Southwest Airlines Community

We love Southwest Airlines for many reasons. Thank goodness for an airline whose staff is willing to enforce policy to ensure passenger safety and comfort. I have back issues and am LOATHE to have a person of size lean, elbow, or otherwise bulge into my seat (!) only to arrive at my destination in pain from leaning to avoid uncomfortable physical contact. This is not even to mention the difficulty stepping over someone to go to the loo, using my own tray table, etc. etc. I can easily take my elderly mother on Southwest because I am assured of her comfort and that she will enjoy the flight, without some self-entitled person hogging her seat. Am I to understand that Mr. Smith was unaware of his own size preflight and was unwilling or unable simply purchase an extra seat? It seems that many Americans could forgo a few lattes and use the savings to purchase a measuring tape and a scale to hop on, if at no other time, then immediately prior to booking a flight. Yes, we all have freedom to bend our elbows to ingest/inhale anything we please, but thankfully we also have the right to live without the affects (paying for them is another story.) And, are we so stupid and inept as a nation of passengers that we are unable to comprehend our actions inconveniencing others - first by assuming that we should be able to infringe on someone else's space, and second for causing a delay, which dealing with these things must surely cause. If so, then thank heavens for a policy that saves us from ourselves. As for "disclosing his business," Smith seems to have capitalized on the incident at the earliest possible opportunity - you know, "no such thing as bad publicity" and all that. I had no idea who he was before, but am now assured that he is desperate and pathetic. How sad, really. Southwest affords such an extremely positive and friendly travel environment that I fear they will edit/remove this comment, but I hope they do not. Thank you, Southwest, it is always a safe and pleasant ride, made so by your enthusiastic and very capable staff - from booking to landing. Phoenix Fan ... View more