02-16-2010
11:39 AM
I have no idea whether Kevin Smith can fit into one seat comfortably or needs two so I won't comment on who is right or wrong on that front. What I do blame Southwest for is the way they handled this situation. If he was too large to take up one seat then it should have been noted and taken care of BEFORE he got on the plane. Subjecting someone to humiliation once they have boarded the plane is unnecessary and either speaks to the poor training of Southwest staff or the poor policy that the airline has. I actually have no problem with the airline implementing a policy on size but it has to be fair and handled with dignity. Clearly someone dropped the ball here. I also have to say that the way that Southwest has handled this is a perfect case study for what NOT to do. This latest attempt by Southwest comes closest to redemption but they really should have done more up to this point to nip the media storm in the bud. They seemed more intent on being right than admitting that they might have erred in how they handled it. Shame on Southwest. I am not too large to fit into a seat but I will be looking at other airlines for my future flights based on how Southwest has chosen to deal with the situation and their customers.
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