Those happy, friendly people at customs

[Ruth]

Hamish is, of course, the expert in this area. Nevertheless, here's my 2 kg's worth. Lots of passengers take much less than the limit with them. That allows others to exceed. One HOPES the staff are keeping track and the plane is not overloaded. The heavier a plane is, the more fuel it needs. Fuel costs are rising. It's economics. Charge the people carrying too much weight. Maybe they should weigh people AND their luggage. Together you can weigh X amount. Skinny people get to pack more souvenirs and books.

[teleplayer]

"One HOPES the staff are keeping track and the plane is not overloaded. The heavier a plane is, the more fuel it needs. Fuel costs are rising. It's economics. Charge the people carrying too much weight. Maybe they should weigh people AND their luggage. Together you can weigh X amount. Skinny people get to pack more souvenirs and books. "


Buth, like you I would defer to Hamish who will have to "weigh in on this" (all puns intended).
I question the percentage of passengers carrying less than the limit is. Business flyers, yes, low weight. Vacationers, ummm I'd guess push the limits and we do want that bus to stay in the air.

Your observation about fuel reminded me of a Washington Post article carried in the local paper last week.

Want to save on gas? Eat less
As waistlines grow, so does fuel use, a study finds

The Washington Post
A little belt-tightening could help Americans use less gas.
Americans spend more money on fuel these days in part because men and women on average are at least 24 pounds heavier than their counterparts were in 1960, a study has found.

Collectively, today's automobiles are burning more gasoline to haul all that extra weight around -- about 1 billion gallons more annually than they would if drivers today weighed the same as those in 1960. At recent gas prices of $2.20 a gallon, that adds up to $2.2 billion more spent at the pump each year because of America's weight problem.

"The bottom line is that our hunger for food and our hunger for oil are not independent," said University of Illinois researcher Sheldon Jacobson, a co-author of the study.

"If a person reduces the weight in their car, either by removing excess baggage, carrying around less weight in their trunk, or yes, even losing weight, they will indeed see a drop in their fuel consumption," he told The Associated Press.

The lost mileage is pretty small for any single driver. Jacobson said the typical driver -- someone who records less than 12,000 miles annually -- would use roughly 18 fewer gallons of gas a year by toting 100 pounds less. At $2.20 per gallon, that would be a savings of almost $40.

The analysis says nothing about the improvements in fuel economy in vehicles since 1960, Jacobson said. It merely looks at how fuel consumption would be different in today's vehicles if today's drivers weighed less.

The extra 1 billion gallons of gas that Americans' cars are burning through because of the added weight amounts to about three days' worth of fuel for the 225 million cars, light trucks and SUVs in the United States, the study found.

The study will appear in the October-December issue of The Engineering Economist, a peer-reviewed journal.

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[Newbs]

Lotus I haven't flown with Qantas for about a year or so, I guess, although I will be using them come Christmas time. What I have heard is that at Melbourne airport, and other places, they are stringently applying the cabin luggage rules that have always been there.

What I'm saying is this. If an airline applies bag luggage rules stringently it will have an accurate idea of how much weight there is in the plane, (Good) and will make more profit (I can't give a rats about that.) If an airline does not stringently apply bag luggage rules then it may or may not, I really don't know, have a good idea of the weight of the plane.

I'd really like Hamish to butt in at this point.

My view on Qantas is this. If it went under the day after I complete the flights that I have already paid for, I would feel very sorry for all the employees, and I would dance on the b@st@rd's grave.

[Dragonsaver]

ruth said:

Nevertheless, here's my 2 kg's worth. Lots of passengers take much less than the limit with them. Maybe they should weigh people AND their luggage. Together you can weigh X amount. Skinny people get to pack more souvenirs and books.

Not fair Ruth. I would only get 1 suitcase and a small carry-on instead of the 2 suitcases and regular carry-on

[Crippler]

World is not fair Dragonsaver. If it was I would be rich.

[con's fly is open]

Flying would be cheaper if we were all shorter...