11 Ways Airlines Are Cramming People Onto Planes And Saving Money

Profit margins in the airline industry are thin, and one of the key culprits is the cost of jet fuel.

Filling aircraft tanks cost the global airline industry $207 billion in 2012 — 33 percent of its operating costs, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Airlines can't control the price of fuel, but they can work to reduce how much much they use.

There are two basic approaches: Reduce the number of flights by packing each plane to the gills, and make each flight more efficient by cutting weight wherever possible.

Here are eleven ways to do just that. Some are already in place, others are on the way, and the rest are likely to appear in the next few years — no matter how uncomfortable they make passengers.

Samoa Air is charging fat passengers extra.

The new carrier may not save money on fuel, but it will recoup what it pays.

Ticket prices for the regional airline are based on passenger weight. In an area with a severe obesity problem, the weight limit on its small planes can easily be reached.

Major airlines may consider charging a "fat tax"— an extra fee for overweight passengers who require extra fuel to ferry around the world — but will likely never put the policy into practice.

Instead, they'll find other ways to save weight.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner is designed to be a fuel-saving game changer.

The passenger jet, which promises fuel savings through new composite materials and a powerful lithium-ion battery, has been out of service since the FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive on January 16, following two incidents in which that battery failed.

The 787 may return to the skies at the end of May, but it's an example of how major overhauls and clean-sheet design are difficult to pull off.

Boeing is shrinking the lavatories on its 737 jets.

The standard economy class lavatory is three by three feet. Boeing is shrinking that in its 737 planes, thanks to a new design from B/E Aerospace.

Delta will be among the first to fly planes with the smaller facilities. The airline says passengers won't notice the difference, because the extra space has been removed from behind the sink, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Passengers are more likely to notice the four extra seats the smaller bathrooms make room for.

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