You might expect your luggage to be weighed before hopping on a flight, but one airline is doing something different these days.

When it comes to travel news, we’ve shared all kinds of updates, tips, and tricks with you — from announcements of new nonstop flights at the Orlando Airport to parking updates, and more. But now we’ve got to address one particular travel matter that has made its way through the headlines lately.

Air New Zealand has announced that it will be conducting an “international passenger weight survey.” According to the Air New Zealand website, the goal of the survey is to “measure the average weight of [their] passengers, including cabin baggage, on international flights.”

Why? Well, they share that they need to know the weight of ALL items onboard the aircraft for “safety reasons.” When it comes to calculating the weight of “passengers, crew and carry on bags,” they use average weights that are based on data they get every 5 years through this survey.

According to NPR, Alastair James, a load control specialist for Air New Zealand said “We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft — from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold” to help the pilots know what the weight and balance of the aircraft will be. James continued, “For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.”

The scales do NOT show the passengers their weight, however. The information is instead “fed directly into a computer and recorded anonymously along with thousands of other passengers.” James noted, however, that even though this is the case, stepping on the scale can be “daunting.”

So do you have to participate in this survey? According to the Air New Zealand site, “Participation is entirely voluntary and…staff will guide passengers through the weighing process.” The process takes place before the gate to board the plane. So basically, if you don’t want to participate, you can SKIP the weight survey.

Air New Zealand’s goal is to at least get readings from 10,000 passengers. According to NPR, the survey started recently and will run through early July.

According to NPR, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has shared that weight can impact a lot of things with a flight — from “a plane’s climb rate to its cruising altitude, speed and maneuverability…And overloading is a big concern, especially on overseas flights.” That’s why pilots and airlines have to make sure everything is properly balanced.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration notes, “If maximum range is required, occupants or baggage must be left behind…or if the maximum load must be carried, the range, dictated by the amount of fuel on board, must be reduced.” That can be a big concern for airlines planning long international flights that may be non-stop or not have very many stops.

For more airline news, click here to see the airline changes that could get you PAID for your canceled flight, and stay tuned for more travel updates.

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The post One Airline Is Weighing Passengers Before Their Flights — Find Out Why first appeared on the disney food blog.