This Airline Wants to Start Weighing Passengers Before They Board the Plane

Frequent flyers tend to know all the ins and outs of getting the most out of their air travel experience (opens in new tab), from picking out the perfect piece of luggage to making sure their bags don't exceed the inevitable weight limit. Still, they might not be prepared for the latest development, as Scandinavian airline Finnair (opens in new tab) take it a step further with its plan to start weighing passengers before they board the plane.

It might sound, well, a tad invasive, but Finnair has a good reason for the move. The airline is looking for more accurate data to improve the balance and operation of their aircrafts.

Right now, the airline relies on a 2009 survey conducted by the European Avian Safety Association (opens in new tab) to tell them how much the average passenger weighs and how much carry-on luggage each traveler typically brings. Both are measurements that are likely to have changed since the time of the survey, and both impact the balance of the aircraft. In order to get more up-to-date information, Finnair is turning to their own clients for help.

They will roll out the new program at Helsinki Airport, where scales will be placed next to departure gates, according to The Helsinki Times (opens in new tab).

For those of us who might prefer not to weigh ourselves in public, never fear. Finnair's program is strictly voluntary; they hope to have between 100 and 150 passengers on every flight offer to jump on the scale.

Passengers who opt in will be weighed along with their carry-on bags. The number on the scale (opens in new tab) will be kept confidential, which is a relief to all of us who might rather keep that number to ourselves, thank you very much.