Southwest Rapid Rewards - Award for the most offensive seatmate goes to . . .

I was on a three hour SWA flight, on a completely full plane, in a bulkhead window seat.

Aisle seat was a 40ish man, with his teenage son in the middle seat next to me.

Nothing to alert me before takeoff that it might be wise to change seats.

Immediately after takeoff, the aisle seater takes out his tin of Skoal.

Three hours and about two plastic drink cups of horrible, foul smelling brown liquid this guy produced, and I thought I was going to vomit from the stench, not to mention getting a crick in my neck from turning sideways in my seat to avoid eye contact. :(

Most amazing was the FA who took the filled cups of brown spit from this guy without flinching. . .

Why, oh why, is that tobacco crap allowed to be used in flight!?

That is disgusting

I was on a three hour SWA flight, on a completely full plane, in a bulkhead window seat.

Aisle seat was a 40ish man, with his teenage son in the middle seat next to me.

Nothing to alert me before takeoff that it might be wise to change seats.

Immediately after takeoff, the aisle seater takes out his tin of Skoal.

Three hours and about two plastic drink cups of horrible, foul smelling brown liquid this guy produced, and I thought I was going to vomit from the stench, not to mention getting a crick in my neck from turning sideways in my seat to avoid eye contact. :(

Most amazing was the FA who took the filled cups of brown spit from this guy without flinching. . .

Why, oh why, is that tobacco crap allowed to be used in flight!?

I assume there is no rule against spitting tobacco in a cup? I am so sorry you had to sit through that. I can't imagine what that would have been like. How can people be so incredibly inconsiderate? Never ceases to amaze me.

I assume there is no rule against spitting tobacco in a cup? I am so sorry you had to sit through that. I can't imagine what that would have been like. How can people be so incredibly inconsiderate? Never ceases to amaze me.

I genuinely felt sorry for the FA, and why she didn't put on the disposable plastic gloves to pick up the cups of spit. EWWW

Just be thankful smoking isn't allowed on flights anymore. I'd likely not travel by plane anywhere if that was the case.

You should have asked him to stop. If he would have refused, then do something as equally offensive to him. Don't just sit there and take it...

I thought the use of all tobacco products was banned on American flights by the FAA. Is that incorrect?

On the other hand, they ban people from flights because their clothing is "inappropriate" or their T-shirt has a slogan that offends a FA. It's pretty clear which is more offensive. Someone needs to get their priorities straight.

I thought the use of all tobacco products was banned on American flights by the FAA. Is that incorrect?

If this is accurate, then it is news to SWA, as none of the three flight attendants cared, and the guy using the Skoal was using it in full view, seated in the aisle bulkhead seat.

On the other hand, they ban people from flights because their clothing is "inappropriate" or their T-shirt has a slogan that offends a FA. It's pretty clear which is more offensive. Someone needs to get their priorities straight.

Indeed. Isn't it SWA that banned a young woman last year for her uber-short skirt?

You have my sympathy. Dip has to be the most disgusting of all the vices, at least in my opinion.

You win.

Even the person next to me that was sick and kept snorting doesn't beat your seatmate.

I was on a three hour SWA flight, on a completely full plane, in a bulkhead window seat.

Aisle seat was a 40ish man, with his teenage son in the middle seat next to me.

Nothing to alert me before takeoff that it might be wise to change seats.

Immediately after takeoff, the aisle seater takes out his tin of Skoal.

Three hours and about two plastic drink cups of horrible, foul smelling brown liquid this guy produced, and I thought I was going to vomit from the stench, not to mention getting a crick in my neck from turning sideways in my seat to avoid eye contact. :(

Most amazing was the FA who took the filled cups of brown spit from this guy without flinching. . .

Why, oh why, is that tobacco crap allowed to be used in flight!?

If the vent works, did you open it and direct it away from you if it bothers you that much?

Indeed. Isn't it SWA that banned a young woman last year for her uber-short skirt?

No. It was almost 5 years ago. And she went on to pose for Playboy after the incident.

On the other hand, they ban people from flights because their clothing is "inappropriate" or their T-shirt has a slogan that offends a FA. It's pretty clear which is more offensive. Someone needs to get their priorities straight.

I agree completely. Slogans might be offensive, a little too much skin might be offensive, but neither of those even come close to the tobacco spitting seat mate. There is offensive, and then there is gross, nasty and foul smelling. I will take the obscene T-short and/or the short skirt any day.

I agree completely. Slogans might be offensive, a little too much skin might be offensive, but neither of those even come close to the tobacco spitting seat mate. There is offensive, and then there is gross, nasty and foul smelling. I will take the obscene T-short and/or the short skirt any day.

OK...I can beat this. Not on SW, but on AS. Had my usual window seat, then during boarding, I detected a strong raw onion smell. It was an evening flight...someone had brought food with onions on the plane. And had a seat in the aisle of my row...yay. (not.) As if that was not bad enough, right at the end of boarding, another man joined our row in the middle seat. He did apologize in advance...why? Because he had been out fishing on a neighboring island, and had been cleaning fish up until when he hopped the float plane to barely connect to our flight, with no time to change clothes or shower. The dead fish odor was awful, though it did detract a little from the onion smell....a little bit.

The onion guy finally took out his chili cheese dog covered with about 1/2 cup of diced raw onions about halfway through the flight, and left the container open while he continued to talk to another pax...gah...just eat it already, so the smell will be contained in your stomach! At least the fish guy had some awareness. Onion guy willingly brought that crap on the plane. (I did teasingly fuss at the people at the snack bar counter to never sell that crap to a boarding passenger again the next time I flew through.)

Thank goodness this was a flight just under 2 hours, and no longer.

If this is accurate, then it is news to SWA, as none of the three flight attendants cared, and the guy using the Skoal was using it in full view, seated in the aisle bulkhead seat.

I was wrong. It's an airline by airline thing. On Delta it would not be allowed.

I was wrong. It's an airline by airline thing. On Delta it would not be allowed.

The only airline that I can recall hearing the "no tobacco products of any kind" announcement on was Delta.

OK...I can beat this. . . . The dead fish odor was awful, though it did detract a little from the onion smell....a little bit. . . .

Thank goodness this was a flight just under 2 hours, and no longer.

Sorry, you lose. ;)

Your flight was under 2 hours, mine was 3 hrs.
And, my seatmate was also visually gross and disgusting (not just stinky).

Sitting sideways in a window seat for three hours was challenging!

I remember someone else complaining about this a couple years ago on a Southwest flight on TA:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i10702-k3970899-Chewing_tobacco_on_flight-Air_Travel.html

I'm surprised any airline allows any kind of tobacco at all. I would send in an email complaining to WN about it and ask them to consider revising their policy. Delta (and IOIRC American as welel) does not allow any tobacco on any of their aircraft.

I remember someone else complaining about this a couple years ago on a Southwest flight on TA:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i10702-k3970899-Chewing_tobacco_on_flight-Air_Travel.html
. . . .

Wow, thanks for the link. It was fascinating to read people's comments, which almost unanimously echoed my remarks: disgusting and stinky, enough to make one lose their lunch.

Wow, thanks for the link. It was fascinating to read people's comments, which almost unanimously echoed my remarks: disgusting and stinky, enough to make one lose their lunch.

I would definitely email WN and include a link to this thread and the TA thread to back up how disgusting passengers find it. If I would sit next to someone chewing I would be moving if there were any empty seats on board. A person on a plane should not have to be exposed to that. I hope this is a situation I never have to encounter on a plane.