Pound for Pound: One in two want "Fat Tax"

William JordanUS Elections Editor
April 05, 2013, 4:14 PM GMT+0

Half of Britons think airlines should base ticket prices on weight

Britons have weighed in on Samoa Air's new pricing policy and half (50%) think it is a good idea. The rest of the nation either say the scheme is a bad idea (37%) or don't know what they think of it (13%).

Last week, Samoa Air announced that it would start to charge passengers based on their weight, so that heavier passengers have to pay more than light passengers. American Samoa has one of the highest adult obesity rates in the world, and Samoa Air is the first airline to levy a "fat tax", but they are not the first to consider the idea—even in recent weeks.

Gender seems to play a role in whether Britons show support for the policy. While a majority (57%) of men called it "A good idea", women are more evenly split: 43% of women are supportive of a weight-based pricing scheme and 40% are opposed.