11 Ways Airlines Are Cramming People Onto Planes And Saving Money

Tim Boyle/Getty ImagesProfit 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.