New discount airline will charge for clothing BS News Updated: 1:51 p.m. Thursday, April 1, 2010 New York -- Newly launched discount airline NUDEAir is offering promotional air fares from New York City to London for as little as US $0.50, said company spokesperson Lotta Tusch. However, she said, that's on condition that a passenger travels au naturel. Taking clothing aboard will be charged at the rate of 50 cents per ounce of clothing, she said. Included is anything worn by a passenger, from hats and scarves to jewelry, underwear and socks, hose, and shoes. Even eyeglasses and sunglasses are considered clothing, according to NUDEAir's rulebook. "Air travel costs have been skyrocketing, " Tusch emphasized in a media conference today. "Every bit of extra weight is an extra expense, and a fee for clothing taken aboard the aircraft only underlines this new financial reality. Everyone, and everything, on a plane must pay its own way," she added. The clothing fee is NUDEAir's way of providing convenient, affordable service to the travel market, said Tusch. "Nobody brings their package to FedEx or U.P.S. and expects them to ship it for free," she said. "The same applies to anything you take aboard your flight." Joining what it described as an airline industry trend, NUDEAir also announced that all carry-on items besides clothing would also be charged at a rate of 50 cents per ounce. In response to reporters' questions, Tusch indicated that, in addition to luggage, this would include a wide range of personal items such as cellphones, wallets, passports, tickets, books, and even crutches or canes. NUDEAir is also looking into the possibility of charging for other items in the future, said Tusch. These could include medical prostheses, such as leg braces, dental bridgework, false teeth, and even contact lenses. Items such as dental work and surgical implants would be detected by an arsenal of new detection devices the airline is installing, said Tusch. She emphasized that these new full-body optical-emulation, molecular-penetration radial blast-scatter X-ray scanners would be non-invasive and no threat to health. "These scanners will also provide an extra line of defense in our ongoing efforts to protect passengers' security," she said. The airline has also established passenger weight limits of 123.7 pounds (56.2 kg) for women and 147.3 pounds (67 kg) for men, said Tusch. Passengers exceeding those limits will be charged 50 cents per extra ounce of body weight, she said. Tusch said the personal weight and other limits were part of NUDEAir's "Lean and Green" program "to promote a healthy and sustainable planet." Passengers close to the weight limits could save money by having bowel movements and emptying their bladders before boarding, Tusch recommended. In fact, she said, that might be a good idea for everyone, since they'd avoid extra costs by not using restrooms aboard the aircraft. NUDEAir plans to charge passengers $12 per visit to the restroom. However, unlimited "Potty Passes" will be offered for $39. For clothing-free passengers that might find the cabin temperature too cold during their flight, the airline will provide blankets for a rental fee of $229, said Tusch. Also, she noted, since passenger nudity might violate local decency laws when passengers debark, NUDEAir will offer paper clothing for passengers to don before they leave the aircraft. The outfits will be available for $309 for adults and $159 for children, she said. Credit cards will be accepted aboard any flight for a reasonable additional fee, she added. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".