Southwest Airlines Help

[FergieTCat]

I think this is the right board; I usually hang out on the Community Board.

I am flying from Phoenix to Disneyland and from Disneyland to Las Vegas. Both short flights (about an hour long). I hate flying in little planes, and Southwest has 737's to both places (US Air has smaller planes).

That being said, I am hesitant to fly Southwest. I think I've flown them once. My 2 points of contention are that:

I am above average size. I don't need 2 seats on an airline, but I am concerned about SW. I've heard they are rude to above-average-sized passengers. Is this true?

Also, what if you get Zone D seating? Is it the very last of the seats? Are you always stuck in a middle seat in the back? I can't imagine.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I think this is the right board; I usually hang out on the Community Board.

I am flying from Phoenix to Disneyland and from Disneyland to Las Vegas. Both short flights (about an hour long). I hate flying in little planes, and Southwest has 737's to both places (US Air has smaller planes).

That being said, I am hesitant to fly Southwest. I think I've flown them once. My 2 points of contention are that:

I am above average size. I don't need 2 seats on an airline, but I am concerned about SW. I've heard they are rude to above-average-sized passengers. Is this true?

Also, what if you get Zone D seating? Is it the very last of the seats? Are you always stuck in a middle seat in the back? I can't imagine.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

My husband is about 6' 3" and over 220 pounds and they have never treated him rudely. The seats seem fine for him, although he never has to sit in a middle seat.

You can usually get an aisle or window even if you have zone C seats, although I suppose a lot depends if you are flying somewhere with a lot of business travelers who would take lots of single seats versus traveling with families who would mostly use seats together.

 

[DebbieB]

I think this is the right board; I usually hang out on the Community Board.

I am flying from Phoenix to Disneyland and from Disneyland to Las Vegas. Both short flights (about an hour long). I hate flying in little planes, and Southwest has 737's to both places (US Air has smaller planes).

That being said, I am hesitant to fly Southwest. I think I've flown them once. My 2 points of contention are that:

I am above average size. I don't need 2 seats on an airline, but I am concerned about SW. I've heard they are rude to above-average-sized passengers. Is this true?

Also, what if you get Zone D seating? Is it the very last of the seats? Are you always stuck in a middle seat in the back? I can't imagine.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

As long as you can put the armrest down, you will be fine. They are not rude to above average size passengers, they just require you to buy a second seat if you cannot put the armrest down. If the flight is not full, they will refund the second seat fare.

There is no Zone D. It's A, B, C and a number. As long as you check in at 24 hours, you should not get a C. If you are worried about it, pay $10 per person per direction and get early bird check-in.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

FergieTCat,

You wrote that you don't need two seats. By definition, half the population is "above average." You'll be fine.

Southwest does not have a culture of rudeness toward larger passengers. In fact, Southwest arguably has the best culture of friendliness to all passengers in the whole domestic airline industry.

I think I can explain where the perception of "rudeness" to larger passengers can from. A few years ago, Southwest got some bad press when they "forced" passengers who needed two seats to buy two seats. Some passengers thought they should not have to pay.

All airlines have policies regarding passengers who do not fit within a single seat. Southwest Airlines has a well-documented "Customers of Size Policy" which allows larger passengers to buy a second seat and then to get the second seat cost refunded if the plane flies with unsold seats. It's good policy for customers who need a second seat. Southwest's website explains it well: http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/extra-seat/index-pol.html

 

[FergieTCat]

FergieTCat,

You wrote that you don't need two seats. By definition, half the population is "above average." You'll be fine.

Southwest does not have a culture of rudeness toward larger passengers. In fact, Southwest arguably has the best culture of friendliness to all passengers in the whole domestic airline industry.

I think I can explain where the perception of "rudeness" to larger passengers can from. A few years ago, Southwest got some bad press when they "forced" passengers who needed two seats to buy two seats. Some passengers thought they should not have to pay.

All airlines have policies regarding passengers who do not fit within a single seat. Southwest Airlines has a well-documented "Customers of Size Policy" which allows larger passengers to buy a second seat and then to get the second seat cost refunded if the plane flies with unsold seats. It's good policy for customers who need a second seat. Southwest's website explains it well: http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/extra-seat/index-pol.html

I was thinking of that article. If you need 2 seats, you need 2 seats. I wouldn't argue with that. I was just picturing heavy sighing from the flight attendants.

I think I'm more self-conscious about my size than I actually am large.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[MinnieLee]

We "luv" Southwest and have never seen any flight crew being rude to any passengers. If anything, they are more accomodating and pleasant than alot of other airlines we have used. They really did get alot of bad press about that incident but that was a very rare case.

I am sure that you will not have a problem with your seating at all. As pp, you could pay the $10 for early bird boarding or just be ready and the 24 hour mark to check in for the A or B boarding.

Not to worry!!!!

 

[guitarob]

As long as you can put the armrest down, you will be fine. They are not rude to above average size passengers, they just require you to buy a second seat if you cannot put the armrest down. If the flight is not full, they will refund the second seat fare.

I wish this were true. It probably is policy, but I'm not sure if it's enforced like it should be. DW and I are both "pooh-sized" but we're not so big that we don't fit in the seats with the arm rests down and we don't require seat belt extenders or anything like that.

On our last flight home, the plane was full and a woman who was large enough to require a seatbelt extender forced herself into the seat next to DW. She had to put the armrest between herself and DW up to get into the seat, and she spent the entire trip partially sitting on DW's leg. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. We were packed in so tightly that I literally couldn't put my arms at my sides, but didn't know what I could do about it, if anything. DW was none too happy about it (needless to say), and spent the entire flight very uncomfortable. Thank God that it was only a 2 hour flight.

I'm not one to bash large people, but if you're encroaching on someone else's space enough to be ON them, you should have to buy another seat.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I wish this were true. It probably is policy, but I'm not sure if it's enforced like it should be. DW and I are both "pooh-sized" but we're not so big that we don't fit in the seats with the arm rests down and we don't require seat belt extenders or anything like that.

On our last flight home, the plane was full and a woman who was large enough to require a seatbelt extender forced herself into the seat next to DW. She had to put the armrest between herself and DW up to get into the seat, and she spent the entire trip partially sitting on DW's leg. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. We were packed in so tightly that I literally couldn't put my arms at my sides, but didn't know what I could do about it, if anything. DW was none too happy about it (needless to say), and spent the entire flight very uncomfortable. Thank God that it was only a 2 hour flight.

I'm not one to bash large people, but if you're encroaching on someone else's space enough to be ON them, you should have to buy another seat.

You must be able to sit in a seat with the armrest down. Your wife should have complained to an FA before the door closed so something could have been done about this. If you just sit quietly and don't say anything, then you have no one to blame but yourself.

 

[SaraJayne]

Hi Fergie!

I fly SW all the time and I've never had a problem with rude flight attendants, even though I have no problem putting the arm rest down on both sides of the seat. The flight attendants I've had on SW actually seem to like their jobs and that attitude transfers to their interaction with customers.

You'll be fine.

 

[guitarob]

You must be able to sit in a seat with the armrest down. Your wife should have complained to an FA before the door closed so something could have been done about this. If you just sit quietly and don't say anything, then you have no one to blame but yourself.

Ok, seriously? I realize that I should have said said something. No need to get all high and mighty on me. I have never had a reason to research that rule, and because of that, I had an uncomfortable flight. I was just relaying a story, not complaining or crying out for justice. Relax.

I wasn't aware of the arm rest rule until I read this thread. Had I known that, I would have said something.

That being said, the relevance to this post was the fact that the flight attendant that gave her the seatbelt extender saw the situation and did nothing. Therefore, not being rude to her at all, but in fact being overly accommodating to the detriment of other passengers. I would assume that they know the rule, and should be the ones to enforce it.