Weighing passengers to become standard for Bangkok Airways

[webfact]

 

Your chance to weigh in on airport and flight practices in Thailand may be coming, quite literally. Bangkok Airways is looking to join a number of international airlines that will be weighing passengers before boarding.

 

On September 16, it became clear that airlines were getting a bit nosy about passengers’ pounds. Foreign giants like Korean Air and Air New Zealand initiated an eyebrow-raising rule, demanding that passengers step on the scales before they step onto the plane.

 

Why? To crack the code of standard passenger weight and averages to safely calculate flight load.

In a recent development within the aviation industry, the unconventional practice has taken off and the notion of assessing passengers’ weight before boarding has gained traction. Their aim? To keep those aircraft trimmed and proper, reducing fuel consumption in the process.

 

by Neill Fronde

TOP: Bangkok Airways plans to start weighing passengers before flights. (via iStock)

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-09-18

 

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[webfact]

Bangkok Airways applies now weighing passengers before boarding
 

Image Courtesy: Bangkok Airways

Bangkok Airways has introduced weight measurement for all passengers before boarding, effective until October 31st, assuring that the information obtained will be kept confidential.

 

The airline said in a statement that the weighing of passengers is in line with the standard measures of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the purpose is to aid in the calculation of the take-off weight, to ensure flight safety.

 

The airline said the weighing will be done at the departure gate before boarding and it is seeking cooperation from all passengers.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2023-09-18

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[ukrules]

Maybe they also start measuring our leg length and issue better seats to those who are tall?

[liddelljohn]

hopefully the super obese  will be alloted 2 seats , and the sweaty unwashed people  made to shower

[scubascuba3]

They need to charge for excess fat

[mania]

11 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

They need to charge for excess fat

Kind of true & more to the point excess width. Make people walk between two poles

if they don't fit have an up-charge for double seat. Or make wider seats etc

 

Otherwise they get on lift the arm rest and basically are sitting partially on our seat too.

Prices are high enough that we should not be asked to share our seat

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, mania said:

Otherwise they get on lift the arm rest and basically are sitting partially on our seat too

First thing i do when on a bus, train or plane is put the arm rest down to stop the fat leaking over, don't let them raise it

[Deserted]

Seems rather unnecessary.

[Bim Smith]

1 hour ago, liddelljohn said:

hopefully the super obese  will be alloted 2 seats , and the sweaty unwashed people  made to shower

You do know muscle weighs way more than fat so I will have a problem ????. This is about distribution of weight on the aircraft not whether sweaty Burt gets two seats.

[mania]

6 minutes ago, Deserted said:

Seems rather unnecessary.

Actually probably a bit late arriving. Also as modern day people have grown ever larger/heavier even more important now

 

A plane has a Center of Gravity near the wing spar

Too much weight forward or back of that will necessitate "trimming" the plane in flight.

 

Meaning adjust the elevators to achieve a neutral nose up or down position

That trim (making elevator more neg or positive in angle) will create much more drag slowing the plane & increasing fuel usage

 

Which is why they said

Quote

Their aim? To keep those aircraft trimmed and proper, reducing fuel consumption in the process.

 

[daejung]

1 hour ago, liddelljohn said:

hopefully the super obese  will be alloted 2 seats , and the sweaty unwashed people  made to shower

Or maybe they will pay double price ?

[Deserted]

And you actually believe that?

[MurakamiX]

Amazing and commonsensical.
Somebody who is fit and healthy, should not have to pay. the same amount as somebody who cannot stop eating cake with zero care for their own health and consumerism. Net weight for the win 

[MurakamiX]

12 minutes ago, Bim Smith said:

You do know muscle weighs way more than fat so I will have a problem ????. This is about distribution of weight on the aircraft not whether sweaty Burt gets two seats.

Somebody who is a body builder and say 250lbs, is not healthy. They can barely breathe while walking. It all comes down to the weight your heart must carry around all day, and in this instance, the weight you put onto a plane. 

[stoner]

weight is kind of important when it comes to keeping a steel structure flying through the air at hundreds of miles an hour. 

[Aussie999]

14 minutes ago, mania said:

Actually probably a bit late arriving. Also as modern day people have grown ever larger/heavier even more important now

 

A plane has a Center of Gravity near the wing spar

Too much weight forward or back of that will necessitate "trimming" the plane in flight.

 

Meaning adjust the elevators to achieve a neutral nose up or down position

That trim (making elevator more neg or positive in angle) will create much more drag slowing the plane & increasing fuel usage

 

Which is why they said

 

I understand that, but does that mean they will reassign seats, splitting up families/friends/ etc in order to balance/trim the aircraft? 

[stoner]

weight is kind of important when it comes to keeping a steel structure flying through the air at hundreds of miles an hour. 

[Ironman1958]

On my last flight back from Thailand, there were two very large ladies sitting in the three seat row in front of me, easily tipping the 170kg mark. It was a 3 seat row, but they were the only two in it, completely filling the space. I hesitated in stretching my feet out under that seat as it was making a lot of creaking and cracking noise.

[Jonathan Swift]

24 minutes ago, Bim Smith said:

You do know muscle weighs way more than fat so I will have a problem ????. This is about distribution of weight on the aircraft not whether sweaty Burt gets two seats.

You do know that the general population is not composed of musclebound athletes, but rather people who simply eat more of the wrong kinds of foods and get too little regular exercise. So for every one Schwarzenegger there are 1000 obese sweaty Burts. 

[Aviatorhi]

30 minutes ago, Deserted said:

Seems rather unnecessary.

Seems like a usual 5-10 year survey. The writing staff just didn't have any real stories. 

[Dialemco]

Good Luck Bangkok Airways foresee trouble looms if you decide to implement this scheme.

[dslocum]

This idea will never fly!  ????

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Their aim? To keep those aircraft trimmed and proper, reducing fuel consumption in the process

So are they weighed to calculate gross t/o weight of the aircraft or will the airline stipulate who sits where so the Captain can maintain proper trim of the aircraft? 

[bluejets]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The airline said the weighing will be done at the departure gate before boarding

Good idea to remove any "guessing" or "averaging" associated with aircraft trim.

There have been disasterous results (crashes) in the past when they get this wrong.

 

Thing is, I would have thought at check-in, not at boarding gate.

Not much time before takeoff to get that information to the flight engineer or for any practical trim adjustment.

 

If my suspicions are correct though, I can foresee an extra charge for any "overweight" rather than any trim adjustments.

It's simply the way governments work.

When they promise cheaper electricity or fuel, there's always a catch 22.

[bignok]

43 minutes ago, MurakamiX said:

Amazing and commonsensical.
Somebody who is fit and healthy, should not have to pay. the same amount as somebody who cannot stop eating cake with zero care for their own health and consumerism. Net weight for the win 

40kg Thais are short

[bluejets]

19 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So are they weighed to calculate gross t/o weight of the aircraft or will the airline stipulate who sits where so the Captain can maintain proper trim of the aircraft? 

Possibly both...as both consume extra fuel.

However, as above, waiting to do this at the boarding gate will only delay flights if seating adjustment is needed.

[Brigante7]

So most international rugby squads will have to pay extra and I would hardly call them fat or overweight.

 

 

 

Brigante7.

[hotchilli]

12 minutes ago, bluejets said:

Possibly both...as both consume extra fuel.

However, as above, waiting to do this at the boarding gate will only delay flights if seating adjustment is needed.

If the passengers are weighed but not designated seats then this has nothing to do about trim.

[Brigante7]

So if I weigh 120kg and my wife is 50kg, will she get a cheaper airfare or is it just another excuse to rip-off customers?

[kiwikeith]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

They need to charge for excess fat

When u have been on a plane from Samoa that nearly crashed the on takeoff and had to divert to Singapore for more fuel because it was over loaded with huge people, you will understand that this is a good thing.