Getting thrown off the plane because your fat!

[bellaprincess98]

I just saw an article about the actor/director Keven Smith getting kicked off a soutwest flight because he was too fat. I am shocked! How humiliating! I feel so bad for him. He was saying in the article that he knows that he is big but he wonders why they waited until he had already boarded the plane, put his bag in the overhead compartment, and sat down before they told him to get out!

Now I'm overweight and this makes me scared. How heavy do you have to be to have something like this happen to you?

 

[Jestocost]

The policy always has been kind of strange and open to different interpretations by staff. Essentially, however, if you can't or think you won't be able to fit in the 17" space between the arm rests then you are supposed to buy two tickets. If you wind up fitting in one seat or if the flight isn't full, they are supposed to get the money for the second ticket refunded.

Here's their official policy:

http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/***_guidelines.html

 

[disneemama]

I think there is more to this story because its been on the news all morning and they showed him. He does not look big at all. I fit in those seats and I know my rear looks bigger than he does. I have seen bigger people on flights and they even have a seat extender and are very discreet about offering it.

 

[GreyGooseCosmo]

I just hopped on here to gather some info about other airlines. I've always been a devoted SWA fan, but after this? I'm too scared that we'll get booted from a flight to/from Disney with the kids because the enforcement of their policy is so subjective and clearly inconsistent. It would ruin our vacation, and I'm just not willing to chance it.

I'd rather pay a bit extra for my luggage, and am leaning toward AirTran.

ETA: I'm 5'9" and change, and am about a size 18. My husband is a bit fluffy too, but neither of us are obese. I just am too risk averse to chance ruining my family vacation.

 

[bellaprincess98]

I just hopped on here to gather some info about other airlines. I've always been a devoted SWA fan, but after this? I'm too scared that we'll get booted from a flight to/from Disney with the kids because the enforcement of their policy is so subjective and clearly inconsistent. It would ruin our vacation, and I'm just not willing to chance it.

I'd rather pay a bit extra for my luggage, and am leaning toward AirTran.

ETA: I'm 5'9" and change, and am about a size 18. My husband is a bit fluffy too, but neither of us are obese. I just am too risk averse to chance ruining my family vacation.

I completely agree. I would hate to be humiliated in front of my family and other passangers like that. I think it would make me cry.

 

[goofy4tink]

THere is going to be more to this story, I'm sure. If you can be seated in your seat, with the armrests down, on both sides of you, and you aren't 'blooping' over into the next seat, then you can fit.
If you infringe upon someone's 'space' then you are going to have to buy an addtl seat.

 

[pamjb]

I am a pooh-sized lady...5'6" about 230 lbs, most of it my bottom. I have flown SW 2-3 times per year and have never been approached about purchasing an additional seat.
I know some people purchase an additional seat from the start. If you don't have any problems with seating, then you can get a refund/credit.

 

[Kim&Chris]

Just my opinion, but Kevin Smith really does not appear to be a very big man. Seems he would fit in one seat easily

 

[Lewisc]

According to at least some of the news stories Kevin Smith always purchases two seats. He was flying "stand by" for a different flight and there was only one open seat.

I don't know who made the mistake. The GA in letting him board or the pilot who could have let it slide.

 

[Kim&Chris]

According to at least some of the news stories Kevin Smith always purchases two seats. He was flying "stand by" for a different flight and there was only one open seat.

I don't know who made the mistake. The GA in letting him board or the pilot who could have let it slide.

Interesting - I didn't know this part.

 

[verticalchaos]

According to at least some of the news stories Kevin Smith always purchases two seats. He was flying "stand by" for a different flight and there was only one open seat.

I don't know who made the mistake. The GA in letting him board or the pilot who could have let it slide.

Per Smith on his own Twitter (and other places), he does not "usually" buy two seats. He does on occasion so that his family can spread out and/or because when traveling alone he likes to have the extra space because in reality he is shy. Southwest is the one perpetuating the story that he "usually" or "always" buys two seats.

He was seated with the arm rests down and with the seatbelt fastened WITHOUT AN EXTENDER. The women on either side of him - yes folks, that's right, he was in the dreaded and usually slightly smaller center seat - verified to the agent asking him to leave the plane that he was NOT in their "seat space" and they were not bothered by him.

There were other, larger passengers on the plane who were not asked to leave.

On his next - and originally scheduled - flight, he HAD purchased two seats for the privacy factor. A "heavyset" woman took the aisle seat in his row where he had the window seat and the reserved seat in the center. SHE WAS NOT ENCROACHING ON ANYONE'S SEAT SPACE. SHE was asked to leave the plane. He said she WAS allowed to return "as long as it was alright with him" since she was "partially" in his extra seat. He had no problem with her whatsoever and told them to leave her alone. When she returned she thanked him and told him that she was told next time she would have to buy two seats but since he was ok with it, she didn't have to this time.

It is how arbitrary Southwest is with their "policy" that is what is terrifying about this whole situation.

 

[ColinCodyMom]

I am a pooh-sized lady...5'6" about 230 lbs, most of it my bottom. I have flown SW 2-3 times per year and have never been approached about purchasing an additional seat.
I know some people purchase an additional seat from the start. If you don't have any problems with seating, then you can get a refund/credit.

I'm glad to hear this. I hope it's the case the majority of the time. I'm pretty near close to your size and I've usually flown Spirit or Northwest. I've never flown Southwest and I just booked airfare last week. Now, I have to say, that I am appalled. I will have my two children next to me and certainly will not be encroaching on someone's seat space. I asked this question a week or so ago because I saw their policy and wondered about it. I've fit just fine with no extenders in the other seats on other planes. But if Southwest actually belittles their customers this way, I think I made the wrong choice!!! It's not as if I don't know my own size. I don't know what to do now... This makes me really upset!!!!!

 

[Lewisc]

We have no way of confirming any information HOWEVER passengers who aren't "customers of size" are not allowed to purchase two seats (exceptions for things like musical instruments).

If Smith isn't a C0size he violates SW policy every time he takes advantage of the policy to purchase a second seat so his family can "can spread out".

If Smith is a COSize he violated SWs policy by boarding the earlier flight, which didn't have 2 seats available. He purchased two seats for his originally scheduled flight. Smith basically told SW he is a COsize when he purchased the second seat. He doesn't get to say he's not when it suits his purpose.

It sounds like Smith has been gaming the system and got caught.

Was Smith expecting to gain a significant amount of weight in the time between the 2 flights?

Per Smith on his own Twitter (and other places), he does not "usually" buy two seats. He does on occasion so that his family can spread out and/or because when traveling alone he likes to have the extra space because in reality he is shy. Southwest is the one perpetuating the story that he "usually" or "always" buys two seats.

He was seated with the arm rests down and with the seatbelt fastened WITHOUT AN EXTENDER. The women on either side of him - yes folks, that's right, he was in the dreaded and usually slightly smaller center seat - verified to the agent asking him to leave the plane that he was NOT in their "seat space" and they were not bothered by him.

There were other, larger passengers on the plane who were not asked to leave.

On his next - and originally scheduled - flight, he HAD purchased two seats for the privacy factor. A "heavyset" woman took the aisle seat in his row where he had the window seat and the reserved seat in the center. SHE WAS NOT ENCROACHING ON ANYONE'S SEAT SPACE. SHE was asked to leave the plane. He said she WAS allowed to return "as long as it was alright with him" since she was "partially" in his extra seat. He had no problem with her whatsoever and told them to leave her alone. When she returned she thanked him and told him that she was told next time she would have to buy two seats but since he was ok with it, she didn't have to this time.

It is how arbitrary Southwest is with their "policy" that is what is terrifying about this whole situation.

 

[verticalchaos]

We have no way of confirming any information HOWEVER passengers who aren't "customers of size" are not allowed to purchase two seats (exceptions for things like musical instruments).

If Smith isn't a C0size he violates SW policy every time he takes advantage of the policy to purchase a second seat so his family can "can spread out".

If Smith is a COSize he violated SWs policy by boarding the earlier flight, which didn't have 2 seats available. He purchased two seats for his originally scheduled flight. Smith basically told SW he is a COsize when he purchased the second seat. He doesn't get to say he's not when it suits his purpose.

It sounds like Smith has been gaming the system and got caught.

Was Smith expecting to gain a significant amount of weight in the time between the 2 flights?

IDK. I'm just saying what he said. Actually he also said he rarely flies Southwest and usually opts for airlines with first class sections. Problem is, there are some locations (Nashville being one) where Southwest owns the majority of the gates and will not willingly leases them out to other low-cost competitors such as JetBlue (I have confirmation on this from writing JetBlue after the JFK-BNA route was cxld when all three runs were full every time my parents or I would fly them...different weekdays, different times of the year, etc. - they were denied the right to lease the gates BY Southwest.), many of whom have actually upgraded their seats to a less archaic size, something Southwest refuses to do admittedly in an effort "to make money".

 

[ancestry]

This has been my biggest fear and has almost made me want to give up flying. I have never needed a seat extended and can fit in the seats but yet I am still not a little woman (at least not since giving birth to twins 7 years ago). I would absolutely die if this happened to me.

 

[Hannathy]

On his next - and originally scheduled - flight, he HAD purchased two seats for the privacy factor. A "heavyset" woman took the aisle seat in his row where he had the window seat and the reserved seat in the center. SHE WAS NOT ENCROACHING ON ANYONE'S SEAT SPACE. SHE was asked to leave the plane. He said she WAS allowed to return "as long as it was alright with him" since she was "partially" in his extra seat. He had no problem with her whatsoever and told them to leave her alone. When she returned she thanked him and told him that she was told next time she would have to buy two seats but since he was ok with it, she didn't have to this time.

It is how arbitrary Southwest is with their "policy" that is what is terrifying about this whole situation.

You are kinda contradicting yourself aren't you. You say she wasn't encroaching on anyone's seat and then that she was partially into the middle seat. If she couldn't fit in one seat and I don't just mean squeeze between the armrests and let everything hang over then she needed to buy 2 seats.
It is on the website. I for one am very glad SW enforces this and wish more airlines did. I also think they should be more picky because I have been by folks who just because they can lift and squeeze and get between the armrests think it is ok that they take up part of your seat above the arm rests. I wish there could be a partition that fit between the seats that defined your "own" space and then if you didn't fit into that area you needed 2 seats. As far as being humiliated I fail to believe the people who need 2 seats aren't aware of their size, it isn't a surprise that morning and the policy is on their website.

As far as being arbitrary what do you want them to do? could you see the outrage if they dared to ask people what they weighed or to get on a scale?

 

[DVC Grammy]

According to at least some of the news stories Kevin Smith always purchases two seats. He was flying "stand by" for a different flight and there was only one open seat.

I don't know who made the mistake. The GA in letting him board or the pilot who could have let it slide.

I heard the same report and the problem (as reported) was that his armrests could not be lowered on both sides, an absolute requirement for take-off.

 

[verticalchaos]

You are kinda contradicting yourself aren't you. You say she wasn't encroaching on anyone's seat and then that she was partially into the middle seat. If she couldn't fit in one seat and I don't just mean squeeze between the armrests and let everything hang over then she needed to buy 2 seats.
It is on the website. I for one am very glad SW enforces this and wish more airlines did. I also think they should be more picky because I have been by folks who just because they can lift and squeeze and get between the armrests think it is ok that they take up part of your seat above the arm rests. I wish there could be a partition that fit between the seats that defined your "own" space and then if you didn't fit into that area you needed 2 seats. As far as being humiliated I fail to believe the people who need 2 seats aren't aware of their size, it isn't a surprise that morning and the policy is on their website.

As far as being arbitrary what do you want them to do? could you see the outrage if they dared to ask people what they weighed or to get on a scale?

No one was sitting in the seat. And he had no problem with it.

And even Southwest has admitted that he fit between the armrests with them lowered to the other poster.

And frankly yes. They measure carryon luggage. They should have people measurements. That way it's fair for everyone.

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

Kevin posted several hours ago on his Twitter that apparently he received a phone call from SW, and if it was legit, the person who called apologized and the Pilot did not actually single Kevin out for being overweight.

Kevin's twitter is here. Some is the language is strong though, so be warned.

 

[verticalchaos]

Kevin posted several hours ago on his Twitter that apparently he received a phone call from SW, and if it was legit, the person who called apologized and the Pilot did not actually single Kevin out for being overweight.

Kevin's twitter is here. Some is the language is strong though, so be warned.

Right. He has yet to hear back from them yet though, so whether it was legit or not is questionable.