DALLAS (June 19) - Bigger may not be better at Southwest Airlines Co.
Passengers whose love handles cannot fit between the arm rests of Southwest's seats will be charged double for flying on the low cost-carrier, the company said Wednesday.
The airline, which does not have first or business class sections with larger seats, said the policy has been in effect for some time, but it will be more strictly enforced starting next week.
Starting next Wednesday, its ''people of size'' policy will require passengers who need seat-belt extensions or cannot lower the arm rests on their seats to purchase two seats if they are flying on a plane near or at capacity.
''If you consume more than one seat, you will be charged for more than one seat,'' said spokeswoman Beth Harbin.
When the plane is not crowded, a larger passenger can apply for a refund for the second seat, she said.
Southwest said that about 90 percent of the letters it receives on the issue have been from passengers complaining that their seating has been encroached upon by larger neighbors. The airline said one of the top complaints it receives are from passengers who say they were ''sat on'' during their flight.
The airline was sued eight years ago on the issue by a larger passenger forced to buy a second seat and the case was dismissed, Harbin said.
The airline said the move to more strictly enforce the policy was prompted by its decision to stop giving out its quirky plastic boarding passes on a first-come, first-served basis to passengers at its departure gate.
Southwest, which does not have assigned seating, is starting to dispense paper boarding passes instead, which are given out at Skycap counters, ticket gates and at departure gates.
Starting next week, ticketing agents will be asked to show greater discretion in enforcing the people of size policy when assigning the paper boarding passes.
Reut11:47 06-19-02
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Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Then you can get into the problem of whether or not it is a medical condition, persecution for such medical condition, etc.....
But for lazy ass people, go get'em....
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
quote:Starting next week, ticketing agents will be asked to show greater discretion in enforcing the people of size policy when assigning the paper boarding passes.
How such a policy can be carried out "discretely" is beyond me.
I've got mixed feelings about this. It borders on discrimination, that much is clear.
Posted by Vogon Poet (Member # 393) on :
I suppose ground staff have to look busy to avoid having to implement any new security measures. . .
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
"I've got mixed feelings about this. It borders on discrimination, that much is clear."
Borders? It IS discrimination. But discrimination against lard arses, so that's okay.
Posted by Raw Cadet (Member # 725) on :
I agree with this policy. One should pay for the number of seats one uses, and unfortunately, since most large people do not volunteer to do so, a mandatory policy is needed. I say most because a very large uncle of mine is actually polite enough to pay for two seats when he flies.
Now, to take care of mothers who hold their babies on planes . . .
[ June 19, 2002, 18:39: Message edited by: Raw Cadet ]
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
"Please stow your children safely in the overhead compartment..."
Posted by Raw Cadet (Member # 725) on :
quote:Originally posted by Omega: "Please stow your children safely in the overhead compartment..."
Only if it is sound-proof.
And remember, children may shift during flight so please be careful when opening the overhead bin, and please double-check to make sure the child you take is yours.
[ June 19, 2002, 22:41: Message edited by: Raw Cadet ]
Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :
Right-oh... Here's hoping the next time when I go 5 pounds overweight on my luggage, I can point to some lard-ass who checked-in ahead of me and tell the delightful check-in person that I'll be responsible for less fuel consumption than he will.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"If you consume more than one seat..."
Maybe if they had larger bags of peanuts, they wouldn't have this problem...
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I don't feel this is discriminatory at all. As was said before... you use two seats, you pay for two seats. In this way, I avoid having a flabby, arm waddle laying on my ribs the whole flight.
It's not being mean, it's just the truth. Some people's weight is in fact due to a medical condition. But the majority of people simply let themselves get that way. And I'm sorry, but people who have paid for a relatively comfortable flight shouldn't have to put up with it.
Don't get me wrong... I'm not trying to help out the airline industry. I hate the airline industry. Classic case of promising more than you can deliver and short changing customers every chance you get. I'm trying to help myself. Flying is uncomfortable enough.
But you're right, there's really no way to discreetly do this. No matter what, it's going to come down to someone saying, "Look... you're huge. You take up two seats, and we're going to make you pay for two seats."
Oh, and "People of Size Policy"? Pleease.
Posted by Grokca (Member # 722) on :
If you can double up skinny people on one seat can you pay half?
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
As long as they don't touch me during the flight.
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
You have to admit, Americans are funny about personal space. Except in certain situations (concerts, rush hour, evacuations) we don't want anyone we don't know within, say, half a meter of us whethere they're fat, skinny, short, tall, ugly, or owner of a fantastic set of jugs.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I guess that's what happens when weird diseases run rampant in your society
Though I have to admit, the way the person looks has something to with it. If Jennifer Aniston was sitting next to me on the plane... it could be 95 degrees and Bayou humid, and I wouldn't mind so much if her shoulder bumped up against mine the whole flight. However, there are no circumstances that I can imagine in which I would find it acceptable for a 300 pound, sweaty dude's marbled flesh to rub against mine.
Does that make me wierd? I don't think so...
Posted by David Templar (Member # 580) on :
This discrimination problem is easily solved with a note from the doctor explaining your obesity as the result of a overactive gland of some sort or some other condition, where as "I'm too lazy to exercise" is not a valid medical excuse. If you can afford that extra serving of fries every meal, you can afford that extra seat charge. Consider it as simply spending that money you saved by not going to the gym on travel.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Great, now you need to have a doctor's note if you are fat and going to fly.....
Shik, the great set of jugs may reduce the distance to me.......
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Exactly. Illegal discrimination is based on aspects of a person over which they have no control or aspects over which society has deemed that they have every right to excersize full control without fear of being discrimated against for it.
Race, sexual preferece, disease, handicap, national origin, religion... these are all valid things that would fit under the discrimination law. If they were charging midgits double the price because they were...i don't know...scary to the pilot, it would be discrimination. But someone being obese when it isn't due to a medical problem isn't discrimination. Even when it is a medical issue... should another passenger really have to deal with having half of their seat taken up? I just don't see that as being right either.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Discrimination is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. Discrimination based on something that doesn't matter in the slightest is a bad thing. If someone takes up two seats, that matters. If someone is black, it makes no difference whatsoever, unless you're into statistical analysis of life expectancy or something.
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Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
"Sir, if you'd just quiet down, I'd be happy to treat you to a garbage bag full of popcorn."
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