CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) - Airlines are taking a look at how much passengers weigh and updating passenger and baggage weight guidelines that could impact your next flight.
Airlines are required to submit new guidelines for the average weight of passengers and baggage by Saturday, June 12.
You’re not going to have to hop on a scale before your next flight, but airlines are updating their average passenger weights, which could mean scaling back on how many people can board a flight.
The weight of your luggage isn’t the only number on the scale that may affect your next flight.
“I need them not to change that rule for people who have kids especially and for people who have gained the ‘COVID-15.'”
By Saturday, airlines have to give the FAA new weight estimates for passengers and baggage to keep in line with weight safety limits on planes.
The Wall Street Journal reports the average weight for passengers and baggage is expected to go up between 5 and 10%.
“For me, I’m a single parent because I need all this stuff to come with me because I have two kids so if they’re trying to say not a lot of baggage, that means I’m going to have to sacrifice something, because I can’t fit me and two boys especially after the pandemic into two luggages. That’s not going to work for me,” said LaShay Lundy, a passenger at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.
The new guidelines could mean fewer passengers on flights and you may have to travel with less baggage.
“That makes no sense at all in the past we’ve had overweight passengers and we’ve had people who just go on with their pocketbooks, so that makes no sense at all,” said Donna Dumont, a passenger.
American airlines sent Fox 46 this statement:
“American uses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to determine accurate standard average passenger weights. We’ll continue to evaluate average passenger weights for each flight we operate and adjust as needed.”
“If they can handle what we have now plus our luggage, it’s an airline, it’s not rocket science here,” said Lundy.
Lundy says the changes are just another tipping point to flying especially with two kids.
“Right now we have to worry about so much, vaccination, COVID, you have to get your test three days before you fly.”
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