will likely rely on updated methods for estimating passenger weights.”

… and that means, what?

According to the US National Center for Health Statistics, 42 per cent of adults above 20 years of age are obese — increasing from 30 percent in 2000.

Just one more thing…

We’ve been here before, but let’s go again…as travellers are getting larger, airplane seats are getting smaller (we know why – no point in hashing that out again). But will the FAA ever rule on appropriate seat sizes and acknowledge that “bums on seats” means a bum on its own seat – not spilling over onto mine?