If that was the case, then they assumed that had unsold tickets, and had already passed that cost on.
Which is why they just don’t give it away to someone who wants more then their paid for share.
So, as a skinny guy, if I happen to have an empty seat next to me, I should be forced to pay extra? The airline could argue that I am getting more then my "fair share", by having empty seats next to me, they could use that argue, logically, that I should change seats so as not to have empty seats next to me.
I could not care less about this fat guy, its the way they did it, and the motive and the logical next steps that bother me.
Everyone is looking at this as a fat guy taking up 2 seats, I look at this as an airline forcing a passenger to buy another ticket, when it wasn't necessary, on a reason that does not apply to this case, and seeing future oppurtunities to do this other people (who are not fat or whatever).
“If that was the case, then they assumed that had unsold tickets, and had already passed that cost on.”
Southwest’s rules are that if you can’t lower the armrests you need to buy an extra ticket -
“Customers who are unable to lower the armrests (the definitive boundary between seats) and/or who compromise any portion of adjacent seating should proactively book the number of seats needed during initial reservations.”
From his statement, it appears that this guy may have gotten away with it many times before, passing on his fair share of the costs to the other paying passengers.
It appears that Southwest is more generous then I would be -
http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/cos_qa.html
IF they have not filled the flight, AND you have purchased the extra ticket beforehand, they will refund the extra ticket.