Samoa Air, the national airline of the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, has taken a novel and extraordinary measure to cope with rising levels of obesity -- the carrier is charging passengers not based upon the value of their seats, but rather by how much they weigh.
As the first airline in the world to undertake this step, company officials claim they are seeking to bring awareness to the public about health and obesity issues.
"This is the fairest way of travelling," Samoa Air’s chief executive Chris Langton told ABC Radio of Australia.
"There are no extra fees in terms of excess baggage or anything -- it is just a kilo is a kilo is a kilo."
Langton added: "People generally are becoming much more weight-conscious. That's a health issue in some areas. It has raised the awareness of weight."
Under this policy, passengers are weighed on scales at the airport, and then pay a price that is fixed per kilogram, but also varies depending on the length of their journey.
