Hawaiian Airlines is now allowed to weigh passengers pre-flight
Hawaiian Airlines has won the legal battle over the (oft-discussed but controversial) practice of weighing passengers prior to flying.
Its new policy was rolled out on a flight from Honolulu to Pago Pago, and complaints from passengers were filed. They described the move as discriminatory because Samoa has an especially high obesity rate, but Hawaiian Airlines wants to save fuel and minimise crash landings by distributing weight more evenly.
Six complaints have been made all-in-all since the end of September, but the US Department of Transportation has allowed the airline to weigh passengers, backing the supposed advantages outline by the airline.
However, Hawaiian Airlines has apparently stopped the practice already despite having full permission. Instead of weighing passengers (which are heavier than ever), it is allegedly limiting the number of adults per row and reserving some for children in a simpler – and less offensive – attempt to redistribute weight on Boeing 767 planes.
