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Southwest Airlines passenger too big to fly? You be the judge!
Southwest Airlines is once again in the news for its claimed mistreatment of a passenger of size. Trampus Adams and his wife were flying from Las Vegas back home to Portland when an airline staff member requested that his wife get off the plane to purchase a second ticket. The staff member had made the decision that she was unable to safely fit in one seat.
The humiliation drove her to tears and she began hyperventilating. In fact, the course of events were so stressful, that she ended up in hospital the next day.
To be perfectly honest, I'm having a hard time picking any side here - Mrs. Adams is 5-foot-8 and weighs 350 pounds, so there is no denying that she is a "passenger of size". In a photo taken by her husband, he's trying to show that his wife had no problem fitting in one seat, and that the demand for purchasing a second seat was wrong.
From the perspective of the airline, a judgment call was made, and assuming the staff didn't select her just to annoy her, the have every right to pick safety and comfort of their fellow passengers over politeness.
I do think the airline was wrong to have her get off the flight to pay for the second seat - these issues should be resolved before passengers board, to prevent the kind of embarrassing situation Mrs. Adams had to endure. In addition to this, she had been allowed to fly to Las Vegas without any incident, so it is obvious that Southwest Airlines was not applying the rules consistently.
So - dear readers - what do you think? Was Southwest Airlines correct to demand that she pay for a second seat, or did they insult her? To clarify - Mr. Adams is not asking for money, he just wants an apology from the airline.
(Article and photo from KOIN Local 6)
Filed under: Airlines
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Slappy Sep 12th 2009 3:43PM
Shorts? Seriously? People should be required to wear skin covering clothing, I don't want your bare skin rubbing up on me during the flight, regardless of how much you weigh.
Same goes for flipflops. Yuck.
Pat Sep 12th 2009 4:13PM
I suspect that many of folks voting for the "yes" options are doing so because they would not want to be seated next to this passenger. This is understandable, but incorrect. SWA policy is quite clear. The customer was able to put the armrest down, and isn't infringing on the adjacent seat.
myob1776 Sep 12th 2009 5:11PM
Southwest is actually unusually generous in this regard. If any passenger purchases an extra seat (whether required or simply desired), he or she can do so. If the flight is not completely full -- so long as there is one empty seat -- then (if asked) SW will reimburse the cost of that extra seat.
Fabricio Sep 12th 2009 5:52PM
I just think that if a passenger doesn't fit securely in a seat he/she would not fit securely with two tickets either. It must've been pretty embarrassing. I think it would be easier if passengers made sure they fit before boarding planes.
Bruce Bowe Sep 12th 2009 8:05PM
I agree totally with myob1776. I sure as hell wouldn't want to sit next to a POS who wasn't covered up any more than she is in the picture. Surely, she doesn't think a normal person wouldn't mind being next to her.
On the other hand, she's on the window. If hubby is in the middle and is not a fatty, what damage is done to the person on the aisle?? None that I can see.
goalielax Sep 13th 2009 1:29AM
come on, her side fat is hanging on the arm rest and are you honestly telling me she's going to fly with those ham-hock arms crossed across her chest the whole way home? 5'8" and 350? it's clear she has no regard for herself, regard for others should be forced on her in this case
Alex Sep 13th 2009 7:48AM
I was just wondering...
How can Southwest, or ANY airline, have an oversize passenger buy a second seat BEFORE they board when we don't know if they'll fit until they get on the plane?
And, to be honest, if you can't reach the seatbelts because they're stuck underneath you, I genuinely don't think it is safe.
Billy Sep 13th 2009 10:20AM
Southwest does have the best Person of Size (POS) seating policy out there. But you're right when you say this needs to be resolved prior to the person getting on the plane. Also, did anyone notice she's practically standing up in her seat? Looks to me like she's not even completely sitting down in the seat.
Ed Shull Sep 14th 2009 4:19AM
I have to add something here because I have some personal experience with Southwest and their POS policy.
I'm overweight, and I fly a lot. It's not very comfortable, but that's my own fault. A couple years ago I arrived to board a flight to NY and was told (before boarding) that I would have to purchase a second ticket. Since I never had this issue before, I was not happy about it, but I complied. Perhaps I was just too embarrassed to speak up.
As most know, Southwest has a first come, first serve policy to seating. But I was asked to board early, adding to the embarrassment factor. The only upside to all this was that I would now have two seats, which is great. Not even my fat ass will fill both seats. So when a guy sat next to me, I politely told him I had purchased both seats. But then the flight attendant brought him back saying that there were no more seats. I told her I purchased two tickets, and produced them. She told me I could apply for a refund when I got home.
So clearly Southwest is not concerned about my, or your comfort. They just want to sell the extra seat if it's available. I can understand if most people just scoff at this, but think about this a second. They are only concerned about this when they can sell the second seat, it has nothing to do with comfort or safety, just them making a few more bucks at the expense of embarrassing people who are already uncomfortable. And of course I never did get that refund.
steve326m Sep 14th 2009 8:18AM
I would have told her straight up too bad. I was told I had to buy two tickets and I did. This seat is mine! I didn't overbook the flight, you did. it's not my problem it's yours. Don't rob me to solve it. You definitely will not give me a refund for I'm still waiting for the last refund over a year ago (an example) so that promise is false. Stick to your guns. If they force you off because of that, you got a major lawsuit.
God Bless,
Steve & Myrlita
Bacolod City, PH
Zippo Sep 14th 2009 4:29PM
How hard is it for airlines to create seats of various sizes? We all arent 250lbs or less? Distribute the varied sized seating thru out the plane and be done with this madness.
I do not think the wife should have been made to get off the plane and PAY for a 2nd seat. So all the passengers, the pilots and crew were supposed to wait til she went, paid, and came back> Crappola! We are in the 21st century! Why can't there be a card reader she swipes her credit card thru and payment be done right there on the spot? Oh wait. The US is soooo slow with its technology and conversions that it will wither be Europe or bless-ed Japan who uses these on an everyday basis.
Should the woman have been forced off the plane? No, she bought and paid for her ticket like everyone else. Should airlines ask for the weight of its passengers for better seating/? Maybe so this type of thing doesn't happen. Post it on the website for customers so they can choose whether a bigger seat is good for them because of their bigger size.
*Has become EXTREMELY tired of these tid bit issues of fights of customers versus flight crew percetions. Everyone is still too damn jumpy after 9-11.
cindy Sep 22nd 2009 3:10PM
When I had gone from Phoenix to Nashvill I got cought in the middle seat between two large ladies. Yes they could put down the arm but there skin flowed over them. I needed to go to the rest room and the looks I got and the big deal they made it was out of this world. I asked the flight attendant if they could change my seat but it was a full flight and thats how I got here. They could not do anything. It worst flight i have ever had. One of the woman needed to use the restroom and she did not fit in. SO yes please some how look at there size befor boarding.
Denny Oct 6th 2009 11:26AM
One suggestion: For those of you who have never sat next to such a ugle-fat passenger, but who have commented in favor of allowing such a fat person to occupy only one seat, try it sometime...then we'll see how faithful you are to your liberal views.
One excpetion: As was mentioned before, a fat person either occupies two seats, or must be seated by the window accompanied a non-fat person who will sit in the middle seat and act as a buffer.
One problem: How fat is fat? Hmmmm....I guess a mearsurement would have to be taken across the passenger's broadside (similar to baggage checking). Too wide, two tickees. Of course this would also apply to big,"hefty" people, too.