Pooh sized passengers to pay more on SWA

[Jeannine]

I find no fault in SWA policy and do think the media has had a field day with this without reading the policy. My point is not that people with children or those carrying large objects are also asked to purchase additional seats and the debate on this board isn't about those folks. It's with the prevailing attitude in our country toward overweight people. Would anyone ask some one who smelled to please purchase an extra seat, or someone who was rude. Who here has gagged on an entire flight from someone's perfume?? SO why is it ok to ask an overweight person?? It seems like overweight people are easy to single out for jokes, celebrity tabloid stories, ridicule. Many of our future flying companions have characteristics that some of us might find offensive, all I'm saying is that we either address all those issues or don't single out one group, the overweight.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Jeannine
I have gagged on perfume for an entire flight (makes you wish you could smoke to mask the offensive odor )
The reason they are asking an overweight person to purchase extra room is so they will not be encroaching on another person's seat and then everyone can have a quasi comfortable flight. I have experienced loud children, rude people and most of what you have mentioned, but, there is NOTHING like trying to fly in half a seat.
They can deny people who stink boarding. They deny ill people boarding, they can have people who cause problem arrested, they can deny alcohol to intoxicated people, they can also prevent them from boarding. And, if there are children aboard that are badly behaved, they can ask them to control their child/ren.
They cannot, however, roll out a larger seat.
I must ask, with all due respect, why you think it is ok for someone overweight to share your seat? Why do you feel it unfair to charge someone for what they use?
Given that enlarging the seats on airplanes would cost money for the refitting and then the costs would be passed along to people who want to fly. Why do you think it is ok for someone who fits in a seat to pay more for someone who does not? Do you think it unfair to charge someone with a child and a car seat to pay more if that seat goes over the size of the seat? Do you want to fly with part of that seat poking into you? I sure don't?
While it sounds like and unfair policy, it is more than fair for someone to get what they paid for. In this case, and entire seat.

 

[ducklite]

I was on a fairly long flight (about 6 hours) in first class last summer. one of the othre pax in the FC cabin had THE WORST BO. I could smell the ripeness, and I was two rows, a seat, and an aisle away from him. That's a person who should have been given a new seat--in the baggage compartment.

Anne

 

[Disneylvr]

I just received the latest People Magazine in the mail yesterday and it featured a small article about SWA and large passengers. It states that the policy (about purchasing 2 seats) has been in effect for 20 years but the airlines has decided to strictly enforce it now. Other airlines have similar policies but it is rarely enforced so the article states. It also made our local news here in St. Louis because two women had trouble this weekend at our airport.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Well, at least it is not a new policy, that is why I asked people to read the info on SWA's site.

 

[Joan BWV98]

I do not disagree with the policy, but I do have a problem with leaving it to the discretion of those at the counter. Although it has been said as a joke, the idea that you must be able to fit in the seat or you need another seat is enough. My husband and I are Pooh sized but we travel with our two children (fortunately, definitely not Pooh sized). Neither of us need to move the arm rest and we each sit with a child.

Our fear, and it is a fear, is a confrontation at the ticket counter. It is such an embarrassing idea that we are not taking SW this trip. We love their service, except for the mad rush to get on the plane.

I also would like to see them assign arm rests. Has anyone else been on flights with an arm rest hog?

 

[Disneylvr]

Joan,

That is my fear too. Will the gate agents take one look at DH and I and make us purchase an additional seat. Like I have stated several times above, we try to book seats on planes that have just 2 seats together on one side and we lift the armrest between us. Of course Southwest only uses 737's so that is impossible to do on those planes but their seats are wider than most. I plan to avoid SWA until I hear more.

 

[LucyStorm]

Quite frankly, I would rather sit next to a "pooh-size" passenger than the guy on my last flight, who first took my daughter's seat-(window)- and then after I asked him to move, insisted on sitting next to me with his legs so far spread apart that his knees were halfway in my seat.

The only consolation was that I accidentally spilled my drink, and since he was halfway in my seat- he got wet!!!

 

[inkkognito]

LucyStorm,
I know what you mean!!!
Seat hogging is definitely not limited to Pooh-sized passengers, and there are plenty of other problems that can arise too where your seat gets "taken over" by the person next to you. My hubby was once next to a man with a lap child who definitely looked to be over the age limit. Not only that, but he had nothing for the little boy to suck on, and his ears were obviously hurting as he spent the whole flight screaming and kicking. Unfortunately, a lot of this kicking ended up on my husband...his arm, his tray table, etc. The flight was completely full, so moving was not an option, and the man couldn't get up because there was turbulance pretty much the whole way. The kid was kicking hubby so bad that he had to use my tray table or his drink would have been in his lap. I think he would gladly have shared part of his seat with a Pooh-sized person (or even Pooh himself!), as long as they didn't physically abuse him!
We have learned to arrive at the airport as early as possible to get an exit row, as that eliminates the possibility of having a child next to you (although you'd be surprised at how many people try to sit with their kids in those rows).
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

inkkognito,
That sounds like a flight from hell. While I am sure the kid's ears were not happy with the pressure change, I would be more inclined to bet he did not like being restrained.

Joan BWV98,
Who's descretion would you like it left to? There don't seem to be many other options.
Yes, the armrest hog, flying in the "praying mantis" position is awful, been there, done that and really did not appreciate it.

 

[seashoreCM]

>> kicking your hubby so bad...

Your husband, and also everyone passing by in the aisle should have reached over and gently stroked the kid's head.

Making someone with a bad odor purchase a second seat would accomplish nothing, you would still smell it as strong as before.

I don't know how to solve the armrest problem other than,
1. Placing a thin upright divider lengthwise atop the armrest which would be a sharp hazard during turbulence, or,
2. Getting rid of the armrests altogether,which would create other problems that are the main topic of this thread.

Two Pooh sized passengers traveling together whould not have to purchase more than one extra seat between them. If they purchased seats for their small children who don't need child safety seats, they should not have to buy any extra seats, although a gate agent who has children's rights on his mind may argue otherwise.

 

[Mskanga]

I had a good example last year coming back from Spain with my two children , now I have always been very strict with my children and they are not allowed to act up on any flights , I make sure they have plenty of things to do but what killed me last year is that an oversized person sitting next to my little daughter decided to raise the arm rest and take over almost half of her seat, I nicely put it back down again, the person looked at me and raised it again , I put it back down again and I asked the person ...did you pay for this seat?? she said no and also told me that I didn't pay either....WHAT?? At that point I called the flight attendant and he told the person that was my dd's seat and that she should stop raising the arm rest. This person thought my dd was flying for free and was just "taking" an empty seat. Obviously the person did not fly that often, on transatlantic flights even babies who fly on parents laps pay 10% of the airfare but get no seat, when you get a seat you pay full fare. No way in hell I would let anyone take over half of the seat I paid for and I don't care how long the flight is.