Southwest Airlines’ new policy to affect plus-size travelers

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10 thoughts on “Southwest Airlines’ new policy to affect plus-size travelers

  1. I read the article, and I believe I understand the policy and the change, but I’m not understanding the grievance. What is it about this change that is considered upsetting, or how does the policy make Southwest “worse for everybody” as stated?

    1. Because they are “journalists” and will always find their way to the wrong side of any issue

    2. but the author of that comment was not a “journalist.” He is a travel agent with a social media account.

      It’s upsetting to those of “excess girth” because they will now have to pay their way, and not impose their physical bulk on those in the next seat. They’ll have to pay for occupying two seats.

  2. Normally these “oversized” passengers just allow their girth to flop over into the seat of the person next to them. None of them have ever offered to pay for the portion of the adjacent person’s seat they are using, while the person next to them has to sit sideways the entire flight. You want to be large, that’s your choice…and choices must be paid for.

    1. The problem is airlines have installed minus-sized seating for corporate greed appeasement reasons .flying once was a pleasant experience . Now it is more like livestock transportation .

    1. There is a difference between fitting in a seat and being comfortable in a seat . The “standard seat size has been downgraded from what it was before passengers were considered a commodity .

    2. so Charles B., adapt. I’m 6’3″ and weigh around 200lbs. If the flight is under 2 hours, I book steerage/main cabin, and deal with it while hoping for a free upgrade. It the flight is 2 hours or longer, I book the next class up (Comfort or Business Class or whatever the airline calls it). I find the seat issue far less detracting from the flight experience than those who insist on carrying their luggage on to save $25, or because they are important and need to not use baggage claim. Which causes me to not be able to place my computer bag into the overhead, and so it decreases the space allotted.

  3. If you know you will not fit in a standard sized seat, i.e too large, then either purchase the adjoining seat or upgrade to Business or First Class with larger seating. I do not like “sharing” with an oversized person who intrudes into my seat and makes me accomodate them.

  4. It’s not just “fat” passengers that are likely to be affected by this policy change, but also passengers with certain physical disabilities. Consider someone, like myself, who has severe scoliosis, to the extent that, depending on the side of the plane I’m sitting on, puts my head just into the aisle way or just into the seat next to mine. Or consider someone with muscular atrophy who, after turbulence, might flop one way or the other. I always travel with a companion who sits next to me and doesn’t mind my presence in their space. But if other passengers with disabilities cannot afford the extra seat and are using space beyond the bounds of their seat, one would think the extra seat should be covered by the airline – even if the plane is full – as a reasonable accommodation under the Air Carrier Access Act.

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