Cross your legs....it's the new loo-fare airline

Two years ago, when China's largest airline started urging passengers to "do their business" before boarding flights in order to cut costs there were shrieks of laughter in the west

Low-fares carrier China Southern worked out that a single flush at 30,000 feet burns one litre of oil, enough to run a car for 10km.

Multiply that by 400 cross-legged passengers and you've got yourself one heck of a reduction in fuel.

The airline calculated that reducing human waste in airplane tanks would save up to 47m yuan(€4m) a year. It also hinted at cutting back on creature comforts, claiming that 60 tonnes of fuel a day were required to carry blankets and pillows alone.

The story made for hilarious headlines in Europe at the time but the Chinese could well have been ahead of their time. Before long the joke may be on us.

Airlines are more strapped for cash than ever before so what could be in line for passengers? Coin operated loos? A €20 charge for laptops? Anything is possible.

In the US there is talk of charging passengers according to their weight, the logic being the heavier the cargo, the bigger the fuel bill.

Worse still the latest in -flight annoyance comes on stream in a matter of days when Ryanair will allow passenger on flights from Dublin to use their mobiles. When phones are introduced, passengers will be charged the usual roaming charge and Ryanair will take a slice of the international call rate. No surprises there then.