Kevin Smith vs. Southwest Airlines

[Oor Wullie]

Here's a light read for you folks.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/ ... tml?hpt=C1

[mathewc]

I'm looking forward to his side of the story on his podcast. He's a self proclaimed fat guy and seeing him live proves it so maybe southwest is justified.

[iflyforpie]

I bet SWA still wishes he was Silent Bob...

[CL-Skadoo!]

"I'm flying on the welfare airline, food-stamp airline," he said. "So I think I can indulge myself with two seats, and I can afford to do it."

Well said, Kevin! This is one of the States' biggest corner cutting airlines, and it is slowly catching up with them.

I do everything in my power to avoid use of this airline.

Third FAA Investigation Of The Airline In Two Years

The FAA has launched an investigation into possible violations of safety directives by Southwest Airlines, the third time the agency had looked into the carrier's safety practices in two years.

The investigation is a repeat of the probe two years ago that again looks at how the airline complies with FAA directives that keep older airplanes safe. It also has similarities to last years' case in which Southwest used unapproved parts on 82 airplanes.

The Dallas Morning News reports that Southwest could face tens of millions of dollars in fines because more than 100,000 flights have been conducted using 44 airplanes that may be out of compliance. FAA inspectors are looking into allegations that Southwest and a Seattle-area repair station did not conform to federally approved procedures when making fuselage repairs.

[Invertago]

Never flown Southwest, but just got back from an American Airlines flight... man, trash airplanes, nickle and dime for everything on board from baggage to peanuts. I miss the good ol days of buying just a plane ticket. AA makes Air Canada look good... well AA at least had friendly flight attendants not the AC old cranks.

[tsgas]

With all of Kevins money he can afford his own private jet.
If he's cheap then he shouldn't belittle the poor that have limited choices for travel ( Greyhound or LCC)

[wilton]

From the Southwest pilot career page

"A candidate may apply without a B-737 Type Rating. If a candidate interviews and successfully completes the entire selection process, he/she has six months from that date to obtain a B-737 Type Rating in order to be eligible for hire".

I wonder when Westjet will start this practice.

Anyone wanna buy a 737 sim with me and start selling ppc's?

wil

[Panama Jack]

This is one of the States' biggest corner cutting airlines, and it is slowly catching up with them.

Care to elaborate?

[North Shore]

Ok, so fat bast..I mean, Kevin Smith, buys two tickets because it's easier for him not to sit next to someone. Then gets on an earlier flight, where there is only one seat available, gets kicked off because he's too fat, and then complains? Why didn't he get on the next flight (you know - the one that he had booked two seats on) and resolve to eat less in the future?

[Brewguy]

I love the 'if I can get a seat belt around me, than I'm good to go' point of view that's being kicked around the media over this. Just your average American being picked on by the mean, nasty airlines.

I'm guessing physics isn't taught in US high schools, eh? Nobody want's to acknowledge what happens to the 'average' 300 - 350+ Lb pax if this thing happens to hit the ground at a (marginally survivable) high G rate.

[. ._]

I think if I even have to start worrying about buying 2 seats on a plane to get somewhere, I'll lay off on the potato chips and Raunchy Ronnie's.

Waaah. Waaah.

I have no sympathy for the rich, because they are and will always be happier than me.

-istp

[Solaris]

[quote= AA makes Air Canada look good... well AA at least had friendly flight attendants not the AC old cranks.[/quote]

Hold on there partner,,,,Air Canada Flight Attendants are friendly caring hardworking : and nice

[iflyforpie]

I love the 'if I can get a seat belt around me, than I'm good to go' point of view that's being kicked around the media over this. Just your average American being picked on by the mean, nasty airlines.

I'm guessing physics isn't taught in US high schools, eh? Nobody want's to acknowledge what happens to the 'average' 300 - 350+ Lb pax if this thing happens to hit the ground at a (marginally survivable) high G rate.

I wonder if this is one of the reasons why airliners now require 16G seats instead of the old 9G ones. Not that they will make the crash much more survivable...

[Brewguy]

Quite possibly ... the 'average' weights of people, particularly north americans, has certainly gone up over the past few decades.

[Donald]

What weight was the 9G seat certified with?

A 150lb person, 200lb'er, 250lb'er?

[Go Guns]

I wish sitting next to Kevin Smith was the worst part about the whole 'traveling by air' experience that we're forced to deal with these days. Come on, we're not talking about a guy that's "knock out a wall and get a loader and a flatbed truck cause I'm having chest pains" fat, he's simply overweight. The armrests came down, he buckled up without a seatbelt extended on the next flight. I mean, regardless of how you would like to pick apart his lifestyle choices, I really think he was mistreated by Southwest and that's the heart of the matter, to him at least.

I don't get this board sometimes. Whenever some lowlife jerk gets tasered by the cops for throwing punches as they arrest him for stealing cars there isn't enough room in all the internet to fit in the sympathy. But this guy, well, it's his decision to be fat, he did it to himself....

[beaverbob]

Hold on there partner,,,,Air Canada Flight Attendants are friendly caring hardworking : and nice

Go Get im Solaris

You Go Girl!

[Brewguy]

You have a valid point Go Guns, this guy probably was treated unfairly. I've seen far fatter waddling their way through my local walmart, and you probably see fatter guys in every NFL lineup.

However, my understanding is that the airline apologized, etc. I'm pissed at the idiotic talking heads in the media, and their attitude surrounding this. To me, its the principal of the thing. Way too many people out there have this sense of entitlement that makes them think they have a 'right' to do whatever they please.

As far as I'm concerned, the airlines (as private businesses) have a right to refuse service; and the crew also has a right to make such a judgment call too.

Buddy had tickets for a later flight, but wanted to go sooner for his convenience. Someone made a judgment call (rightly or wrongly) to remove him from that flight. He still got to his destination, received an apology, and was compensated for his inconvenience. So what's the big fuss about? Oh, that's right - he's famous and is using that fact to blow this out of proportion in the media.

I'm defending the airlines right to make and have such policies; and for the crew to interpret such policy and make decisions based on it, without being dragged through the meat grinder over every judgment call they make.

[Meatservo]

"Passenger of size" policy, eh? I wish the airlines would create a "passenger of smell" policy, so that stinky people would be obliged to buy THREE seats... then no-one will have to sit beside them.

[Jaques Strappe]

Never flown Southwest, but just got back from an American Airlines flight... man, trash airplanes, nickle and dime for everything on board from baggage to peanuts. I miss the good ol days of buying just a plane ticket. AA makes Air Canada look good... well AA at least had friendly flight attendants not the AC old cranks.

If the traveling public was willing to pay what an airline ticket was actually worth, rather than less than what it would cost to drive a car, then perhaps there would be justification to complain.

[niss]

I know I am a big dude, but if I was approached with the same situation I would have a shit hemmorage.

If I can fit into my -140 with another person no problem there is no way those seats are an issue.

[DHC5]

Hold on there partner,,,,Air Canada Flight Attendants are friendly caring hardworking : and nice

LOL.. I have to agree Solaris... apparently this individual has NOT travelled AC since the mid 80's.... I have nothing but respect and admiration for our friendly, and yes..good looking FA's, and this also includes WS.. especially when you have flown with some of the "other" NA carriers.. YIKES!!!

[niss]

.. especially when you have flown with some of the "other" NA carriers.. YIKES!!!

NWA flight attendants challenge uniform sizes
Some want to wear ‘sexy’ designer red dress, but unavailable in plus size

updated 8:01 p.m. ET, Fri., July 10, 2009

ATLANTA - The union that represents flight attendants who worked for Northwest Airlines before it was bought by Delta Air Lines is crying foul over Delta's failure to offer bigger sizes for its signature red dress uniform designed by Richard Tyler.

When he was hired to create his uniform collection, Tyler said he wanted them to "look sexy and great."

The Northwest chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA has filed a grievance with the world's largest airline operator, asking it to offer the red dress up to size 28. The union hopes the grievance will go to mediation in August.
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The red dress currently is only offered up to size 18, though a Delta spokeswoman said the airline offers a range of outfits in other colors and styles up to size 28 that flight attendants can wear.

Patricia Reller, who handles grievances for the union's executive committee, said Friday that even if there was only one flight attendant who wore a size over 18, that person should be able to wear the stylish red dress.

"I think red is an eye-popping color and it's not subtle, and to me by not offering it in a size over 18, Delta is saying, 'We don't want you wearing that if you are over size 18,'" Reller said. "But the job isn't about being sexy. It's about safety."

Reller said she did not know how many pre-merger Northwest flight attendants want to wear the red dress but need a size bigger than 18.

"If the dress wasn't a tiny size 18, there would be less," Reller said. "It's a very small size 18, so that makes the numbers a lot larger."

Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin could not immediately say why the red dress is not available in bigger sizes while other uniform options are. But she said there have been few complaints.

"The majority of pre-merger Northwest flight attendants have given us very positive feedback about the Richard Tyler Collection," Laughlin said.

Delta hired Tyler in 2004 to do a makeover of its gray employee uniforms. Tyler, whose dresses have been worn by stars such as Julia Roberts, Heather Locklear and Jamie Lee Curtis, promised a classier — and in some cases, sexier — look for flight attendants, airport agents and other workers.

"I want them to look sexy and great, but you have to keep that classic look as well," Tyler told The Associated Press at the time.

The uniforms — including white blouses and navy dresses besides the red dress — debuted in 2006. Atlanta-based Delta acquired Northwest in October 2008. Pre-merger Northwest employees began wearing the Delta uniforms on March 30.


See the amazing images sent by msnbc.com readers and submit your own for next week!
Delta said at the time it announced its plans for the new uniforms that the decision was a "wise investment" that would boost morale among employees and increase the airline's bottom line in the long run.

According to Delta, flight attendants must be able to perform the safety and security functions of their job, including being able to reach and close overhead bins, reach and close any of the aircraft doors and be able to sit on the aircraft jumpseat and fasten the flight attendants seatbelt.

Reller said a flight attendant who wears above a size 18 can do all of those functions well.

"The sizing of our red dress has not been an issue with Delta flight attendants since the program's inception three years ago. This is AFA hype leading up to the election," Laughlin said.


There are roughly 21,000 flight attendants at the combined airline, 14,000 from pre-merger Delta and 7,000 from pre-merger Northwest.

The Northwest workers are represented by a union, while the Delta workers are not. At some point there will be a representation election at which the combined workforce will decide whether it wants to be represented by a union or not. The two groups also must decide on how to integrate their seniority lists.

[snaproll20]

OBEEEESAIR DISASTER.

The inaugural flight of Obeeeesair ("Wide body planes with wide body seat for our dearest customers") crashed on take-off from Fatfield NB today.

The flight was delayed initially when the forklift loading passengers broke down. A further delay was incurred when an inspector from the FAA (Fatties Aloft Authority) determined that 250 pound flight attendant Janice Deburgh was "too tiny, and not consistent with the ambience of the flight" and she was replaced with a more acceptable airline employee. A third delay was caused after the plane had to return to the gate because a fight broke out because one passenger got an extra packet of pretzels. It took police fifteen minutes to separate one passenger from the food.

Initial cause of the flight suggests the load broke loose, sliding backwards and causing the plane to stall. A fire broke out on impact and twenty people were seen trying to escape, stuck in doors and windows. One female passenger was ejected and last seen bouncing down Interstate 17. Police are desperately trying to arrest her progress before she lodges under the main overpass with Highway 8. A major restaurant chain is bidding on the fat on the runway, citing its policy of recycling.

[CD]

What weight was the 9G seat certified with?

A 150lb person, 200lb'er, 250lb'er?

The same weight as for the 16G seat, which has remained the same standard since at least the introduction of 14 CFR 25 in 1965:

Each seat or berth, and its supporting structure, and each safety belt or harness and its anchorage must be designed for an occupant weight of 170 pounds, considering the maximum load factors, inertia forces, and reactions among the occupant seat, safety belt, and harness for each relevant flight and ground load condition (including the emergency landing conditions prescribed in Sec. 25.561).