When is a passenger considered "baggage" in aviation?

In aviation, the term "baggage" typically refers to the items that passengers bring on board an aircraft, and it can include personal items, carry-ons, and checked luggage. The correct identification of a passenger as "baggage" occurs when their weight exceeds personal limits and necessitates special calculations for the aircraft's weight and balance.

This is significant because aviation safety regulations require that the total weight of the aircraft, including all passengers and their belongings, falls within specified limits for safe operation. If a passenger's weight or the combined weight of their possessions is excessive, the airline must account for that in their load calculations. Thus, the assessment of weight, rather than merely the number of items or additional requests made by the passenger, can result in a scenario where the passenger is classified as "baggage" in the context of these calculations.

The other scenarios describe situations that may concern airline policies regarding luggage, but they do not influence the classifications based on weight considerations as significantly as the correct answer does.