Southwest has lost its mind.

[rookiepilot]

https://nypost.com/2023/12/13/news/sout ... ce=twitter

Southwest Airlines is praised for ‘customers of size’ policy that allows overweight flyers to purchase one seat and get another complimentary.

Plus-size TikTokkers are praising Southwest Airlines for its “customer of size” policy, which allows overweight passengers to request a complimentary seat and forces the flight staff to accommodate larger flyers — even if that means kicking others with tickets off of the flight.

It says that passengers “have the option of purchasing just one seat and then discussing your seating needs with the Customer Service Agent at the departure gate.

If it’s determined that a second (or third) seat is needed you’ll be accommodated with a complimentary additional seat,” the policy states.

The flight team will then look at the seating arrangements — which are not predetermined on Southwest flights — and would potentially move other passengers around for the “unplanned accommodation.”



“If you’re fat, you know the anxiety of flying and this alleviates it a lot,” Caroline, a travel influencer who said she is a size 20, told her nearly 200,000 followers in a video posted at the end of October.

“I had a very comfortable flight just feeling like I was allowed to take up the space I needed.”

Under the Texas-based airline’s policy, customers whose bodies “encroach” past the armrest are entitled to an extra seat at no additional cost.

Plus-sized travel expert Jae’lynn Chaney — who once demanded the Federal Aviation Administration better accommodate larger passengers — also said it was an important move to include people in the “super fat” category.

“Super fat is how we identify,” she told Fox Business, explaining: “There’s a spectrum of fatness. And as a ‘super fat’ individual you start needing different accommodations.

“I just feel really happy that there was something like this for people,” Chaney added. “I hope to see more airlines implement ‘customer-of-size’ policies.

“The Southwest customer size policy helps many travelers offset the disproportionate costs that we incur because of needing extra room,” she said.

“And so, it’s not just about physical accessibility. It’s also about financial accessibility.”

But at least one person has voiced their opposition to the policy, sharing that she, her teenage daughter and her friend were kicked off of a flight in June.

The mother said in her own TikTok video that she and the two teens were on their way home from Montego Bay, Jamaica, and had a layover in Baltimore, Maryland, before they could return home to Denver, Colorado.

But during their layover, Southwest Airlines officials informed her that the flight was “overbooked” and they could not board the plane — despite spending $620.72 on tickets.

“Please help me understand why do I have to spend the night without any accommodations in Baltimore because an oversized person didn’t purchase a second ticket,” the exasperated mother said, claiming all of hers and the teenagers’ luggage was sent to their final destination in Denver.

She said airline officials told her “it is their right to kick a person out of the plane for the oversized person,” and shared a video of a conversation she had with an airline manager who said “even if there are not enough seats, we have to accommodate that customer of size.

Cause everyone self identifies as disadvantaged to screw others around them….

F—- I have big shoulders. Don’t fit well. Can I get a F———- second seat?

[digits_]

Time to identify as super fat then from now on

[mmm...bacon]

Under the Texas-based airline’s policy

Says it all. 12th in the Union for obesity/100k people.

Still, salad-dodgers gotta blubber about accommodation for their self-induced handicap..

[mantogasrsrwy]

Even in the US two seaters are minimal. They are figuring on the cost being worth the PR.

[JustaCanadian]

I <3 southwesialsim

[CL-Skadoo!]

Southwest doesn’t have assigned seating, so they’ll tell the large person they will accommodate them. They board the large person on the aircraft in the “extra time” boarding group, so they are on early and get their extra seat. People aren’t dumb, so no one will try to sit next to the large person on an already cramped aircraft. The people that show up late or did not purchase boarding priority get on with one seat left and find out it’s next to the large person. They now have the option to cram into the remaining seat or choose to take another flight. Southwest advises the out of luck passenger to show up earlier next time.

Southwest thought this through and the optics were perfect for the expanding waistlines we’re currently seeing across North America. Processed food is addictive, glowing screens are addictive and people are choosing to move less; the airline jumped all over the opportunity.

There will be blowback from passengers, but they will be accused of engaging in sizeism and not embracing body positivity.

[MaxAuto]

Southwest doesn’t have assigned seating, so they’ll tell the large person they will accommodate them. They board the large person on the aircraft in the “extra time” boarding group, so they are on early and get their extra seat. People aren’t dumb, so no one will try to sit next to the large person on an already cramped aircraft. The people that show up late or did not purchase boarding priority get on with one seat left and find out it’s next to the large person. They now have the option to cram into the remaining seat or choose to take another flight. Southwest advises the out of luck passenger to show up earlier next time.

Southwest thought this through and the optics were perfect for the expanding waistlines we’re currently seeing across North America. Processed food is addictive, glowing screens are addictive and people are choosing to move less; the airline jumped all over the opportunity.

There will be blowback from passengers, but they will be accused of engaging in sizeism and not embracing body positivity.

Exactly you beat me to it and explained it better then I would have. This work just like you said for the very reason the seat assignments are first come first serve. Also Southwest flys point to point. Passengers get off and on along the way and allow you to change seat during stops. I use to fly Southwest on a regular basis and most times there were seats available.

I don't support these and other airlines.

[trey kule]

The other perspective here is the FAA was going to, or is going to have a look at seat sizes in general.
A good proactive move, then by Sunwest. A huge potential saving to avoid mandated larger seats and less cabin density. Giving up some seats on every flight , particularly in this market where load factors aren’t 100%.

[pile_it]

They need to have seat sizers in the boarding lounge the same way there are bag sizers, with gate agents scoping out fatties the same way they do with oversized carry-on. "Excuse me ma'am, you'll need to sit in the seat sizer". If their disgusting lard ass spills over outside the sizer: "I'm sorry ma'am, you'll need to purchase a second seat".

[Inverted2]

They need to have seat sizers in the boarding lounge the same way there are bag sizers, with gate agents scoping out fatties the same way they do with oversized carry-on. "Excuse me ma'am, you'll need to sit in the seat sizer". If their disgusting lard ass spills over outside the sizer: "I'm sorry ma'am, you'll need to purchase a second seat".

Not in todays Clown World. Being fat is practically celebrated as is taking your emotional support Pomeranian dog in the passenger cabin. Don’t get me started about the whole transgender charade. I wouldn’t be surprised if one’s chosen identity determines how they get weighed in as male or female on the W&B.

[mijbil]

Do they have extra long seat belt extensions for these hippos, or are they so wedged in there that a seatbelt isn't required?
Will they have a new category for these people when doing the W&B on the iPad? S for supersized?

Imagine the poor person having to sit next to them. They can't even wash properly - too fat - so add body odor to the mix.

I have zero patience for the lardasses. They will end up costing everyone else to fix their self induced medical problems at some point in the future and no I am not buying the "thyroid problem" excuse. Just step (or roll) away from the table.

This reminds me of a story I heard from someone at the west coast SAR squadron a few years ago. If the door on the civilian medevac was too narrow to fit the carcass through the door, then JRCC Victoria would sometimes task the standby Buffalo to do the medevac. One fine evening they landed to transport the hippo south. The medical folks were already at the airport so they did an ERO (engines running on/offload). One pilot stayed in the cockpit and then it was all hands on deck. Second pilot, nav, engineer, two SARTECHs and the two ambulance attendants combined to heave the carcass up the ramp into the airplane. They had to use what is basically a large cookie sheet and strap them to it. Then all 7 of them staggered up the ramp. The individual was waaaaay too large to fit in the medical bunk so they tied the cookie sheet down to the deck with Herc straps.
Now the disgusting part: The guy that told me the story was a SARTECH. On the landing rollout he heard a choking noise. He looks over and sees their eyes bulging out. Turns out the fat was rolling up and choking out the person. Rough justice briefly served. TIme to lose 200 pounds.

[CaptDukeNukem]

This thread has gone awry.

[TG]

This thread has gone awry.

And that didn’t take time.

[Airbrake]

https://www.newsweek.com/southwest-airl ... sm-1853466

[Inverted2]

I heard they are putting in a C17 order to better accommodate the land whales.

[JustaCanadian]

750px.png (399.29 KiB) Viewed 10939 times

One of SouthWests 737s is down for maintenance checks and they found this fatigue crack in one of the seats used for this new policy.

[CL-Skadoo!]

Your momma gonna read this and be very upset.

[tsgarp]

750px.png

One of SouthWests 737s is down for maintenance checks and they found this fatigue crack in one of the seats used for this new policy.

Brings up the question of crashworthiness; What weight are the seats and their anchor points rated to? If the pax in them is to heavy and the anchor points fail they become a 500 pound battering ram plowing into the seats in from of them in a 25g acceleration.

[TeePeeCreeper]

750px.png

One of SouthWests 737s is down for maintenance checks and they found this fatigue crack in one of the seats used for this new policy.

Brings up the question of crashworthiness; What weight are the seats and their anchor points rated to? If the pax in them is to heavy and the anchor points fail they become a 500 pound battering ram plowing into the seats in from of them in a 25g acceleration.

I should think a 25 G acceleration/deceleration will rip your internal organs out. The seat behind you is of no consequence.

(But I get your point none the less)

TPC

[CL-Skadoo!]

The weight is spread across 2 seats now, without cramming an extra 180 into the additional seat with them. Extra safe, score one for team chunky.

[Aviatard]

750px.png

One of SouthWests 737s is down for maintenance checks and they found this fatigue crack in one of the seats used for this new policy.

Bullshit.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-phot ... &utm_term=

[rookiepilot]

.