Originally Posted by gutt22
I may have said it before in this thread's earlier days, but this week's Airline reminded me of it: The problem with Southwest's policy of making people buy two tickets if they're too large is simply that it is not consistently applied. People who are asked to buy a second ticket one time aren't asked to do so another. Whether you're asked seems to depend on who you draw as your ticket agent. That's ridiculous.
I saw that episode, too, and had no sympathy for the overweight woman. First, she _said_ she flies every six weeks or so. That doesn't mean that she does and, frankly, I'm skeptical that this is the case. Who shows up at an airport with only a ticket and no cash or credit card -- not even an ATM? Who thinks that a ticket charged to someone else's card will be refunded in cash? This woman was an adult (at least by age) and certainly should have known better. What I found particularly unacceptable was her sense of entitlement. The SWA rep consistently said, "it's for your own safety and comfort, AND THE COMFORT AND SAFETY OF THE OTHER PASSENGERS." This woman was very, very large. There's no doubt that she would have been in her seat and half of the seat of whoever was unlucky enough to sit next to her. At no time did she ever give the slightest thought to anyone other than herself. The "I'm a single mother with two kids" entitlement whine was the icing on the cake.
I have nothing against overweight people, and don't think any less of them because of their size. Though I don't like to see people killing themselves, it's their business what size they wish to be and I have no problem with. No problem, that is, until a complete stranger decides to takeover half of the seat that I've paid for.
Unless they find a way to come up with some objective test that serves as the policy's basis, they're going to run the risk of losing lawsuits and upsetting customers.
They won't lose any lawsuit. The woman on Airline may work for a lawyer, but I am one. Unless and until obesity is classified as a disability, it is perfectly permissible for airlines to require passengers-of-size to buy two seats, or even to exclude them entirely. It may upset passengers, but it doesn't violate any laws. And, as for pax getting upset, Airline has shown a few incidents in which pax had to buy two seats. With the one exception of this nasty woman, no one got particularly upset, everyone was treated with courtesy and dignity, and no one threw a temper tantrum.
They need to pick something -- if you need a seatbelt extender, for example -- and stick with it in all cases. This hit-and-miss enforcement is simply unacceptable. Heck, just have a WN seat with a seatbelt there in the check-in area or gate area -- just like they do for carry-on baggage! I don't care, so long as the enforcement is consistent.
I don't know how they can do this, since everyone is different. Remember the woman last night who was given the voucher because she was crushed next to a large passenger? The rep asked if the large pax had the armrest down. The woman said, "Yes, but she flowed under onto half of my seat." Everyone's physique is different. I know some very large people who can be accomodated in a single airline seat without imposing on other pax' space, even though they need the seatbelt extender. I've also seen much smaller people who don't need the extender who flow onto the seat (and the person) seated next to them.
I'm far less concerned with consistency or an objective rule than I am with ensuring that I'm the only person seated in my seat (though my wife can sit on my lap if she wants
).