Based on today's fuel costs and adding in labor - the WSJ has done a study on the cost of transporting a bag. 15 Bucks!
I always wanted to know how they came up with that number....
Here is the analysis
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122757025502954613.html?mod=loomia&loomia_si=t0:a16:g12:r4:c0.119603:b0
1 comment:
For what it's worth, here's my math on the marginal cost of a suitcase:
A Boeing 747 on a cross-country flight consumes about five gallons per mile (about 15,000 gallons for a 3,000 mile NY-LA flight).
Its full weight at take-off is about 800,000 pounds, and at landing, is somewhat less than 700,000 pounds, owing to fuel consumption along the way. So let's give it an average weight of 750,000 pounds.
Therefore, it takes 15,000 gallons of fuel to move 750,000 pounds from NY-LA, which amounts to one gallon of fuel for every 50 pounds. Assuming a suitcase weighs 25 pounds, it takes about half a gallon to move it cross country.
Jet fuel is priced about the same as car fuel, and currently costs about $2.60 a gallon, so a half a gallon would run $1.30 It takes an additional three gallons to move the suitcase's 150 pound owner from NY to LA.
For a planeload of 450 people, each one weighing 150 pounds and carrying 25 pounds of luggage, their total weight is 78,750 pounds, and it takes 1,575 gallons of fuel to move them cross country.
As you can see, the bulk of the fuel consumed is used to transport the weight of the plane itself, along with the considerable weight of the fuel.
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