Too Fat? Southwest Airlines Forces Hefty Frequent Flier to Buy Two Seats

Breitbart.tv ^ | 09/16/07

[MotleyGirl70]

“And the lady stops and says, ‘Sir, you need to have another ticket.’ And I said what for and she said, ‘because of your size.' I hate to admit it but I was in tears.”

VIDEO

[HungarianGypsy]

In before the “I exercise at the gym four hours a day and have a perfect body” types show up.

[cmsgop]

Ahh.... Southwest “Americas Airline” you couldn't pay me to fly with them

[Perdogg]

I was on a flight to Nassau and I am glad the plan was empty because the woman who would have sat beside me took up about 25% of my seat.

[goldstategop]

I can't wait til they charge supermodels double for distracting looks!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[NittanyLion]

Too fat...too much skin...you just can’t win with this airline.

[frankjr]

Couldn’t they just stow him below with the baggage?

Personally, I exercise at the gym four hours a day and have a perfect body.

[SandyInSeattle]

I think if a person fills two seats, they should buy two seats, if the plane is going to be full.

If it’s not, and there’s room to seat the passenger where he or she will not inconvenience someone else, I say no harm, no foul.

[Frohickey]

Why don’t they start charging by the weight or size? Makes sense. Airplanes have both weight and volume to contend with.

[af_vet_1981]

Mr. Hill weighed 435 pounds.

[HungarianGypsy]

ROFL!! Thanks for the laugh.

[mysterio]

The overweight didn’t stand up for my right to smoke on the plane.

[Past Your Eyes]

So what should be the tipping point?

[af_vet_1981]

Why don’t they start charging by the weight or size? Makes sense. Airplanes have both weight and volume to contend with.

It might make sense if they sold variable size seats but with the current configuration it is reasonable to have an obese passenger who would intrude on their neighbor's seat space to purchase two seats.

[Vigilanteman]

Yup. If he was, say, slightly overweight 250# or so, I'd give him some sympathy. As it was, he was 435#. The Southwest standard that you have to be able to lower the armrest seems quite reasonable.

Either that or negotiate with a skinny person to pay for the 25% of your seat they are taking.

However, in the case of a 435# guy, I think they would be taking closer to 50%. Even Twiggy couldn't fit on half a seat.

[A knight without armor]

I know I know. I know what you mean. I cannot get to the video but just going by the wording above - to me this is a nonstory. Frankly I thought it was standard procedure to require a big passenger to buy two seats. Or I guess even three or ten if necessary. So what. I don’t get the newsworthiness of this.

[Past Your Eyes]

Great! That means the seat you might have been in will be empty and I can slop over into it.

[af_vet_1981]

So what should be the tipping point?

When they intrude on another passenger's seat, but the airline agent needs to make that judgment call before it happens. One can always try to avoid that possibility by managing their weight.

[wildwood]

i’ve been stuck on the last row of a plane, aisle seat, while people waited to use the bathroom. you can’t believe the number of large fannies that were stuck in my face. i don’t think it’s fair if i have to be squashed bcause someone else eats too many cheetohs.

[Alter Kaker]

The overweight didn’t stand up for my right to smoke on the plane.

Nor should they. My company just paid $8000 for a last minute business class round trip ticket for me from Paris to New York (can you say, rip off?). For that kind of money, I shouldn't have to put up with a chain smoking 430 pound guy oozing over the armrest into my seat. If I'm wrong, please explain why.

[Justeggsactly]

Solution: Put all those fatties in adjacent seats. Sit them next to each other. Watch the fun!

[John123]

I can't wait til they charge supermodels double for distracting looks!

I have very sad news for you buddy... they are already covering the girls up with blankets...

[MotleyGirl70]

Lol. Well-played my FRiend.

[Brilliant]

Not the first time anything like this has happened.

[Andyman]

I’m with you. My 100-pound daughter was charged $70 for overweight luggage while some 400 pounder gets to board at no extra cost.

[A knight without armor]

That is not true. A lot did.

Smokers themselves did not win the battle either.

[Thud]

Check the last panel of the September 15, 2007, Opus cartoon here:

http://www.uclick.com/client/wpc/wpopu/

[Sonny M]

Just looking at this logically.

He was ready to board.

He had gone to the gate.

The ticket that he was forced to buy, had no been purchased (and in all likelyhood, would not have).

So, question to all Freepers out there.

Was he just forced to buy a ticket, that would have otherwise gone unsold?

And to accomadate him and anyone else, couldn't he simply have switched seats with someone who was next to an empty seat? This is assuming, he was not already going to be seated next to any empty seat.

[DoughtyOne]

Looks like they made a mountain out of a droll Hill.

Look, we may not want to admit it, but 435 pounds is two people. If the guy is going to cause undue discomfort for other passengers to the point they can’t put anyone next to him, he should pay extra.

I will say that the plain must be full before that route should be taken. Even one extra seat would be enough for him to forgo having to pay double.

[Sonny M]

I think if a person fills two seats, they should buy two seats, if the plane is going to be full

Considering he was at the boarding gate, they basically made him buy a ticket for a seat that had not been sold.

[MotleyGirl70]

My mom flew for the first time a few years ago and she said the guy next her was rather chubby and his fat was overflowing into her space. It didn’t make for a pleasant flight.

[traditional1]

Good. I seem to get the center seat between two of these guys below sometimes, and 6 hour flights with them last forever!

[Sooth2222]

I've always thought to be fair to everyone, they should sell tickets by weight: passenger + luggage.

(And I'm 6'3" and weigh more than average if you're wondering.)

[cmsgop]

Great! That means the seat you might have been in will be empty and I can slop over into it.

Be my guest, I'll even give you $5 so you can have the Non-Allergenic snack of the day....

[LibFreeOrDie]

Put a supersized person on every flight, give ‘em 2 seats, and make ‘em an Honorary Air Marshal. They get to sit on any terrorist/hijacker/nutcase/drunk for the duration of the flight.

[Koblenz]

What if someone is really tall and their knees go into the seat in front? Do they need two tickets too?

[Past Your Eyes]

On Southwest, you can sit anywhere there’s an empty seat as you trundle down the aisle.

[af_vet_1981]

I leave that choice to the airline. SouthWest does tend to fill its planes. I would rather fly on an airline that asserts its reasonable authority on its flights so as not to inconvenience the majority of its passengers.

[chaos_5]

If I was in charge of running an airline I would sell tickets by the pound. Here is an aviation bottom line, “weight and balance”. Given this, you can “hold” a seat for a down payment. When you get to the check in counter, step on that scale. You will either be charged more for your weight, or given a refund if you come in under your deposit.

With this plan, no one can cry discrimination,. All passengers pay per the pound.

[Sonny M]

My company just paid $8000 for a last minute business class round trip ticket for me from Paris to New York (can you say, rip off?). For that kind of money, I shouldn't have to put up with a chain smoking 430 pound guy oozing over the armrest into my seat. If I'm wrong, please explain why.

Your right, except I don't think thats what happened here.

By the fact that he was ready to board, and was told to (and able to) purchase an additional seat, implies they had at least one, unsold seat.

If they have empty seats, why make him pay for two?

I believe they did it, simply because they could.

[Grizzled Bear]

Mr. Hill weighed 435 pounds.

---

And everytime I fly I sit between him and his twin brother!

[gcruse]

“(and in all likelyhood, would not have).”

Really? Southwest usually flies packed. That’s the whole idea.

[Past Your Eyes]

That guy looks just like the one who runs our dump recycling center and transfer station.

[trimom]

I have a brother-in-law who ADMITS to 525#. Believe me, no one would want to be seated next to him on a flight. I have watched people sit between the armrests and sort of pause as the flesh remolds itself and flows UNDER the armrest and into the aisle.

Buy two seats. Please.

[longtermmemmory]

People who object to this 1. don’t fly and 2. have never had to sit next to an obese slob whose flab was oozing over the armrests.

[longtermmemmory]

no they will charge extra to sit next to them.

[zerosix]

Amen to your statement. If you've ever been forced to give up from 25% to 33% of your seat to a person who cannot fit within the arm rests, use their seat belt without an extender or lower the table top, you understand what SW is attempting to do.

I have had such an event occur and the same airline and flight attendants that refused to let me fly with one leg in a cast and the arm rest of the empty adjacent seat raised "for safety reasons" -- permitted the obese person to pull up the arm rest before being seated, required a seat belt extender, then proceeded to place their drink on my table top, as my "seat mate" was unable to lower hers. I believe that happened because I happen to be 5' 1" and weigh 104 lbs so they assumed I did NOT NEED a whole seat to myself.

There will be no next time, for that ever again to happen!!! I'll demand a seat in first class, a different seat for the person using my seat as well as his/hers, or he/she purchase two seats, as long as they require that much room!

[glorgau]

So what should be the tipping point?

When he oozes over into my seat.

[gcruse]

“I believe they did it, simply because they could.”

There could have been standby fliers who would have taken the seat, or not boarded if the fat guy opted for it.

[expatguy]

Mr. Hill weighed 435 pounds.

OMG that is almost the same as 3 grown men.