Southwest Airlines Community

I've flown on your airlines almost exclusively for the last 4 or 5 years, and I have to tell you that I am very reluctant to use your airline again. Looking at your policy, you seem to have two basic rules regarding "persons of size": #1 is clearcut; can the armrests be put down. In my case, I can answer "Yes. I'm a big guy, but I can put the armrests down, no problem." #2 is a much more ill-defined rule, basically a judgement call on the part of the crew; Is someone else's space being impinged upon. In Smith's case, it sounds like an arbitrary decision was made, even though the people seated next to him (apparently) did not mind his presence (or at least were polite enough to be willing to deal with what is, let's face it, one more uncomfortable thing in an uncomfortable situation - everyone, fat or thin, that I've talked to about this situation has chimed in about how small and uncomfortable your seats are). Frankly, the arbitrary way this was handled (armrest test ignored, opinions of those around him disregarded) makes me nervous about flying with your airlines. I've never had a problem with armrests, though I've certainly felt cramped. I've never had a problem with another flyer (although I do always try to sit next to my wife). I try to be considerate to those around me who need help and, though large, I am not infirm (in a safety situation that doesn't require me to fit through small holes or run a marathon, I'd be fine. I can throw a skinny person on my shoulder and get them off the plane, and should we be stranded in the Andes, I could probably feed all of the A group for a few meals). In other words, I'm not worried about any real problems, but it seems that you have staff that are willing to create problems, and that you have little or no plan to remedy this. Put a chair in a private room in the terminal and I'll prove I can sit in it, armrests down, if that guarantees me that someone won't feel the need to escort me (and my wife), humiliated off the plane... but don't leave a wide-open policy that says I can be seated, next to my wife, armrests down, while the plane boards, only to then be told that - armrests aside and my wife doesn't have any say - some staff member has decided that I'm too big to sit next to her. It's illogical and indefensible. Make it part of your official rules that a flyer must be under a certain weight - as incompassionate as that might be, at least it's a firm rule that heads off the chance that a "person of size" will be humiliated in public by an over-zealous (or worse) staff member. I'll admit that as a "person of size," flying your airline was never particularly comfortable, but now I know that if I ever fly your airline again, you've promised me a whole new level of discomfort... the fear that this may be the flight that someone arbitrarily decides to march me off the plane. ... View more

I've flown on your airlines almost exclusively for the last 4 or 5 years, and I have to tell you that I am very reluctant to use your airline again. Looking at your policy, you seem to have two basic rules regarding "persons of size": #1 is clearcut; can the armrests be put down. In my case, I can answer "Yes. I'm a big guy, but I can put the armrests down, no problem." #2 is a much more ill-defined rule, basically a judgement call on the part of the crew; Is someone else's space being impinged upon. In Smith's case, it sounds like an arbitrary decision was made, even though the people seated next to him (apparently) did not mind his presence (or at least were polite enough to be willing to deal with what is, let's face it, one more uncomfortable thing in an uncomfortable situation - everyone, fat or thin, that I've talked to about this situation has chimed in about how small and uncomfortable your seats are). Frankly, the arbitrary way this was handled (armrest test ignored, opinions of those around him disregarded) makes me nervous about flying with your airlines. I've never had a problem with armrests, though I've certainly felt cramped. I've never had a problem with another flyer (although I do always try to sit next to my wife). I try to be considerate to those around me who need help and, though large, I am not infirm (in a safety situation that doesn't require me to fit through small holes or run a marathon, I'd be fine. I can throw a skinny person on my shoulder and get them of the plane, and should we be stranded in the Andes, I could probably feed all of A section for a few meals). In other words, I'm not worried about any real problems, but it seems that you have staff that are willing to create problems, and that you have little or no plan to remedy this. Put a chair in a private room the terminal and I'll prove I can sit in it, armrests down, if that guarantees me that someone won't feel the need to escort me (and my wife), humiliated off the plane... but don't leave a wide-open policy that says I can be seated, next to my wife, armrests down, while the plane boards, only to then be told that - armrests aside and my wife doesn't have any say - some staff member has decided that I'm too big to sit next to her. It's illogical and indefensible. Make it part of your official rules that a flyer must be under a certain weight - as incompassionate as that might be, at least it's a firm rule that heads off the chance that a "person of size" will be humiliated in public by an over-zealous (or worse) staff member. I'll admit that for a person of my size, flying your airline was never particularly comfortable, but if I ever fly your airline again, you've promised me a whole new level of discomfort... ... View more