'Operational discrepancies?'
Galaxy, every pilot on Earth knows the weight of the passengers on board..how a pilot departing for 6 hours over the ocean wouldn't want to have those numbers is beyond me.
Known ZFW as some type of 'good enough' is beyond silly..because that is taking blind faith that the passenger load is correct, and that it has been correctly added to a correct BEW/BOW...again beyond silly.
Galaxy...this isn't even a debate...
To the other poster that mentioned Mutt's pax numbers of '5'....850lbs is right up with Mutt's modus operandi to plan an airline trip to Hawaii with five passengers to make the fuel limitations..
All this said...well I have learned that this is the Internet...so if you guys are experienced airline captains never looking back into the cabin to get some general idea on what your passenger load is..well then your going to have to take my word for it that I am posting this from the International Space Station. Yes, I am an astronaut...and I will be doing my first space walk, then skydive from orbit into the backyard of the Playboy mansion for a massage.
Fair is fair...if you can dream up who you want to be, then so can I. Good day.