Just how far would airlines go to save money and further alienate travelers? The latest idea: Japan’s All Nippon Airways is now asking passengers on select flights to empty their bladders before boarding.
Airline representatives at the gate are encouraging fliers to make that one final dash to the restroom to expel some of that extra weight.
"If the flight is lighter, we use less gasoline which is good for the environment," ANA North America spokeswoman Jean Saito told ABC News.
It might not seem like much, but the human bladder can hold up to 16 ounces before the urge to urinate, says ABC.
“That’s about 1.1 pounds of fluid. If all 216 passengers on an ANA Boeing 767 had pretty full bladders, that extra urine would weigh about 240 pounds,” it says.
It’s just one more in a long list of weight and cost-saving measures. Blankets, magazines and even televisions have been removed to save money. Reactions?
“I think it’s going to win them more humor on late night television than anywhere else," said Edmund S. Greenslet of The Airline Monitor. "Clearly everybody is looking to pinch pennies if not nickels and dimes but this strikes me as a bit much."
Consolation: passengers can be at least assured that even for those who can’t "hold it," ANA won’t be charging them for the bathroom, an idea that Ireland’s Ryanair has been entertaining.
By David Wilkening
