Charge fat people more to fly, says academic

A NORWEGIAN academic has suggested that airplane passengers should be charged fares which correspond to their weight, with heavier passengers paying more than their slighter counterparts.

Bharat P Batta, an academic at Fjordane University College, told Sky News that charging lighter customers less than those who weighed more would create a fairer system for fliers.

Dr Bhatta’s piece in the Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management suggests three models for the proposed charge; a charge-per-kilogram, a banding system for light, heavy and heaviest passengers, and a system of ticket discounts for the lightest and surcharges for the heaviest.

The problem of overweight passengers has vexed airlines for some time. British Airways ask passengers to pay for a second seat if they are unable to fasten themselves in with a special extended seatbelt.