With many airlines, every kilo counts. If a suitcase weighs too much or hand luggage is too heavy, there is often the threat of high additional charges. Now there are also airlines that even weigh their passengers. And they can’t take a joke.
Many travelers weigh their suitcase before they travel to the airport. If it doesn’t exceed the maximum weight on the scales at home, it usually doesn’t at check-in either. It gets a little trickier with hand luggage. Size also plays a role here. But whether you weigh 60 or 90 kilograms has not played a role so far. However, there are airlines that make the difference. One airline actually weighs each passenger as if they were the piece of luggage themselves. What sounds like an absurd control mania actually has tangible reasons.
One kilo too much? A problem for some airlines
The airline Cape Air connects remote places with small propeller planes. In the cramped cabins of the Cessna 402 with a maximum of nine passengers, weight can quickly become a static challenge. The following applies here: weight is not an approximate value, but a calculable quantity. Weighing passengers before take-off is routine, because every seat, every kilo can determine the balance and center of gravity of the aircraft. And therefore also the so-called flight stability.
The protocol is simple: anyone checking in is politely asked what he or she weighs. Honesty becomes life insurance here. Only those who give correct figures protect themselves and their fellow passengers. The crew then juggle who sits in the front and who sits in the back to ensure the right balance. Even a few careless weight estimates can be a problem, as former Cape Air pilots report: If the center of gravity remains too far back, the aircraft cannot handle the critical moment during take-off. With dramatic consequences. Because gravity is not a negotiable factor in the air.
New rip-off model for low-cost airlines?
It sounds routine, but incorrect weight distribution in small aircraft can actually have fatal consequences. Experts warn: if the weight limit is disregarded or the center of gravity is shifted too far, there is a risk of losing control of the aircraft in the worst case scenario, the famous “crash scenario” cannot be ruled out. At Cape Air, the weight of babies and hand luggage must therefore also be stated correctly or even weighed.
All-clear for transatlantic flights: the mathematical precision only affects very small passenger planes such as those operated by Cape Air and other regional airlines. Large-capacity jets continue to calculate with average values and weighing is, if at all, usually voluntary and anonymous. This is the case with Finnair, Air New Zealand, Korean Air or Bangkok Airways, for example. This is primarily about collecting statistical data for safe flight operations, not about bare survival in the sky. With Ryanair, Eurowings and the like, it doesn’t matter whether you weigh 60 or 90 kilos. For now, at least. Because low-cost airlines in particular are constantly coming up with new fee and rip-off models. For example, if you recline your seat, you have to pay.
