My Conversation with Kevin Smith

[LindaRutherford]

I had the chance this afternoon to speak directly with director Kevin Smith. I let him know that in my 18 years here at Southwest, I have never dealt with a situation like what has been unfolding in the last 48 hours. I let Kevin know we have refunded his airfare. I told him we made a mistake in trying to board him as a standby passenger and then remove him. And I told him we were sorry.

Now, 48 hours later, after talking to many involved, we know there were several things going on that day and that our Employees were doing their best to get his flight out safely and on time, including finding seats for everyone and trying to accommodate standby passengers. The Captain did not single Kevin out to be removed, but he did ask that the boarding be completed quickly. At that time, our Employees made the decision to remove Kevin after a quick judgment call that he might have needed more than one seat for his comfort and those seated next to him. 

Although I’m not here to debate the decision our Employees made, I can tell you that I for one have learned a lot today. The communication among our Employees was not as sharp as it should have been and, it’s apparent that Southwest could have handled this situation differently. Thanks, Kevin, for your passion around this topic. You were a reasonable guy during our conversation.

Southwest, like most carriers, has a policy to assist passengers who need two seats onboard an aircraft. The policy is an important one for the comfort and safety of all passengers aboard a plane, and we stand by that 25-year-old policy. This has our attention, and we will be reviewing how and when this delicate policy is implemented.

[Anonymous523]

What really happened here? This is what I think: Southwest had an employee- (the gate agent who asked if Smith was a Revenue passenger), who had a non revenue passenger that needed one seat. That passenger was waiting for all the normal standby to be seated to see how many seats were open. When it was obvious there were none, they decided to pull Smith without the armrest/seatbelt test which they claim is the standard benchmark and talk about this particular benchmark on the reality show they did more than once. Someone needed a family member or themselves to fly out on that flight and so they pulled Smith. This explains everything including why they did not pull the other obese passengers and why they did not listen to Smith when he attempted to do the arm rest test and why Suzanne took an extra 8 minutes on that flight- she was seating the non-rev passenger. My Dad worked in the airlines on OZA/ TWA for decades and we flew as nonrev passengers for years and this is the only scenario that explains everything, but SW will never admit their employees arbitrarily bumped a revenue customer for an employee perk.

[Anonymous172]

SWA needs to get back to its superior vision and service of cheaper fares and great customer service. NO heavy person will or should pay double fares out of fear of insult and humiliation because of an eating disorder!! If the arm rests come down they are in their seat and enough said. I used to LUV SWA and still am a frequent flyer but now I check other airlines too because I notice your competitive edge slipping.....getting rid of this policy (not shared by the majority of other airlines) will go a long way back to becoming the SWA airline I once suggested friends/ family/ business associates fly. Your revamped Rapid Reward system also is highly discouraging--who wants to use 4 vouchers to fly a standard seat at a decent time? Cheers are in order however because SWA thus far refuses to charge baggage fees and other nonsense costs ($8 to use a pillow--come on American!!!). Savvy airline customers simply will not be bullied or suckered into unreasonable rules or costs. AM

[Anonymous1270]

I love the "we removed him for his own comfort part" how compassionate and thoughtful to be aware or Mr. Smiths comfort and your completely comfortable and not awkward in the least handling of this experience. You guys did a great job of easing his discomfort by humiliating him in front of a plane full of people. I can totally see your point, though a hour long flight in a tight seat is clearly more uncomfortable than any discomfort he could possibly feel due to his delay, aggravation and treatment. This has to one of the weakest, substandard PR statements that I have had the displeasure of reading. You have lost yet another customer permanently. But look at the bright side hopefully soon you will have plenty of open seats so that you can single out a group of people and "revenue" them!

[Anonymous1439]

There seems to be plenty of comments here that express exactly how I feel, so I will be brief and to the point. With your "25 year old policy", lack of human decently and compassion as an organization, and poor response to a clear problem with your company, I nor my family will ever fly Southwest Airlines.

[Patrick_Tome]

I absolutely applaud Southwest's decision to make Kevin Smith buy an extra seat, or get off the plane and fly another less crowded flight. It shouldn't matter who Kevin Smith is. What matters is that Southwest rightly assumed that the person(s) on either side of someone as large as Kevin Smith doesn't (don't) want to fly with a portion of Kevin Smith pouring into their seat. I have never flown Southwest...but I will now GO OUT OF MY WAY TO FLY SOUTHWEST because of this incident. It shows me they aren't afraid to make a difficult decision when it comes to keeping other passengers comfortable. Score one FOR SOUTHWEST. And to Kevin Smith? Shame on you for using what little celebrity you have to try and bend the rules in your favor. It's too bad you can't use that $100 voucher toward a gym membership.

[Anonymous4629]

Dear SW, Thank you for protecting my health and safety by not allowing fat people on your flights. Since you have been so proactive regarding fatties, It is my hope that you will address several other of my heath and safety concerns such as, 1. Babies and small children on flights: Not only are they loud (thus preventing me from hearing SW Crew in an emergency), they often stink (headache, distraction from safety issues), kick the back of my seat - pull my hair - invade my space (thus preventing me from enjoying my paid-for seating), also, in an emergency cannot pull their own weight and would get in the way of fellow passengers exiting the airplane. 2. Elderly passengers: If they can't move as fast as me, I don't want them between me and the nearest emergency exit. It's a safety issue. 3. Disabled passengers: Hey, if my safety is impaired because of a fattie, how much more is it impaired if some person how can't even walk is between me and the emergency exit.? I don't think cripples should be allowed to block my exits and should not be able to fly on the same plane as me. 4. Non-English speaking passengers: If they can't understand the safety instructions from the crew they should not be allowed to fly on the plane! No habla, no fly. 5. Depressed passengers: If they are depressed, I don't want them to fly. God only knows what they will be up too (and they most likely stink as well). Of course, this is just the "tip of the iceberg". I'm sure once you get working on it you can find all kinds of other people that pose safety risks and ban them too. I'm happy to keep flying such a God-fearing, pro-American company such as SW. Keep up the good work!

[Xanthippe]

After reading Kevin Smith's latest blog post, this apology rings false to me. http://silentbobspeaks.com/?p=393

[Anonymous1270]

I love the "we removed him for his own comfort part" how compassionate and thoughtful to be aware or Mr. Smiths comfort and your completely comfortable and not awkward in the least handling of this experience. You guys did a great job of easing his discomfort by humiliating him in front of a plane full of people. I can totally see your point, though a hour long flight in a tight seat is clearly more uncomfortable than any discomfort he could possibly feel due to his delay, aggravation and treatment. This has to one of the weakest, substandard PR statements that I have had the displeasure of reading. You have lost yet another customer permanently. But look at the bright side hopefully soon you will have plenty of open seats so that you can single out a group of people and "revenue" them!

[Elizabeth_Klavi]

I wonder how many other people have been shamed by your flight staffs. How many of them have received refunds, $100 credits for flights or... written public apologies on your website? Or even a phone call from a real person? It seems that this is a class of treatment reserved for you celebrity fliers -- an how many of them are there? I'm not a fan, Southwest, not a fan.

[Anonymous2896]

Just admit your employee(s) didn't do their job right. Maybe you need to boost up your training or your hiring process. Cmon now. You wrote a policy. It's been in place 25 years. They still couldn't follow it? Or is there more to the policy than you are publicly stating? Either way, it's a black and white deal...no gray area. The policy states arm rests have to be able to go down and the seat belt go on, and Kevin was able to do all that. Mind you that you guys did take him for a couple hundred earlier that week (by the same employee), and he let it slide...yeah, don't even act like he's over-reacting to any of this. And to all the haters out there... Most diets are less healthy than being a little over weight, so don't hate. A person's fat is less intruding than a person's hate or ignorance or a combination thereof. I would personally pay double to sit next to Kevin Smith because he's so entertaining.

[Kathy5]

Bravo Southwest, all the airlines should take this position and stick to it. If you need two seats, don't fly standby if you can't get two seats. His right to fly doesn't supersede my right as an average size lady to be reasonably comfortable and safe on my flight. I paid for my ticket too.

[swa_flygirl]

This is for the "anonymous" overweight person who's no longer a customer of Southwest: Lose some weight! You know damn well you're big and know you'll make the smaller person sitting beside you uncomfortable! Don't think I don't know how it feels. I used to be obese myself when I was younger, but I took the initiative and stopped making excuses and blaming others and lost the weight. Also remember that most airlines have this policy, so stop singling Southwest out!

[Hermann]

It's funny that both the fat and politically correct people are upset here. Why not then have a fat section of the airplane to spare the rest if us who actually give a damn about our appearance and health. I have no problem with fat people on an airplane, however, like many others I have sat next to a fatty on a long flight (heck even on short flights) and have paid the price via a bad neck, back, etc after the flight. So here it is....politically correct people try flying US Air and other legacy carriers and be subject to their abhorrent customer service and extra fees. SW, make a section for fat people only and let their fat spill over upon each other. In addition they typically smell foul and breathe obnoxiously heavy. So fat people, if you don't want to be discriminated against, then stop sticking jelly doughnuts down your throat and be responsible. Not only do you affect those sitting next to you, you will also cost us extra money for your healthcare in the future. I'm sick of this fat society.

[Hermann]

It's funny that both the fat and politically correct people are upset here. Why not then have a fat section of the airplane to spare the rest if us who actually give a damn about our appearance and health. I have no problem with fat people on an airplane, however, like many others I have sat next to a fatty on a long flight (heck even on short flights) and have paid the price via a bad neck, back, etc after the flight. So here it is....politically correct people try flying US Air and other legacy carriers and be subject to their abhorrent customer service and extra fees. SW, make a section for fat people only and let their fat spill over upon each other. In addition they typically smell foul and breathe obnoxiously heavy. So fat people, if you don't want to be discriminated against, then stop sticking jelly doughnuts down your throat and be responsible. Not only do you affect those sitting next to you, you will also cost us extra money for your healthcare in the future. I'm sick of this fat society.

[littleskippy]

I have been thin all my life but humiliation has no weight boundaries. Kevin Smith's smogcast talks about a woman that was also humiliated for her size when he got on the second flight. Did anyone at Southwest apologize to this not famous individual? That would have shown that you were truly sincere. Hey, that's Customer Relations 101.

[TwitterFail]

I'm not surprised by this apology that isn't. When your employees screw up, and you take responsibility to make things right, it casts a positive light on your brand. But, when you use PR speak, and never admit to the actual wrong, the public is generally left with the same impression I've had of SWA all along. Substandard airline, just concerned with undercutting everyone else to make a buck. I've flown SWA before, and the old, dirty airplanes, inconsiderate employees, and general lack of comfort (for a small-to-average sized woman) caused me to vow to never fly your airline again. My bags fly free? Nice sales pitch, but if I can't ride in the same comfort as my bags, I'll stick with a bigger, and better airline. On second thought, if you will create a policy (and enforce it) to discriminate against People Who Smell, including People Who Wear Cologne, People with Bratty Children, Bratty Children themselves, People Who Won't Shut Up, People Who Don't Understand Personal Space, People Who Kick the Back of Seats, People Who Use Up All The Overhead Bin Space, People Who Hog the Armrest, People Who Chew Gum Loudly, People Who Bug You to Change Seats When You Requested the Aisle and Don't want to give it up, People Who Tell You Their Life Story, People Who Ask Inappropriate Questions, People Who Snore, People Who have conversations with people in another row or across the aisle, including People Who Just Talk Too Loud, People Who Obviously Have a Cold and Not Allergies, and other people who annoy the heck out of the rest of us, I may just reconsider. Nope. I take that back. I don't give money to People Who Are Bigots. I"ll be traveling the other airlines with People Who Care About Fairness.

[Anonymous2896]

@ Herman and anyone who agrees with the comment... ".Kudos to SW....fat people need to get over themselves and realize what a major pain it is to fly next to them (especially on a long flight)...The truth is they invade your space, ,typically have body odor, breathe loud and then want an apology for stuffing too many Big Macs...i don't think so. SW today I have decided I will never fly another airline escept yours....this is from a 20 year US Airways frequent flyer. PS-Your not handicapped....you're fat and lazy. Star walking or soemthing." I eat a lot of Big Macs. In fact, I try to eat one fast food burger a day because I'm like totally addicted. I also stuff my face with chocolate and ice cream and pastries. Oh yeah, I never work out. I'm also 31 and a size 3 (when I'm not pregnant). I'm not making this up. Weight has more to do with your body and genetics than your lifestyle. So does intelligence, so I'll try to be a little more accepting of your neurodiversity than you are of physical characteristics.

[See_the_Light]

The problem is not fat people the problem is airlines are not wiling to adjust the seats to fit our generation. Instead the making seats smaller and the Airplanes bigger!!!!!!! I am not overweight however I am a sporty man 6.1 fut. And 215 ponds I fight the seats every time I fly. My shoulder is sticking out in the aisle and the Stuart is hitting me with the food card which most of the time hurts him more then me. This is only one example. (Don’t blame the flight staff of any airline the problem is with corporate management especially at “all American airlines” which makes the role and when the staff has a difficulty’s and enforces them, then its time to blame the frontline worker and play the nice gay behind there back and say sorry afterward .) Like all corporations if the F___UP. The have a nice sorry line until the next time. You can email me at wantensteiner@comcast.net

[Anonymous215]

I would like to commend your airline for considering your customers comfort when developing the 2 seat policy. One more than one occasion with other airlines I have had to sit next to someone who was clearly too big for their seat. The result was obvious- although I had paid for a full seat I had to settle for a partial seat with a stranger pressed against me. What would happen if a healthy sized person were to make the same argument in a flight, demanding that they get their entire seat despite the heavy guy next to them. Would that delay the flight? Would they be arrested? Would hy be escoted off he plane for expecting what they paid for? And would it cause the amount of attention that this incident has caused? Please don't change your policies due to the rants of someone who should have taken the hint. We really do appreciate having our full seat space!

[Hmmm____]

Is it a coincidence that a certain someone has a film coming out in a few weeks? I think not ... No, I don't think he purposely got booted from the flight -- but I do think he is a smart man who has made his way in Hollywood despite being a fat boy from New Jersey ... and Jersey people know how to open the door when opportunity knocks. Just look at the cast of Jersey Shore!! I think he over-cyber-reacted knowing full well how many headlines were going to come out of his ranting and raving ... and I must admit, well-played, Mr. Smith. More attention for "Cop Out" than it would probably have received even with the best publicist in the world.

[Steven10]

KUDOS! to Southwest for handling of the PR "situation" with Hollywood Kevin Smith. All airlines have policies in place to first protect our lives. Weight of the total aircraft directly affects the safety of everyone on an airplane. Kevin Smith chose a public and cowardly way to pick a fight with a respected airline and company. I have worked in customer service for nearly 25 years and have seen the level of complaints and whining from the public escalate increasingly in the last decade. The sense of entitlement upon buying a discounted ticket for the slightest delay or perceived rudeness is crazy. Personal responsibility is gone in the United States. I weight 145 lbs and I am a 45 year old male. I have weighed the same amount since high school. I eat balance healthy meals and walk ten miles a day. I eat ice cream and love bacon! I am not a health nut! Personal responsibility is realizing not just that you don't fit comfortably in a seat but weight too much for that seat. I find the average seat on Southwest to be tight. The aisles are extremely tight for me. I'm considered skinny now when in fact my weight 20 years ago would have been normal. I have sat next to morbidly obese people on trains, buses and planes for years. It isn't comfortable for either of us but I have never been rude nor have I ever been treated rudely by such individuals. However, many of these individuals today have a sense on entitlement. You are not entitled to that seat. None of us are and can be asked to vacate a seat for any reason. Your constitional rights are reasonably waived the minute you step foot in an airport, Mr.Smith, from the security scan and shoe removal! SW Air is not in the business to insult anyone. People are human and judgement calls are made everyday. Mr. Smith, grow up. Fly corporate or first class the way any respectable director from Lala land would and stop taking your frustrations over your weight as a case of discrimination. It wasn't. Southwest responded to everything including a refund. Twitter is not the place for you to vent and jeopardize real working people's jobs! Those SW employees have no way of fighting back your unfair attack via Twitter. You know better. Pick on Hollywood, not everyday workers just doing their best.

[Armrest_are_the]

Ironically, I boarded a SW flt. from ONT-LAS yesterday. In the gate area the HLN reports of Kevin Smith were on which aired every ten minutes. In the waiting area sat a extremely large man that filled an entire gate area seat that is twice the size of the ones you actually sit in once you board the plane. I watched this man who requested a seat belt extenstion head for the rear of the plane and sat at the window. There was not an empty seat on the plane and luckily two broomstick shaped Asians sat next to him. Using a lowered armrest as part of the criteria of whether this individual fits comfortably in a seat is ridiculous. He used all of his seat and half his seatmates. Traveled enough to experience a seat hog and a 45 minute flight to LAS is painful enough, but what if its a five hour flt. to Albany? Seat belt extensions are not a fair criteria either. You can have a 100 inch gut and 42 inch waist. The excess fuel the aircraft consumes to transport a customer of size is definately some thing the airlines should consider. Kevin purchased two seats for his comfort. They should of made sure there were two seats available for him to use prior to his boarding. He was publicly humilated fought back by using the media; which is only fair in this day and age. I think this will be a wonderful opportunity for the airlines to tighten the belt on this policy and keep these seat hogs from encroaching on the space that others paid for. If your over 250 pounds or don't fit in the seat; they should let them purchase two seats without any apologies or refunds!!!!

[John_Lally]

I don't have any problem with your "People of Size" policy per se. The problem is with the way you cram so many people into the airplane in the first place. I am not a "person of size", but I always feel cramped in Southwest Airlines airplanes. I can only imagine being heavier, and being required to purchase two tickets for one trip, because you decided you needed to cram so many people uncomfortably into one flight. Your seats are too little. And while we're talking about armrests, you do realize that you only have ONE armrest that's supposed to accommodate TWO arms, right? It's hard to take you seriously that you are interested in the comfort of your passengers when you only give them one armrest to share between two people. We hear horror stories about passengers being forced to stay in their seats on the tarmac for hours, for trips canceled at the last minute without notice, and the price gouging. When you say this policy is not about money-grabbing and all about the comfort of your passengers, it just doesn't pass the laugh test.

[Bill_____flying]

Kevin Smith was wrong not Southwest. Someone who knows he is large enough that he buys two seats knows he doesn't fit no matter his childish posts on his twitter account. I respected Southwest for doing the right thing until I see Southwest apologizing for doing it. No one should be forced to sit next to someone so large who is cramming himself into one seat and over flowing into the seat next to him. I should know for years I was 325 lbs at 5' 8" ... many times on flights I have been seated on I told the flight attendent to either move me or I should take a later flight as it was not fair to the people next to me. I didn't do it to be noble, just did it to be fair and to be more comfortable myself.

[Jane_R]

Anyone flying any distance likes to be comfortable, including me. I am of average height and weight and I have often had to sit next to large, even fat people, and it makes for an uncomfortable experience for both of us. Maybe Kevin could have fit in the seat and even put the arm rests down, but I bet part of him extended over to the person sitting next to him. That's where it gets uncomfortable, in all ways. The person sitting next to the large person is severly overcrowded and has her space invaded. As many of the Southwest flights are full, my husband and I get our seats as early as possible and offer the seats next to us to people who I would not mind sitting next to. It's not nice and maybe not fair, but I paid my money and want some comfort on my flight. My sympathies to large poeple who have to travel, so maybe if they do not want to be discriminated against they too can get an early seat assisgnment, maybe sit in a row with two seats, or if you have the money, like Kevin, purchase two seats.

[Anonymous3236]

Unfortunately, the enforcement of this policy has made it such that I am too concerned that an ugly incident will occur if I fly your airline. There seems to be no way to know in advance if an overweight person will be hassled, embarassed, bumped from flights or forced to pay for a second seat. I know I fit in a seat with the armrests down, but there are frankly too many tales of people who qualify for this who have still had very bad experiences. Southwest, your customer service in general is really cool, but this is a big black mark against you. I just can't risk flying with you. Until the rule is clearly understood when purchasing the ticket, and then consistently enforced and predictable, I will be flying with other airlines.

[Anonymous546]

Hmmm.....could 3 strangers, all of Mr. Smith's size, sit in the same row together comfortably ??

[Dan_H__Tucson]

Way to go SW, I'm now a customer for life and hope all the obese people protest and never come back......how about rights for skinny people who stay in shape....should we pay less since we weigh less? Why should we suffer for someone else's sloth? Happy Fat Tuesday!

[cdesja5]

Have you seen a recent pic of Kevin Smith? Here's one you can look at: http://images.starpulse.com/pictures/2009/10/02/previews/Kevin%20Smith-SGY-013085.jpg He is definitely not of average size! I am overweight myself (5 ft 7 and 190 lbs.) and do fit into the seat (without taking up someone else's space) and can only feel very sorry for anyone unfortunate enough to sit next to him. He HAD to be encroaching on the other passengers' space regardless of the armrest being down! Did they feel they could speak up and complain about it? Not likely! They'd probably have been vilified for daring to want full use of the seat they paid for! I find it completely ridiculous to read these posts that say "I sat next to an obese person and it was OK, my comfort means nothing compared to how that poor person feels"! I have to wonder how many of these are bona fide...And how many are the same person posting over and over. Have they really ever had to spend a 4 hour flight crammed next to someone taking up part of their seat? Doubt it ever happened. If it did, they are candidates for sainthood. And really...would an overly large person agree to sit for 4 hours next to another overly large person or persons and not complain? Oh right! They wouldn't be able to do that because they wouldn't "fit"... Airlines have to make money to continue to fly, they are not charity organizations. As a matter of fact, many are struggling. Nothing is "free" so if a "free" seat is given to an obese person on a full flight, you can be sure someone else is going to be paying for it. That would be you and me and everyone else that doesn't need 2 seats. I happen to like flying on economy airlines at the lowest cost possible and the seat size/number of paying passengers is one of the reasons it is low cost. If you want or require more room, perhaps you should pay the price it costs to get the larger seat rather than expect the rest of us to subsidize the cost for you?

[Anonymous3037]

Ugh, this is such bullshit. You put him on another plane that same day and didn't charge him for 2 seats thus proving he didn't violate the "fatty rule". Plus, he was seated, with both armrests down AND his seatbelt in place when you yanked him off the plane. Such bullshit. Take some responsibility for your actions. Get a fucking backbone.

[Elaine4]

Hey Herman (Herman — Tue, 02/16/2010 - 15:57), "You're" an idiot. "Start" reading or something. I'll be avoiding SW Airlines and ignorant people like you from now on.

[Jev]

There is only one way to deal with this - ask Kevin to come on to another plane for a test-sit for the whole world to see. Put averaged sized people on either side of him, sit him down, buckle him in and see how well he fits. See if he spills over. Record the entire thing for the world to see, and then make a judgment at that time whether he truly is too fat to sit in just one seat on your airline. Since Kevin insists so strongly that he isn't Too Fat To Fly, he should surely accept such a offer to publicly redeem himself. And Southwest should be willing to either prove he is Too Fat To Fly, or offer a sincere mea culpa for once and all...

[usn_Al]

Well, Southwest, it looks like you continue to make lemonade out of lemons.. unfortunately if you continue to have morons for front line employees, you will continue to have issues such as these. but what do you expect for near minimum wage pay? I hope it works out for you!

[Anonymous4534]

Save your self the embarresment, and just buy 2 seats. Its not the peoples fault that you take up 2 seats. if you do, then pay for them and be done with it, no one can bother you than, and if you dont, then expect the treatment. because is it right to have a person sitting next to you that only gets 1/2 of there seat but paid for a full one! (now that is sub human treatment!)

[simba3]

This whole thing is blown out of proportion. SouthWest should not have had to apologize PERIOD. From what I understand - he had ALREADY PURCHASED TWO SEATS for the flight HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON. Meaning HE KNEW HE DIDN'T FIT IN ONE SEAT! So then - when he tried to go on an earlier flight as a STANDBY - he only had ONE seat and it didn't work. Other passengers should not be inconvenienced and their safety jeopardized just because he wanted to GO EARLY! And then he wants to raise a stink about it??? HE was the one who caused the problem - and he KNEW he was too big to fit in one seat. THEN he wants to slander Southwest all over the media just because he thinks he is a big shot?? WRONG WRONG WRONG. I - or any other customer - should not have to swap sweat with someone too big to fit comfortably in one seat for the duration of the flight. It's not my fault you can't stop at one plate, or that you think that fast food IS a food group. Other paying customers should not have to put up with being smashed in a seat by an overweight person. Grow up, go on a diet, get some exercise, and be healthy. And quit complaining about the best airline in the world just because they care about their customer's comfort and safety when confronted by an obese seat hog with a big mouth and a lot of twitter followers. APOLOGY NOT NEEDED HERE!

[Anonymous1543]

"This has our attention, and we will be reviewing how and when this delicate policy is implemented." How about when a paying customer fits in the seat, you don't implement the policy, because it doesn't apply! No wonder you guys are in this situation if this is the level of geniuses you got working there.

[Anonymous1767]

If you listen to Smith's podcast, this is a symptom of a larger issue in corporate America: customer service. It is a sad sad time when I can only count on one hand the last 50 places that I went to spend my money that didn't have apathetic employees that clearly demonstrate a lack of concern (or even faking a lack of concern) for patrons.

[Anonymous848]

great!!! seem like more and more fat guys won't use SW, I'm happy to go with them more...

[Anonymous4569]

While we are at it singling out people who take up too much space, I think all men should have to buy 2 seats. They not only spread their legs and overlap my seat with their thighs, but they also put BOTH of their large bags in the overhead bins, while I have to stuff mine under my seat. If we are going to discriminate against people, let's do it right. EVERYONE should be confined to the bounds of one seat and have to put one bag in their foot space.

[Blake3]

THANK YOU for protecting my right to the seat I have purchased. Nothing is more aggravating that having to be leaned upon by a stranger who is too big for his seat. Don't be intimidated on this issue! Change the extra seat without apology. You must make a determination where the "Too Fat" rule applies. I don't want to be crammed into a seat next to a 400 pound neighbor. If some people think it is their right to infringe on everyone else, then what do you do with the 900 lb passenger? In my opinion, you charge them for 2 seats, or kick them off, or I will kick myself off my next opportunity to fly with Southwest. YOU DID GOOD! Keep it up, just stop apologizing!

[Dave16]

Funny... since the left out the part that Kevin Smith does fit into one seat... If the case was made for that, the almost 50% of Americans would have to by two seats to fly SouthWestern... That is why I only fligh Air Canada, British Airways or Air France... Far far better service...

[Anonymous2622]

If you're not going to invest in better customer service, at least hire a better PR team: "we stand by that 25-year-old policy. This has our attention, and we will be reviewing how and when this delicate policy is implemented." In this last sentence, I believe they meant to use the word "enforced" rather than "implemented." The policy was apparently "implemented" 25 years ago, right?

[RW]

Well, it is difficult to approach a passenger of size, but our policies are there for a reason.....we ALL MUST BE IN COMPLIANCE!!! All pax should know our policy regarding Customers of Size....whether there Large/not. If he was a stanby Passenger then the agent (OPS/Customer Service) noticed him prior to boarding the aircraft.....WE MUST BE CONSISTENT!!!!!!! I feel for ALL passengers....Large/Small.......

[Lucille]

Regardless of the fact that the situation could possibly have been handled with more discretion and understanding (most of us were not there and just know that the crew was trying to accomodate everyone on the plane with safety and some level of comfort in an expeditious manner), the fact remains that SW and other airlines are trying to address a very real problem that many of us have experienced. Yes, the seats are small and there is very little leg and arm room but it is just not fair to have to give up the little bit of space that I've paid for and give it to someone else. Thank you Southwest.

[bnh]

Many of you have said that having an overweight person on a flight is a safety hazard. First I would like to point out that SW isn't saying that a fat person can't fly, they are saying that they must purchase 2 seats. So lets be clear, the policy requiring overweight people to purchase 2 seats has nothing to do with safety. I understand this isn't really a fair comparison because Kevin or any other fat person can do something about being fat, but isn't a physically handicapped person a much larger safety hazard? If something happens on a plane and you need to get off a plane in a hurry, would you rather have a 350 pound person sitting next to you or would you rather have a 200 pound person paralyzed from the waist down. I'm not suggesting that airlines should stop allowing people with physical handicaps to fly, nor am I suggesting that they shouldn't have a policy requiring overweight people to purchase two seats, my point is that this policy has nothing to do with safety. I actually agree with having a policy requiring overweight people to purchase two seats. My problem is the way the policy is enforced. I've seen Kevin, and I've had to sit next to people that are much larger than him. If a person can buckle their seat belt (without extensions) and put both the arm rests down, they should be allowed in one seat.

[Anonymous3560]

Just wanted to chime in among the chorus of voices to let you know that I'll NEVER fly Southwest again. I'm a man who would pass your little tests without issue, but after hearing Kevin Smith recount how heartless your employees were not only to him, but to the girl on the flight you reassigned him to, I cannot in good conscience any longer give your company a vote of confidence with my heard-earned dollars. Your mismanagement of this issue is pathetic, and your company is in dire need of some close re-examination of its policies. Will you be wiped out after this? Doubtful (and I hope not; the last thing we need is for more people, ones who are innocent in all this, to lose their jobs). But do changes need to be made? Absolutely. Until then, goodbye and good riddance.

[Jane_Ann]

Having been overweight in the past....but not so much that I couldn't fit in one seat with the armrests down and my seatbelt buckled....I know exactly how Smith must have felt being singled out. The last group of people in this country to be successfully demeaned are fat people. Thanks for handling this so well, Linda. One of the reasons that I fly Southwest almost exclusively is the nice way I've always been treated by your employees. Maybe one of your flight attendants was simply having a bad day that day, but that's still no excuse for the way Mr. Smith's flight (and removal from that flight) was handled.

[Drew_Crawford]

BUUUUUUULSSHHHH!!! @Hornman — Mon, 02/15/2010 - 19:08 "I for one appreciate Southwest's efforts to make flights comfortable for us normal sized folk who may have to sit next to exceedingly overweight individuals. It sounds to me like Mr. Smith is not only being unreasonable (it was his choice to try to fly standby on an earlier flight) but is acting like a spoiled kid, or else just using this to drum up attention for himself . Don't apologize too much, SW." ME: PLEASE do not be so nieve as to think that a CORPORATION would respond like an individual and take the situation personally, this is why companies have PR people, it is their job to deal with situations like this. @Anonymous — Mon, 02/15/2010 - 19:10 "Come on. Kevin Smith should view this as a wake-up call to change his unhealthy lifestyle. Get over it Kevin. Truths in life are often bittersweet. I used to be overweight, but one day I just told myself, I don't want to be fat anymore. I have slimed to to below average BMI after running 4 marathons and have kept the lower weight range for 5 years." ME: Are you kidding? Well done on your weight loss buddy, but I think you are on the wrong forum, you may find the satisfaction you are looking for at the forum for The Biggest Loser. This situation is about a manifestation of discrimination that is somehow acceptable, to treat people differently based on their appearance. Is kevin smith "too fat to fly?," so is this policy enforced on everyone of "size," I would think that in the same way a hefty individual would encroach on my seat so would someone the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger would equally breach my personal space on those too cramped seats, I don't care what size/weight you are, I don't think anyone would describe a SWA seat as "roomy or "spacious." 67% of Americans age 20 and over are overweight. At the VERY least SWA needs to readjust their employee training to reflect a company that should value their customers and not view them as "excess baggage."

[Ann_Haywood]

How would you feel if you had to sit next to a large person. Maybe the bottom half fit with the armrest down, but what about the top part of a person. The arm that is so big it is sitting on your chest, threating to choke you at any given moment. It's uncomfortable. Why do I need to be black and blue because you are intruding upon my space? Embarrassing, how embarrassing is it for someone to ask you to move your upper part because they can't breath. Get real people. Policies are in place to protect everyone involved. Stop whinnnnnnnning Kevin, own up the responsibility you have to the person that will be sitting next to you.

[Josh12]

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