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In response to
"Kevin Smith is a fatso, can't fly, signed Southwest Airlines. -- (link)"
by
Qale
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Would need more details about this case, but policies like this are not unique to Southwest.
Posted by
ty97
Feb 14 '10, 08:18
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AFAIK, The FAA only requires:
- you must be able to wear a seat belt (with an extender if needed)
- you can't block the aisle.
Additionally, most airlines have rules something to this effect:
- If you are too large to lower the armrests, then you have to buy a second seat.
- If a flight is full and no second seat is available, then you you need to be re-booked
- If you buy a second seat, but not all seats are full, then the second seat fee is refunded (this is true for American, at least)
As a former (very) fat person, these rules always bothered me, but I also understand them. Imagine that you are sitting next to someone who can't fit into their seat and they are encroaching into your seat. Is that fair to that traveler?
It's a tricky situation, especially as we get larger as a nation. Some people will avoid Southwest as a result of this. I certainly did. I recall when this policy was implemented, and I refused to fly Southwest as a result, because I didn't want to go through the mortification of being told I was too fat for their plane. (Not that Southwest lost lots of business from me, since I didn't like flying them to begin with....but I would avoid them at all cost, lest I be embarrassed by them.)
I didn't think Kevin Smith was that big, actually.
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