Good idea? Bad idea?

Samoa Air, a small airline based on the Samoa Islands in the Pacific, has started charging its passengers based on the total weight of their luggage and their... bodies. "Airplanes don't run on seats, they run on weight," Samoa Air's Chief Executive, Chris Langton, told Radio Australia. The company's website now includes a page that describes how the new system works with a "demonstration calculator" that allows you to see how much you would pay to fly with them.

Obviously, the idea is quite controversial, and it raises the question of whether bigger airlines should consider the idea. It's also possible to imagine all kinds of way of doing this: For example, maybe there would only be a surcharge above a certain weight? Or only a rebate below a certain weight? Or maybe the price/weight ratio shouldn't be linear (so that a 100 pound woman wouldn't pay half of what a 200 pounds man would pay, but she'd still pay less)...

I'm curious to know what you think. Good idea? Bad idea? Somewhere in between?

Via Samoa Air, ABC

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