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Comment by 51Cards | Hacker News Reader

The article seems to miss one key point that would make implementing this much more complex. While we have some control over our BMI (weight to height ratio) we don't have control over our height.

I have two friends who are 5' tall and 6'5" tall. The 6'5" male, while still being quite fit, comes in at a solid 210-220 easy I'd guess, which would (under a 'weight only' policy) incur a surcharge for him. The 5'0" female has a little extra weight probably being about 130lbs. She's 90lbs less but more "obese" than the male.

Variations like this would make this type of policy very hard to implement in reality.

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Is BMI a relevant factor in this discussion? The author's point is that higher weight = higher cost of transportation due to fuel costs. If you're a tall person, it may not be your "fault" that you are heavier than average, but that doesn't change the fact that someone who weighs 200 lbs adds more to the fuel costs of a plane than someone who weighs 150 lbs.

The goal isn't to judge people based on whether they are "overweight" or such, but rather to institute a system that charges customers proportionally to the cost of transporting them.

We don't have control over our birth gender, age, country of origin or a large other myriad of factors that are used to calculate insurance premiums. Certain industries succeed in placing these kinds of discrimination on the consumer, others socialise it across their entire base.

The relatively small differences in cost may make it socially acceptable. A 6'5" person is probably already used to paying extra for reasonable leg-room.

I don't think this is supposed to be viewed as a "fat people policy." If the airlines were to implement this they wouldn't do it to punish obese people. It's not like they're going to calculate your BMI. It would be purely on weight; whether you're 6'5" or 5'6".

Whether the weight comes from obesity or from simple body size has no effect on the cost-per-kg to transport someone by air. If you're 6'5'', you're transporting more mass - it's only fair to pay more, because it costs more to move you.

As someone who is 6'8", 310lbs and spent 12 hours flying last week, I would have to strongly disagree. Until airlines provide a means of adjusting available room to compensate for height, its not appropriate to charge taller people more at all.

They do already, it's called first class and business class. The seats cost more and you get more room.

I too have friends in this category. I know really tall guys who are solid muscle and weigh a LOT. They're not fat at all but they are approaching the weight of two average people, easy.

What really astounds me, though, are skinny girls going away for three days but check-in TONS of luggage. It also is invariably over the weight limit and they end up paying excess.

Guys, on the other hand, take a tiny little rucksack on as hand luggage containing a clean shirt, a clean pair of kecks and their toothbrush for the same trip. It also means NO WAITING for luggage at the other end.

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