news Southwest Airlines is praised for ‘customers of size’ policy

[TaggedGalaxy]

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

 

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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.

“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.

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.”

 

 

 

 

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Self-described “fat solo traveler” Kimmy showed her followers how to use the program in a video that went viral in October.

She simply went up to the airline booth and said, “Hello, I’m hoping to use your customer of size policy today.”

“Southwest is the only airline that allows you a second seat at no extra cost even if the flight is fully booked,” she captioned the video.

“I’ve done this a dozen times, and never had an issue or been denied,” she said, adding that under the policy she is allowed to “preboard” ahead of other passengers.

“Enter the aircraft, get your seatbelt extender and grab your seat!”

 

 

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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.

 

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How do we feel about this? Glad that they are making a change to help accommodate obese people or is this unfair?

[Gelato]

Fair enough. People shouldn't be packed into planes like sardines anyway.

[GraceRandolph]

The reality is more and more people are living in larger bodies nowadays. It makes no sense for airlines to not accommodate a huge percentage of their customer base. 

[Mtjjproducer]

So if I don’t want to sit next to anybody can I just say I’m “a person of size” to get an extra free seat 

[Raphy23]

Or third? 

[45seconds]

 Customers of size? I thought we were okay with saying fat now? 
 

 

Also kicking someone off of the plane is absolutely unfair lol. 

[OreGuy]

7 minutes ago, Mtjjproducer said:

So if I don’t want to sit next to anybody can I just say I’m “a person of size” to get an extra free seat 

girl, they have eyes 

[khalyan]

I’d be so pissed if I was kicked off of a flight I paid for because of this. People have work, family emergencies, and so many other things they have to fly for. 

[SinnerCity]

10 minutes ago, Mtjjproducer said:

So if I don’t want to sit next to anybody can I just say I’m “a person of size” to get an extra free seat 

Why don’t you try it and let us know?

[Cheers]

"customer of size" .... we cannot be serious with this term?????

 

This is ridiculous! We're treating high calorie individuals like they're disabled and in a permanent situation  

[OreGuy]

9 minutes ago, 45seconds said:

 Customers of size? I thought we were okay with saying fat now? 
 

according to their site, it is not just for fat people. 

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The armrest is the definitive gauge for a Customer of size. It serves as the boundary between seats. If you’re unable to lower both armrests and/or encroach upon any portion of a seat next to you, you need a second seat. Our policy does not focus on weight, and the seatbelt extension is not the determining factor.  

9 minutes ago, 45seconds said:

Also kicking someone off of the plane is absolutely unfair lol. 

And i read they are advised to book an additional seat next to them and get a refund when they apply this policy. Tho, they say:

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If you prefer not to purchase an additional seat in advance, you have the option of purchasing just one seat and then discussing your seating needs with the Customer Service Agent at the departure gate.

I guess they'll be moved? But it's not always kicking someone OUT.

Edited December 14, 2023 by OreGuy

[jakeisphat]

Are we sure this is the policy? I think it will create a lot of lawsuits if they “kick” people off the flight to accommodate for overweight people. From what I read, they rearrange people’s seats if there are any available. If not, they should be scheduling the overweight passenger for a different flight that does have room. There is no way they aren’t going to be cancelled or sued if they simply toss people off flights under these circumstances.

[Beyonnaise]

Do they get two meals too?

[SoldierofLove]

Um what?!

 

I’d love to fly with a fat person! We could potentially sit in a three seat section and there’d be no one in the middle? That’s amazing! 

 

Who here is obese and in the market for an airplane buddy? 

[Katamari]

[TaggedGalaxy]

6 minutes ago, jakeisphat said:

Are we sure this is the policy? I think it will create a lot of lawsuits if they “kick” people off the flight to accommodate for overweight people. From what I read, they rearrange people’s seats if there are any available. If not, they should be scheduling the overweight passenger for a different flight that does have room. There is no way they aren’t going to be cancelled or sued if they simply toss people off flights under these circumstances.

Yeah the policy doesn't seem clear on what happens to the other passengers if there are no other seats to accommodate them

[Apolonio ₃₄]

 

[BryceG]

2 minutes ago, TaggedGalaxy said:

Yeah the policy doesn't seem clear on what happens to the other passengers if there are no other seats to accommodate them

It should be something you pre-arrange.

[TaggedGalaxy]

1 minute ago, BryceG said:

It should be something you pre-arrange.

I agree, the policy allows for them to either pre-purchase two seats then get the second seat refunded, which is fair and prevents overbooking flights. But they also allow people to get an extra seat at the departure gate if they didn't pre-purchase an extra seat which potentially makes someone else lose a seat on the flight and that isn't fair. The policy should only allow for pre-arrangements

[Bussea]

you have no excuse to not visit me now @Smarticle 

[LanaDelSex]

my first mistake was expecting a thread based off of a new york post article to be respectful in any way

[byzantium]

As a pretty tall person, I would like to be able to kick someone out of the emergency exit rows to accommodate my need for leg room.  

[dumbsparce]

If a fattie needs 2 or so seats, shouldn't they inform the airline before stepping into the plane to avoid any inconvenience to us healthy humans? What has society come to? This can not be real.

Edited December 14, 2023 by dumbsparce

[J Legend X]

Good for them tbh but... am I getting an extra checked bag for free then?

[Sannie]

54 minutes ago, GraceRandolph said:

The reality is more and more people are living in larger bodies nowadays. It makes no sense for airlines to not accommodate a huge percentage of their customer base. 

Yep, and since they can not really retrofit existing planes without putting them out of commission for a while, this is an acceptable workaround.

 

Fat people deserve to be able to fly comfortably like everyone else.

 

32 minutes ago, jakeisphat said:

Are we sure this is the policy? I think it will create a lot of lawsuits if they “kick” people off the flight to accommodate for overweight people. From what I read, they rearrange people’s seats if there are any available. If not, they should be scheduling the overweight passenger for a different flight that does have room. There is no way they aren’t going to be cancelled or sued if they simply toss people off flights under these circumstances.

From what I know, airlines can already boot people for any reason, and people are often booted for others for a variety of reasons all the time. Your seat is never fully safe until you take off. Though I doubt their policy is basically "we will kick others". Odds are if there is no available seat, the customer of size will have to wait. At least, that is fair imo.