Woman asked to step on baggage scale before flight after confusion over her weight
Kit Roberts
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/lilwessel / Pexels
An airline passenger has shared the awful moment a fellow passenger was asked to step on a scale in full view of other waiting passengers.
The video, which was first posted on TikTok in March and has now been deleted, drew some 1.6 million views.
It has also sparked concern that airlines may be discriminating against plus-size passengers.
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In the clip the passenger can be seen getting on the scale which is normally used to weigh luggage.
It was accompanied by the caption: “The whole airport trying to mind their own business as a woman is asked to step on the baggage scale because she claimed she was 130lbs."
Reactions in the comments have been mixed, with many people coming to the passenger's defence and saying that she should not have been weighed in front of everyone else.
TikToker Lillian Wessel, who uses the username @lilwessel, explained that the weighing was because the plane they were boarding was a particularly small one.
This meant that the aircraft had to seat people in the cabin to make sure that it was balanced, as it wouldn't be able to deal with the difference like a larger aircraft.
She explained: “It’s a tiny plane so they needed our weight to take off for safety reasons.”
Nonetheless, some people in the comments felt that it could have been done better.
One posted: “Flying home from the Philippines and they weighed me … I have never been so embarrassed in my life.”
Another wrote: "That’s not ok."
A third replied: "Why would they need her weight...? or is this a US thingy?"
It comes as airline Air Zealand asked passengers to take to the scales as part of a survey they were required to carry out.
The measure caused some controversy, but representatives reassured customers that getting onto the scales was entirely voluntary, and their weight would not be displayed.
They said: "It’s a regulatory requirement to calculate the average weight of our passengers, crew, and baggage every five years. All data is anonymous, so there is no need to feel embarrassed! Taking part isn’t compulsory, but we appreciate our customers helping out."
Alastair James, Air New Zealand’s load control improvement specialist, said: “We know stepping on the scales can be daunting. We want to reassure our customers there is no visible display anywhere. No one can see your weight – not even us.
"It’s completely anonymous. It’s simple, it’s voluntary, and by weighing in, you’ll be helping us to fly you safely and efficiently, every time.”