Originally Posted by whitearrow

Wow, nice assumption about me, a person you've never met. I'm not a runway model, but I fit in a coach seat just fine. I have no concern at all that I would get thrown off a plane for being too fat.

The bad PR is due to the fact that this policy, whatever you think of it, was implemented horribly. Southwest boarded Smith as a standby passenger -- the last person on the plane. Everyone else was seated. He was recognized ("Silent Bob!"), got his bag stowed, then sat down, and *then* was approached and he told had to leave. Then he had to get his bag, and walk off in front of a full planeload of people. Neither of his seatmates -- both petite women, if you listen to his podcast -- had complained, either.

If SW honestly believed this to be an issue, then it should have been recognized as such *before* he boarded, with the full knowledge of the GA and FA's that only one middle seat was available. They saw him at the desk. They saw him at the gate when they took his BP. Why was it only an issue once he was seated, and demonstrated that he could put the seat rests down? And also, you know? There is a difference between a 4 hour flight and a 55 minute one, and for the policy to be enforced in such a way in this particular case was uncalled for.

So to me the issue here is not the policy, but how it was implemented here -- which was the most humiliating way possible. I don't care if you're fat or not, but if you can't empathize at least a little with being ejected in front of a planeload of people in this situation, then it's you I'm sorry for.