On April 2nd, Samoa Air, a small airline in the South-West Pacific announced their ‘pay by weight’ system. The system charges passengers a flat rate in addition to a per kg charge for the combined weight of the passenger and their bags.
Those supporting the system point to the rising costs of fuel as well as the potential revenue to be gained. However, the ‘pay by weight’ system can also be seen as discrimination. Some justify the decision based on the premise that one’s weight is a completely controllable thing, but that’s also not entirely true. In response pieces multiple writers noted the flaws in that methodology including the idea of muscle vs. fat, the effects of height, and the effects of certain medical conditions.
By introducing the ‘pay by weight’ pricing Samoa Air took a risk and stepped into a questionable area. Being that they are small they didn’t get the same pushback that a much larger company would get. At the same time by starting the trend their methodology may just carry on to some of the world’s elite airlines, a path that could be a slippery slope towards ethical issues far worse than that of Samoa Air’s.
Sources:
Samoa Air defends ‘pay-as-you-weigh’ pricing – Al Jazeera
Is fare by weight fair? – Canadian Business Magazine
On Samoa Air, Fatter People Pay More to Fly: Good Business or Bad Customer Relations – Knowledge@Wharton
Samoa Air’s Official Website – http://samoaair.ws
Picture Courtesy of Public Domain Photos via Flickr