Airline Fares

I understand the pressure that the airlines are under these days.  Since fuel accounts for the majority of their expense, they have to connect pricing with fuel.  And since weight affects fuel, the airlines want to charge us for additional fuel use.  However, their recently enacted policy of charging for an extra bag doesn't seem to be appropriate.

Though not politically correct, wouldn't it be far more logical for the airlines to allow a combined passenger and baggage weight and charge for any weight above that limit?  Sure, you can say that such a policy would discriminate against the overweight (and therefore a lot of Americans).   Let's look at the glass as half full and say that it may cause encouragment for many to downsize.  The airlines can have  combined weight limits for men, women and children under 16.   There would have to be some easy way to get the passenger and their bags on the same scale at the same time (a floor scale?).  Only the airline clerk would see the combined weight.

Let me know what you think.

-Rick