Why do airlines want to weigh you?

Periodic weight assessments — of passengers and other items on board — can help airlines determine if weight estimates are still accurate to offset the amount of cargo they carry, said Hilderman.



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Most airlines will allow you to check one bag and have one carry-on bag. There is normally a maximum weight limit of 50 pounds per checked bag as well as a size restriction. The most common maximum size bag allowed is 62 linear (total) inches. A common size bag for checking through is: 27 x 21 x 14.

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Most airlines are extremely strict checking your baggage weight and will charge you an outrageous amount of money for over their set limit. If you expect to go over the limit it is cheaper to buy the extra weight when you book the flight online.

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The current FAA standards, which are based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have established that the average weight for an adult passenger plus carry-on luggage is 190 pounds in the summer and 195 pounds in the winter; that's up from the previous averages of 170 pounds in the ...

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Weight drives how much fuel an aircraft needs for a flight and in some circumstances such as long distance or high altitude airports, passengers and/or cargo must be offloaded so that sufficient fuel can be carried for the flight or the aircraft is able to successfully take off within the limitations of the airfield.

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In general, obese passengers on airlines who require a seatbelt extender and/or cannot lower the armrests between seats are asked to pay for a second seat on their flight, unless there are two empty seats together somewhere on the plane.

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That doesn't make it a good idea, which is why pilots are trained to do weight and balance plus performance calculations before every flight. Besides the safety angle, taking off over gross weight could land you in trouble with the FAA even if nothing goes wrong, you can lose your ticket for that.

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3 Answers. Airlines do care about your carry-on weight and even your weight. Many have carry-on weight limits, which low-cost carriers usually enforce, weighing the carry-on and tagging it as cabin luggage. Full-service airlines rarely bother.

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In general, obese passengers on airlines who require a seatbelt extender and/or cannot lower the armrests between seats are asked to pay for a second seat on their flight, unless there are two empty seats together somewhere on the plane. Special size passengers have little to no choice when it comes to this rule.

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How does the airliner crew know if the plane is overweight before takeoff? To ensure that an airliner is within its weight and balance limits, the crew uses a system that consists of three elements: weighing, recording, and loading.

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Flyers in the United States likely won't be weighed, said Hilderman, even though an FAA advisory circular published in 2019 stated that airlines can weigh passengers. It's a different story in Europe, where carriers follow European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations.

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Yes, a weight and balance issue can be more critical on smaller airplane because a even a small error accounts for a larger percentage of the total weight. A 500-lb. error on an airplane that weighs 5,000 lbs., adds up to a larger percentage of the total weight.

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American Airlines overweight baggage is considered any bag weighing more than 50lbs. The fees for checking overweight baggage are $100 for bags weighing 51-70lbs and $200 for bags weighing 71-100lbs. These fees are charged in addition to any standard, excess or oversized baggage fees.

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There are generally two things you can do if your suitcase is over the weight limit: you can either pay the fee for the extra weight or take some things out so that the weight is then within the allowed limit. You should always take out smaller and heavier stuff since you can put them in your carry-on instead.

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In general, your personal item should be smaller than your carry-on and under the specific airline's carry-on dimensions, allowing it to fit under the seat in front of you. In most cases, backpacks are considered personal items as long as they fit under the seat in front of you.

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How fat is too fat to fly? Even though there are no weight limits for fat passengers, there are normally three basic requirements for flying while overweight: Passengers must be able to sit with both armrests down. Passengers must be able to buckle their seatbelts.

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As someone who used to weigh more than 350 pounds, he often struggled to fit into a regular economy-class seat. I had to ask for a belt extender, and I would ask if the armrest could be raised to provide a bit more room, he recalls. Give them a free seat.

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