Airline Asks 300-Pound Woman To Buy Two Seats Woman Headed To Orlando To Visit Dying Brother

Local6.Com ^ | July 3, 2002 | Jackie London

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

A 300-pound woman said that she was discrimated against when a Southwest Airlines counter worker required her to buy two tickets to fly to Orlando because of her weight, according to Local 6 News.

New York resident Maria Corea and her 9-year-old son were scheduled to leave Albany, N.Y., Tuesday to reportedly see their dying brother, according to Local 6 News.

However, when Corea approached the counter, she was told that she needed purchased two tickets.

"So they call me to the counter and tell me that I have (to buy) another ticket because my weight," Corea said. Corea said that she did not have the money to purchase another ticket and canceled the trip, according to the report.

She said that she would rather fly on another airline.

Southwest Airlines reportedly began enforcing the little-known policy June 26 that requires two tickets for what the company calls "people of size."

Company officials said its ticket agents always had the option of charging larger passengers for two seats.

Earlier this month, Southwest spokesman Ed Stewart denied any change in Southwest policy. He said larger passengers have always been charged for two seats if they couldn't fit comfortably in one.

[El Gato]

All owners of large suv should pay twice the fuel tax.

Humm, they do. They buy twice as much gas and the tax is by the gallon.

[ml/nj]

The woman CLEARLY takes up two seats so she should buy two tickets. That is fair. Have you ever had to sit next to someone 300 pounds on an airplane? It's miserable. They overflow into your seat.

Ditto for sports events, BTW.

ML/NJ

[SoDak]

I weigh 290 lbs, am 6'6 and fit comfortably into a coach seat, without infringing on any of the precious airspace of the little people. What riles me is when I see some little leprechaun in the exit row when his or her legs can't even reach the floor, and there's literally no hope of them managing to boost their carry-ons up to the storage bin, let alone handling a heavy door. Luckily, I fly 150,000+ miles every year so I don't usually have to put up with the nonsense in coach.

[RAT Patrol]

There are loud people, stinky people, rude people, crazy people, criminal people...whatever. Welcome to living. Obese people don't like that they're fat. It's hard enough on them and sometimes they have a medical condition or genetic reason for the obesity. (I am not talking about myself.) I would rather sit next to a clean fat person than a smelly skinny person. I think they airlines offering the service should accomdate. Sorry.

[RAT Patrol]

No one one this thread has a fat friend or family member? I just think embarassing people with a problem is rude.

[ml/nj]

New York resident Maria Corea and her 9-year-old son were scheduled to leave Albany, N.Y., Tuesday to reportedly see their dying brother, according to Local 6 News.

What, exactly, does her "dying brother" have to do with this? Would Local 6 News have reported this differently if she wanted to go to a Republican Party meeting?

ML/NJ

[11th Earl of Mar]

"they call me to the counter and tell me that I have (to buy) another ticket because my weight"

Not to nitpic, but you were not asked to buy a second ticket because of your weight. It was because of your size. If you could fit into ONE seat, you pay for one ticket, no matter how much you weigh.

[Hacksaw]

The lady wasn't offered a discount for the 9 year olds weight was she? I just think it is wrong. Are they also charging more for tall people? They should charge less for skinny people too.

We pay for our personal space. If some 300 pounder expects to sit in a single seat and have her seatmates put up with it, then she should not fly. I have flown next to drunk people, smelly people, people who will not let you sleep - but the most annoying are the lard-asses that squish you out of your seat.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

perhaps airlines should charge everyone by the pound...

Oh good, another great reason for me not to fly!

LOL...

[SoDak]

I've had much more annoyance from smelly people in my experience. I should get a private dome. Why should I put up with the stink from some dude that doesn't know what a shower is? I recently flew back from San Antonio in first class and had the dude next to me try to clip his toenails. $1100 for my seat and some dude makes it his bathroom. I wished he was an overweight lady without athlete's foot.

[ml/nj]

No one one this thread has a fat friend or family member? I just think embarassing people with a problem is rude.

Actually my sister cannot fit into a coach seat on an airplane. Reasoning from ones personal situation is what the Liberals do. You apparently care nothing for the other passenger(s) who would be inconvenienced by sitting next to this blimp. Just as this woman would not likely by a Volkswagen, she should not buy a coach seat on an airplane.

It's common decency.

ML/NJ

[ml/nj]

All owners of large suv should pay twice the fuel tax.

They do.

ML/NJ (SUV hater)

[earplug]

Fine you can share your seat with another. The fat people take seating space from others. When I fly and pay for a seat, I demand a full seat, I paid for a full seat.

[SoDak]

The rule ought to be, if you need an extension for your seat belt, it's time to get another seat. It's common sense. That's not rude, it's just physics.

[earplug]

Gas is taxed. How others wish to use the fuel should be free choice.

[zoyd]

There are loud people, stinky people, rude people, crazy people, criminal people...whatever. Welcome to living. Obese people don't like that they're fat. It's hard enough on them and sometimes they have a medical condition or genetic reason for the obesity. (I am not talking about myself.) I would rather sit next to a clean fat person than a smelly skinny person. I think they airlines offering the service should accomdate. Sorry.

Spoken like a true RAT. Let Southwest decide what their own policies are -- if you don't like those policies, don't fly Southwest. It's a head-shaking wonder how 'conservatives' rally against companies who want to enforce their own policies.

Fat people who overflow deserve to pay for the inconvenience they pass on to the people sitting next to them. If Southwest wants to have that as their policy, so be it.

Will you start a new political action group, Conservatives Against Private Businesses Making Their Own Rules?

[SteamshipTime]

If Southwest loses enough ticket sales because of the policy, they'll change it. If they don't, it's an economically viable and popular policy. In the meantime, this morbidly obese individual is doubtless checking the back covers of phone books so she can enlist the aid of the state in getting a coerced result.

[zoyd]

Where did the "To:" field go on the last bunch of posts?

[SamAdams76]

If a person has to pay for two seats because they are overweight, are they allowed to bring a child or bring a smaller adult to sit next to them? Frankly, I don't see why not. If you have to pay for two seats, you should be allowed to bring a guest with you to occupy the empty seat next to you.

Here's another question. If you have to pay for two seats, what about the person who is sitting on the other side of you? Or do they only seat you on the window or aisle so that you can have an empty seat between yourself and the other passenger? What if people who are forced to buy two seats decide to sit in the middle? What I mean is, what if you are made to buy two seats but you insist upon sitting in the middle, next to the passenger in the window seat. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of having to buy two seats? Or are you forced to sit in the aisle and leave the seat between yourself and the other passenger vacant? If this is the case, then the passenger might have a case. For if you are forced to buy two seats, you ought to be able to sit in either seat of your choosing.

[RAT Patrol]

On this one I side with the liberals then. Kathleen Parker had a good column on the subject. I agree with her. The airlines have made the seats too small for petite people for years. When so many Americans are overweight, if they want to service in this chunky country, make the seats fit at least the average person better.