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.

[Not A Snowbird]

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.