Southwest Airlines Community

As far as it being annoying to sit next to a larger than average person, there are plenty of other annoying passengers one could be seated next to, and they are NOT discriminated against. Crying babies and toddlers would top the list for me, yet nobody would think of asking them not to fly. Tall people with long limbs they have trouble keeping within their space boundries. People who smell. People who snore. People who talk too much and want to become my best friend during the flight, to name but a few. Sitting next to any of these people makes a flight less pleasant and less comfortable, but none of them will ever be discriminated against. Crying babies and crying/over active toddlers with inattentive parents affect many rows around them, not just the person(s) seated beside them, but they are never asked to leave the plane. Fat people... the only group it is still PC to hate, bad-mouth and discriminate against openly.... ... View more

The number of posters who clearly HATE overweight people is apalling. I am ashamed of all of you. ... View more

So, do you employ any public relations professionals at all who are soundly advising you? Or just lawyers to make sure you're not taking responsibility? Let me ask about these policies: Do you require elderly who cannot move as fast, use a cane or require wheelchair assistance to bring along help for safety reasons so that they don't slow down the exiting process in case of emergency? Do you charge them extra for the ability to use a wheelchair and get assistance from the airline crew? Do you require someone who is wearing a cast on his/her leg to purchase an extra seat for the comfort and safety of others? Do you allow people with mental disabilities who might be confused in an emergency situation to fly on your airline? Do you allow unaccompanied minors who cannot be expected to act in the same manor as an adult in an emergency situation to fly your airline? Furthermore, do you wait until these people have boarded and then publicly-humiliate them for their differences? Basically, your response says you discriminate against people who are overweight, not people who may pose a safety risk for the other passengers in an emergency situation. Furthermore, your policy implies that being overweight is a choice. Are you sure you can prove that every time? Are you up on the latest medical research on this issue or are you still holding up policies based on medical research of 25 years ago? And just because 'everyone else is doing it' doesn't make it right, ethical or moral. What a first grade answer! Are you going to be a follower on social policies or a leader? Your public relations says you're a follower, which is not good branding or positioning (PR 101). I hope someone with the money and power to do so, like Kevin Smith, will challenge your very discriminatory practices. I hope that your airline will take this opportunity to really examine its policies of discrimination. As I recall, you also recently arbitrarily did not allow a young woman to board your flight because you found her clothing to be too provocative (a very subjective term). That is very sexist because it says that women are responsible for policing the behavior of others by not dressing in a way that will cause lust. Isn't that the Taliban's position too? Very forward-thinking of you! Get it together, Southwest. There is nothing intelligent, redeeming or apologetic about this very ill-conceived response. ... View more