Posted on 06/19/2002 2:39:23 PM PDT by Barbie Doll
Airline To Double Fare For 'People Of Size'
SAN DIEGO, 1:37 p.m. PDT June 19, 2002 - Southwest Airlines says it will require people who cannot fit in a single airline seat to purchase two tickets beginning next week.
Airline representatives say ticket agents will ask what the company calls "people of size" to pay for a second seat if they are too large for another passenger to be seated beside them. Ticket agents already have the option of charging double for large passengers, but they rarely use it. Now, Southwest says it will enforce the policy in every case.
The airline first suggested double-charging larger passengers several years ago, but it withdrew the plan after passengers protested. Many passengers say they still oppose a pay-for-two policy.
"Who's going to decide who is going to have to pay for the extra ticket? Do we have to get on a scale?" asked Sheila Allen of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. "My weight is private medical information. It's not for anybody else's knowledge."
"It's a lot of money to pay for plane tickets and that's just real discriminatory asking people to pay extra like that," Jared Hutchins.
The airline says it will begin enforcing the policy on Wednesday.
I could care less how much you weigh, dumbo.
So long as you don't presume to have the right to lift the armrest between us, nor prevent me the freedom of movement and ordinary courtesies that all passengers expect from each other.
Bull! I am not tiny by a long shot but I do only require one seat. I flew to Atlanta last week on Delta with a woman in the next seat that weighted 300 if she weighed an ounce and I couldn't move without touching her. I'm sure she was uncomfortable squeezed into one seat. Two seats would have been exactly what she needed.
It was a miserable trip for both of us. The longest two hours of my life. She was flying on to New York. I wonder who got the honor of squeezing up against her the rest of the way.
I don't think anyone would have to INSIST. That's the plan. You get two seats, you use two seats.
Very Strongly Agree!!
If two folks lease adjacent ranches and one of the fellows overstocks his range, then unilaterally removes a fence so his cattle can graze on the 2nd party's grass, the 2nd party is well within his rights to stop this infringement AND litigate for compensation.
Did you even asked to me moved or are you just complaining.
Who is "us"? Are you fat? For the record, I'm not skinny but I only need one seat.
Did you even asked to me moved or are you just complaining.
Of course I would have asked to move--but the plane was full. Also, please note that I paid as much for my seat as the fat jerk paid for his but he hung over into mine. What right did he have to occupy the space I had rented?
According to your mentality, the motto of all obese people should be, "We deserve more of everything" or, "Because we're fat, what's yours is half mine."
It's people like you who encourage these cases of discrimination. Should fat people deserve any more consideration than smokers? Smoking is no longer allowed because of discomfort caused to others. Why sould fat be treated any differently?
If a person occupies two seats, they should pay for two seats. It's as simple as that! Pay for what you get, get what you pay for!
BTW, it just happened to be a Southwest flight I was on so I will be flying SW when possible after they initiate this policy. Apparently they've had many complaints.
How I felt after my 4 hour ordeal. I was almost pushed into the lap of the person on my right.
Come to think of it, I think Gerald Nadler...NAH! The guy I was stuck with was too clean, he smelled too good, to be Nadler.
You would still have the same problem of too much lard in a too small space.
I did a little digging on this and here is what I found:
Originally posted on my blog at this link.
When a frequently flying fatty sued SWA back in 2000 the suit was dismissed. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Marilyn Hoffman threw out the case when she agreed with Southwest its policy on overweight passengers is neither illegal nor discriminatory. (ADA, anyone?)
Fatties cry foul over airlines charging double fare
Sunday, December 17, 2000Airlines in America will be able to charge obese customers an extra fare if they spill on to adjacent seats after a judge dismissed a lawsuit by a 135kg woman who sued for discrimination.
The decision angered America's politically correct lobby and shocked observers who had grown used to the country's tireless campaigners for equal rights.
Cynthia Luther, from California, complained after Southwest Airlines asked her to pay for her own, plus a neighbouring, seat. The airline said her bulk made the adjacent seat unusable.
Miss Luther claimed this was "fat discrimination".
The airline initially told Miss Luther she would have to hire a seatbelt extension because the regular ones were not long enough to fit round her.
Then Southwest told her she would have to buy the other seat or not be allowed on the flight.
The airline tried to soften the blow by telling Miss Luther she would be entitled to receive two snacks - one for each fare she had purchased.
Miss Luther filed a discrimination lawsuit claiming the airline harassed and embarrassed her. But Superior Court Judge Marilyn Hoffman agreed with Southwest lawyer Arthur Willner.
"The procedure and policy is directed in any situation where it appears for whatever reason a passenger might significantly encroach on another passenger," she said.
Also see the case of Arlene Edelman, an 800 pounder that had to buy TWO AND A HALF TICKETS back in the early 1990's
I was on a four hour flight once, and the fat slob in the seat beside me was too fat to allow the arm rest down. I was miserable for four hours and didn't appreciate his lap in mine. I couldn't move and was very uncomfortable.
Why do we put up with it? This also happened to me once, flying coach. Mr. WideLoad was in the aisle seat, another slender woman like myself in the window seat and I had the middle. He declined to be enough of a gentleman to rise and permit me easy access to the row, when asked, which caused me to stumble over both of his feet and fall into her lap. (At least it wasn't HIS!) He had already raised the armrest and his sweaty butt and arm were taking up about 1/3 of my seat. To her credit, the woman next to me offered to put her armrest up and let me share a bit of her seat, but when he got up for a potty break, I flipped the armrest down, put my arm on it and opened a big book (not wider than my own legitimately purchased space) for the entire trip. Didn't matter, though, he also had body odor, and my arm was now crammed behind him, so my silk shirt came away smelling of him. I sat twisted like that from Atlanta to Newark, and got a nice backache from it, as as well. That was back when I was mousy about asserting my rights. Nowadays, were I willing to get on a plane (not til they stop lying about security!) I wouldn't put up with that for 30 seconds!
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