02-15-2010
10:01 PM
1 Love
While this was certainly a more sensitive response to this debacle, you have failed to deal with one fundamental issue, which is that he apparently satisfied your own stated requirements to occupy a single seat. While I am a larger person, I believe that I could and should occupy a single seat without difficulty. However, I fundamentally AFRAID to fly your airline any longer for fear of inaccurate enforcement and the ensuing public humiliation.
In reading some other comments, I think there were some exceptionally interesting questions posed, such as, how is an overweight person any more of a safety risk in an evacuation than someone who is an invalid or mentally incompetent? What about the 6' 6" person occupying an aisle seat and preventing an easy exit by someone sitting in the window or middle seat? While your policy may be 25 years old, it certainly sounds like it is selectively enforced and singles out a section of the population that is likely no more of a hindrance than many other categories of people.
Again, I am now AFRAID of the risk associated with flying Southwest and I will take every opportunity to avoid doing so.
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02-14-2010
07:07 PM
4 Loves
It sounds as though your company was acting within the constraints of its policy, as the policy is designed to be subjective. However, that subjective policy, and your inability to understand and acknowledge you handled it poorly, helps to ensure that I will never fly with you again. The fact that Mr. Smith can sit with the armrests down, and was sold only a single seat, tells me it is was a subjective decision and without concern to his dignity. While I don't believe I have ever encroached on anyone else's space, any more so than any other average size person, I would be completely fearful of having such an experience. It is simply not worth the risk.
I would like to point out to you that while Mr. Smith has been very vocal, perhaps that is the better outcome for you. What if that type of public humiliation were to cause someone to try to take his own life? I don't think it is a stretch to think that type of outcome could be the result of an arbitrarily enforced policy that results in a person's absolute mortification and public humiliation. Do you really want to wait until that event happens? While most people would be able to carry on, I am sure that such an experience could be a trigger for those less stable people. Your policy is a ticking time bomb.
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