Baggage weighing at checkin - use of figures?
 

There has been some discussion in the currentr Spanair thread about weighing checkin baggage. Several people say that the figures thus obtained are only used for charging excess to passengers, and the figures are not passed on to the crew.

As SLF I have seen some passengers checking in with maybe 20 or 30 boxes 1mx1m (garment buyers leaving HK)

Could this be a significant weight?

I can't speak for Spanair as I don't fly there and have no insight into their operations. In general, two systems are used for determining weight of passengers and cargo. One involves a standard, average weight, or assumed weight, for passengers (eg, average adult female weighs XXX, etc), and these numbers can vary somewhat with the operator, and are subject to change. Baggage may also be assigned a standard weight unless the bag is determined to be over that by observation or actual weighing, when it may be classified as a "heavy bag" and given a higher standard value, or an actual weight.

Where weight appears to be different than standard, the operator may have a policy requiring an actual weighing or in the case of a passenger, asking the weight...though that's seldom done for obvious reasons.

The other method involves actual weighing of items to go on the aircraft. While that's done to a point, it's seldom done with passengers, and not always done with baggage.

The crew is always furnished with weight and balance data prior to a flight.

Aboard smaller airplanes it becomes more significant. There are always some passengers who carry heavier baggage than normal, and there are always some passengers who pack "light."

With large passenger loads, such as 400 pax in a B747, these differences average out and the "standard" pax weights and "standard" baggage weights applied seasonally [heavier in winter] are surprisingly realistic.

In this age of globalization, where east meets west, the passenger mix of asians [who weigh less than industry applied averages] and westerners further "compensates" for the excesses.

2000kg overload in a B747 is insignificant; 200kg overload in a Cessna 172 could be catastrophic. Therefore, on very small airplanes [less than 50 seats] it would be well to do to check individual passenger and baggage weights.

When the 'Check in's are very busy at PMI (Sat) evening, Some bags end up getting just thrown onto the conveyor, Without the correct weight reading.

Sat is 'Murder' at PMI's terminals, With the Airport handling hundreds of flights, And pax rushing thru the security checks etc.

And some Large bags & puschairs etc are carried thru as 'hand Baggage'

Iv'e seen it done.