Will Minnesota Airlines Start Weighing You Before You Board?

Get our free mobile app

While travel is starting to come back here in Minnesota and across the country, here's a startling thought: will airlines start weighing you before you board the plane?

If you've taken a flight on a commercial airline recently, you already know that your baggage is already subject to both weight and size restrictions. (The size of a standard bag varies by airline, but most have a requirement that checked bags can only weigh 50 pounds before they start charging extra.) But will we, as passengers, be subject to fees based on OUR size and how much we weigh now too?

Well, sure enough, there's now a proposal by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to actually WEIGH passengers. Wait, what?!? In addition to weighing my luggage, now I have to step on the scale too?!?

Well, yes... and no. According to this Fox Business story, airlines MIGHT have to start weighing passengers, but it's not so they can then implement a per-pound charge, like is the case with your luggage. It's so that the FAA can update its 'average passenger weight' charts-- something airlines use to ensure safety.

Our soaring obesity rate in the U.S. has caused airlines to increase the average weights they use to calculate how many passengers and baggage can safely be carried on board each flight.

Airlines would have to increase the average weight for female passengers and carry-ons from 145 pounds to 179 pounds in the summer and from 150 pounds to 184 pounds in the winter, according to the standards, while the weight for males with carry-ons will go up from 185 pounds in the summer to 200 pounds and from 190 pounds to 205 pounds in the winter.

But here's the good news: According to the proposal, while airlines will be required to take part in the surveys of crew members, baggage and passengers, it would likely be carried out through random sampling and would be strictly voluntary, the story says. And, yes, those figures will remain anonymous, and will only be used to help ensure accuracy in computing the new average passenger weights.

Speaking of flying, did you know Minnesota's biggest airline-- Delta Airlines-- was just ranked as the #1 in the country for customer satisfaction? Check it out HERE. And, speaking of popular brands (like Delta), keep scrolling to check out the 100 Most Popular Brands in America!

Listen to Curt St. John mornings from 6 to 10 on Quick Country 96.5
and afternoons from 2 to 6 on 103.9 The Doc