02-18-2010
07:07 PM
2 Loves
I see so many comments of "I support Southwest's policy of making people buy two seats if they are fat".....But you are all missing the point here. Kevin Smith was NOT too fat according to Southwest's own policy. He fit into his single seat and was able to put the armrests down. He did not "spill over" into the other seats as so many of you seam to believe. Even the two passengers sitting on either side of him said they were comfortable with him in the middle seat (or as comfortable as anyone can be in the cramped seating that Southwest offers).
The reason why so many of us are outraged over this is because SOUTHWEST EJECTED KEVIN SMITH EVEN THOUGH HE COMPLIED WITH THEIR "PEOPLE OF SIZE" POLICY. They subjected him to extreme humiliation and treated him rudely and can get away with it because they can say he is too fat. He is, as he himself admits, fat. But NOT too fat that he did not comply with Southwest's own policy.
The only reason that they are making any effort whatsoever to be nice about it now is because Kevin Smith has a large following on Twitter and his own website. He has a voice that can be heard.
If Southwest had treated me the same way (which they might, who knows?) would they ever try to make it up to me? No, I am just a lowly paying customer without a national voice.
This is why I and my family will now always choose a competitor of Southwest in our future travels. I don't want to take the chance of being humiliated on a plane in front of everyone like Kevin Smith was.
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Question to Southwest: If you are truly concerned about the comfort and safety of ALL of your customers, why not offer actual "People of Size" sized seats for those who need them? You can still charge double if you want. But it is not very comfortable for a large-sized person to ever sit in ANY of your seats even with the armrest in the up position as the armrest does not retract completely back into the seat. Since studies now show that 2 out of 3 people in America are overweight, I am sure you will be able to sell out ALL of these rows. Just a thought (if you really mean it when you say you care for the comfort of all of your passengers). You can even sell them with the tagline, "Bigger seats for bigger seats."
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