Pay What You Weigh? Only At Samoa Air ... For Now

If you needed another reason for regular exercise, this might be it: Samoa Air has switched to a "pay what you weigh" system for air fares.

Australia's Sydney Morning Herald reports that Samoa Air is the first airline to try this new system, with passengers being required to enter their baggage weight along with their personal weight when booking. And yes, the airline will check both the weights at check-in at the airport.

"This is the fairest way of travelling," chief executive of Samoa Air, Chris Langton, told ABC Radio. "There are no extra fees in terms of excess baggage or anything – it is just a kilo is a kilo is a kilo."

And families would fly for less, in theory, because children usually weigh less than adults.

Samoa Air flies smaller, 12-seat aircraft, so weight really is critical. Will other airlines follow their lead? We're hitting the gym for lunch today, just in case.