A debate is brewing over whether airlines should adopt weight-based pricing, charging passengers based on their weight to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
This discussion follows a broader trend of U.S. airlines implementing fees for checked baggage, which began in 2008 with American Airlines, and has since become standard practice.
While Samoa Air's 2013 'fat tax' failed to gain traction, Finnair recently conducted a three-month voluntary data collection initiative, gathering passengers' weight along with their carry-on luggage.
This anonymized data — including age, gender and travel class — will be used to refine aircraft balance and loading calculations from 2025 to 2030.
A separate study of 1,012 U.S. adults examined the public's reaction to three pricing models: the current system (a standard fare with a luggage limit), a 'weight threshold' model (extra charges for passengers over 160 pounds) and a 'body weight' model (pricing based on individual weight).
Lighter passengers favored weight-based fees, while heavier passengers preferred the current system — though nearly half of the heavier respondents were open to change.
Support for weight-based pricing was higher among younger travelers, frequent flyers and wealthier individuals.
Meanwhile, plus-size advocate Jaelynn Chaney has gone the opposite direction and pushed for airline accommodations for larger passengers - even suggesting free extra seats.
In November, ahead of the holiday travel season, she renewed her call for U.S. airlines to stop charging plus-size passengers extra for additional seats.
She argued that shrinking airline seats make travel increasingly difficult and that the U.S. should adopt Canada's 'one person, one fare' policy, which requires airlines to provide extra seating at no additional cost for passengers needing medical accommodations.
Air Canada, for example, allows passengers to apply for accommodations due to obesity, requiring medical documentation, height, weight, body mass index, and surface measurements.
Meanwhile, the U.S., however, has no such policy.
The Department of Transportation state: 'Airlines are not required to furnish more than one seat per ticket purchased.'
Chaney has long criticized airlines for profiting from plus-size passengers' discomfort.
In June 2023, she launched a petition — now signed by nearly 40,000 people — urging U.S. airlines to provide free extra seats for larger passengers and offer refunds for those who purchase additional seats independently.
Despite her efforts, airlines have yet to implement such policies.
Beyond seat accommodations, Chaney has also reported difficulties navigating airports.
She recounted incidents at Chicago O'Hare, where she became stuck in a revolving door, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where she claimed an employee refused to assist her in a wheelchair due to her size.
While her advocacy continues to spark debate, public opinion remains divided on whether airlines should accommodate larger passengers at no extra cost or implement weight-based pricing to offset operational costs.
