Reducing weight can be pretty important to airlines as it saves up on fuel costs. This is a common method employed by airlines to cut operational costs as well. Lighter flights mean that there will be less fuel to burn and environmentally viable too. Besides introducing new offers like cheap flights to India from USA, holiday offers etc, airlines also come up with various designs that ensure reducing the weight. Like lighter seating arrangements, redesigning bathrooms and reducing the weight of other equipment also. This can significantly alter the weight of the flight.

Weight Reduction Methods of Airlines

In 1987 American Airlines removed a single olive from each of its in-flight salads, reducing costs by a remarkable $US40,000 ($55,000) a year.

The savings were double - first, caterers at the carrier could cross off myriads of olives from its weekly shopping list, but second, each aircraft would now be lighter. Olives are not exactly heavy but when it comes to their weight and the consequent fuel savings, airlines are pretty concerned about them.

There are numerous airplanes that use up to a gallon of fuel every second, and the fuel costs accounted for 21 cents in every dollar spent by them (this figure is going to rise in 2018), decreasing the weight is the surest way to tighten the belt.

Some attempts to reduce weight are more sensible than others. Virgin Atlantic, for instance, has redesigned its glassware to be lighter and changed some of its massive, slate plates from the upper class as a weight reduction technique. The airline has also altered their chocolate and sweet offerings to lighter varieties reshaped its meal trays (this also resulted in the planes being able to carry lesser dining carts) and also altered its beverage selection for night flights when fewer travellers drink.

The airline has estimated that losing a pound (0.45kg) in weight from every plane in its fleet would save 53,000 litres of fuel a year, adding up to tens of thousands of dollars.

Qantas dropped weight as part of its preparations to fly non-stop between Perth and London, a route that took off earlier this year. New cutlery, crockery, glassware, and linen on board was decreased in weight by 11 per cent. It also reduced the weight of its trolley carts for international flights to just 18kg, a reduction of 7kg. Following this, these new items are moved out to other airlines, they expect to save up to 535,000 kg per year on their fuel.

British Airways flights to many popular destinations have always had an intense fuel efficiency team, and they have also condensed the weight of its paraphernalia and is also publishing its in-flight magazine on lightweight paper.

The airline no longer provides receipts for in-flight purchases, saving it the need to carry 420,000 till rolls across its fleets, and reduced the weight of its in-flight magazine from 261g to 200g. It has lowered the number of extra cushions and covers it brings from four to two. They may be light as a feather, but every weight counts in airplanes.

A less sensible plan to reduce the weight of airplanes was Ryanair's 2012 memo to their team to "reduce their weight and the motivation was of appearing in Ryanair calendar", a celebration of the carrier's annual charity publication that featured scantily-clad flight attendants but was scrapped in 2014.

This Irish airline also reduced the size of its publication and made it shorter and decreased the weight of ice stocked on board. They had thought of eliminating armrests, but then they decided not to.

A few years ago, Air Canada replaced life vests with lighter floatation devices in planes. The Authorities supported the change, but the condition was limited to planes that did not undertake more than 50 miles (from shore).

In the same year, Northwest Airlines, a US airline about to be absorbed by Delta, saved $US500,000 a year, by slicing its limes - served in soft drinks - into 16 slices instead of 10, saving money in purchasing, but also carrying, less citrus.

This is nothing in comparison to the changes made by Japanese airline, All Nippon Airways when it asked travellers to visit the toilet before entering because empty bladders are of lesser weight. But in the course of one month's trial, they had staff near the terminal gates to ask the waiting passengers to use the bathroom before boarding the plane. They hoped that this airline weight reduction method would have a five-tonne decrease in carbon emissions and it was cost saving. And then there was Samoa Air, where passengers would be charged a fare according to their weight.

Chris Langton said: "What makes airplanes work is weight. We are not selling seats, we are selling weight." This is a major reason why airlines charge for the baggage, and levies load limits on luggage because if the plane is heavy, it costs more fuel to fly. But the airplanes have not yet returned to a completely weight-relative cost system in spite of Samoa Air's ground-breaking activities. If the airplane industry did so, the commuters might be charged for bringing even a gadget on board with them.

Researchers at MIT have estimated that each passenger carrying a phone on Southwest Airlines cost it $US1.2million a year in weight-related fuel expenses, a figure that jumps to $US21.6million if the phones were swapped for laptops. Developments in aeronautics technology have however moderated the need for airplanes to take away cell phones at the gate before boarding, or ask their passengers spend some money before stepping on board with their flight. 

Innovative lighter and more fuel efficient airplane manufactured by Boeing and Airbus, such as their 787 and the A350 models. In these, electrics replace the weighty mechanic and complicated systems and have resulted in large cuts in the bills. When upgrading the models like the 737 and the A320, workhorses for many of the world's low-cost and short-haul airlines, that have very new engines and has also aided in keeping fares low. In manufacturing the 777-300ER, the American plane developer eradicated the requirement for 20,000 washers and thus saved 53kg.

An additional major change in the aircraft industry is that it has assisted each carrier to get an 18kg decrease in weight and is also exchanging the wheelbarrow full of guides, handbooks and maps that the pilots need for a solitary iPad.

So long as the airline industry and aircrafts themselves are reforming, heavy commuters are safe and are paying the average airplane charge. But, as the instances discussed above show a trend, planes are known to go to extreme measures to minimise their operational costs, so don't get very happy. Because airlines run for profit and this type of cost-cutting can amplify their profits. So they can bring about radical changes to decrease their weight. Also, lesser fuel burning means lesser carbon footprint. And thus it can be an environmentally viable option as well. So it would be nice if we all learnt to travel lighter!

It doesn't matter whether you are looking for cheap flights from Chicago to Delhi or San Francisco to Mumbai or any other locations across the world, take a couple of minutes to read the changes in your airline rules. This will definitely help you ensure a comfortable journey!!!