Southwest Customers of Size

[ducklite]

I did call SWA and explain the situation just now and again they were sold out for three days before and three days after, since it is the holiday season. The agent told me just to go to the airport and we would not be denied boarding. I hope she and the ticket agent at the airport are on the same page.

p.s. does anyone know how to determine were the SWA flights originate from.

Thanks again, but still concerned and apprehensive.

I don't know how they could not deny you boarding if your BF won't fit into the seat. Does that mean that they will infringe on another pax? I'd keep checking with them, call every day or two--it's quite possible that people will change plans and cancel on at least one of those flights.

Anne

 

[gigi1313]

I did call SWA and explain the situation just now and again they were sold out for three days before and three days after, since it is the holiday season. The agent told me just to go to the airport and we would not be denied boarding. I hope she and the ticket agent at the airport are on the same page.

p.s. does anyone know how to determine were the SWA flights originate from.

Thanks again, but still concerned and apprehensive.

patti, did you post here what size your bf is? i think i posted somewhere above that my dh is 6'4" tall, and weighs over 300lbs... and he fits FINE in swa seats... we have flown quite a few times on swa and other airlines w/nary a problem... unless your bf is significantly bigger than dh, i think your worrying for naught... did any of the swa reps you spoke with ask your for measurement/clothing size/weight/etc?

 

[Princess Patti]

Gigi:

He is just big.. football player... large shoulders and just plain big. 6'2" but very broad

 

[gigi1313]

i really think you are worrying for nothing... there were plenty of big people on our flights... i would recommend getting your boarding passes online as soon as you hit the 24 hour before mark and then have him go for an aisle seat... when i travel w/a friend and we both prefer aisle seats, we simply sit across the aisle from one another so we are "next to" but neither of us needs to sit in the dreaded middle seat! LOL!

 

[offtheice]

For those of you that have a overweight problem and are worried about needing another seat, well here is the answer. I was a person of size over a yr ago. Fokes,this is the best thing ever done to me . IT saved my life. I was 327lbs aug 3 of 2004 , waste size of 50 . I am now 180 and 36 inch waste. My shirts went from 4x almost 5x to large..
I can now sit on a plane with extra room .

 

[gigi1313]

um, that's an interesting solution... personally, i'm sticking with fat and happy...

 

[disneyldwjr]

For those of you that have a overweight problem and are worried about needing another seat, well here is the answer. I was a person of size over a yr ago. Fokes,this is the best thing ever done to me . IT saved my life. I was 327lbs aug 3 of 2004 , waste size of 50 . I am now 180 and 36 inch waste. My shirts went from 4x almost 5x to large..
I can now sit on a plane with extra room .

Now that is AWESOME!!!! Good for you. I lost 30 pounds since April. 5'7"-164, size 16, now, same height, 134lbs and size 11. I was in no danger of not fitting into a seat, but, I hated the extra weight. I was sort of fat and definitely NOT happy.
It was also a great answer.

 

[offtheice]

Now that is AWESOME!!!! Good for you. I lost 30 pounds since April. 5'7"-164, size 16, now, same height, 134lbs and size 11. I was in no danger of not fitting into a seat, but, I hated the extra weight. I was sort of fat and definitely NOT happy.
It was also a great answer.

Yea the plane thing i still had some room ,but was very tired, infact broke my left ankle just stepping on a stone from the weight. The surgery does work and they now have a procedure called lap bad which is even better. Anyone that has health problems and is 100lbs over weight, i suggest you do this.

 

[offtheice]

um, that's an interesting solution... personally, i'm sticking with fat and happy...

You maybe happy until you drop dead of a heart attack and leave those kids behind. I too use to think your way. Now i am skinny , happy and filled with lots of energy .To top that I can get around alot easier ..

 

[onyx8]

p.s. does anyone know how to determine were the SWA flights originate from.

I see you are in CT. If your flight leaves from Bradley, it will be empty when boarding begins. Southwest flights don't stop over at BDL.

 

[gigi1313]

You maybe happy until you drop dead of a heart attack and leave those kids behind. I too use to think your way. Now i am skinny , happy and filled with lots of energy .To top that I can get around alot easier ..

um, thanks for your "kind" words/sentiment... i appreciate your thoughtfulness...

jftr, while i may be fat (and happy!) i am in good physical condition, have no medical problems aside from some residual effects of lyme disease over which my weight has no control, have low blood pressure, low cholesterol, and am very active (moreso than a lot of my skinnier counterparts), have excellent stamina, etc... i'm just large... also given my family background (both big g'ma and little g'ma lived 'til their nineties) chances are good i am on this earth for the long haul... given where i live, i am at much more risk of getting cancer than a heart attack...

but again, thanks for your concern...

 

[kaytieeldr]

I see you are in CT. If your flight leaves from Bradley, it will be empty when boarding begins. Southwest flights don't stop over at BDL.

First, let me swear I get absolutely NO benefit or bonus from "hits" on Southwest's website
And now, let me direct you there once again. At the top of the main page, one of the options is a route map or something similar. If you link to this page and locate your airport, then roll your pointer over it, you'll see where flights go from that airport. If they DON'T go in ALL directions, chances are your flight orginates from your airport.

For example, as onyx8 states, flights leaving from Bradley originate there. Ditto for Providence and Manchester. On the other hand, if you're starting in Chicago, Baltimore or St. Louis, there's an EXCELLENT chance your flight will have originated elsewhere and there WILL be passengers aboard already.

 

[Carrieannew]

Are there any ways to find out online if a SW flieght is full yet or not?
Also when you have an A boarding pass from online how early do you need to get to the airport? Do they call all the a boarding pass's and then you get the best seat form there? And where is the best seat on a flieght for the most room?

 

[MandM22]

This is just one of the many reasons to fly anyone but SW. The whole A,B,C boarding is a joke. Since we have no kids we always seem to get to board last no matter what. And someone always seems to have already stored something above my seat in the overhead already. I'm thinking of bringing a nephew on vacation just to board the plane and get to use my overhead space. Anyway just do what I do... Fly on a better airline. SW may be cheap, but you get what you pay for... And for the record I don't need the extra space but I think it's insulting what they do to large people. That's just my opinion... nothing more. Someone said it in an earlier post.. there are good points on both sides of this issue. Hope everyone has a safe and comfortable flying experience on there way to WDW.

 

[Princess Patti]

Yes I agree, I will never buy a ticket from SWA again just on principle. It is insulting to those involved.

 

[gigi1313]

Yes I agree, I will never buy a ticket from SWA again just on principle. It is insulting to those involved.

but *every* carrier has the same policy... swa has just started enforcing theirs a bit more because of complaints from other PASSENGERS who were seated next to "oversized" individuals... it is not the airlines' fault that they have to enforce the policy... and it's VERY infrequent... and it is typically handled discretely...
i don't get why this is such a hot topic, esp for those that are not effected...

 

[ducklite]

Yes I agree, I will never buy a ticket from SWA again just on principle. It is insulting to those involved.

Why is it insulting?

As a person who has had to suffer sitting sideways because a large person encroached into my space from both directions more than once, I applaud it.

I learned quickly to be proactive. I put the armrest down, I don't care if I wedge it into the guts of the person next to me. I had someone actually argue with me once that they needed the extra space (ie spillover into my seat), I suggested they deplane and purchase a first class upgrade. The armrest stayed down. I wedge my shoulders back into MY seat to sit flat, even if it means the person next to me needs to contort into a pretzel.

I paid for my seat. When the person next to me starts to hand me cash to compensate me for the use of the seat I paid for, I might change my attitude.

Why is it so wrong to have the full use of the seat I paid for? Why should I have to be inconvenienced because someone didn't ahve teh forethought to realize "gee, I might have a problem fitting into a seat, maybe I should talk to the carrier before I book and see what they think".

Like I said in an earlier post, airplane seats are roughly the same width as an average office chair. If you can't fit into that, then you're going to have a problem fitting into the seat on the plane.

Anne

 

[djkeenan]

I'm a really big guy, 6'2" and 400# and I love flying SWA. It's always my first choice. I buy my tickets early and get great low rates. I always purchase 2 seats which allows me to pre-board and so far I have recieved a refund for the extra seat on each of my last ten flights.

I know the days will come when I will pay for the extra space, but average it out and it will still be a bargain.

I'm comfortable and I don't have to worry about making someone else uncomfortable. With other airlines I have no chance of getting any of my 2 seats refunded. I think SWA's policy is very fair and it's taken away my anxiety over whether or not I'll find a row with an empty seat.

 

[Princess Patti]

don't care if I wedge it into the guts of the person next to me



???? this can all lead to rage and I am glad that I am not going to be part of that anymore, tickets were cancelled and refunded and now going with UAL. This is not worth the semi discounted price ($20.00)

My feeling is to all of those people who are perfect is that some day you don't know what position you will be in and what the future holds. Health issues also add weight, as does medicine and other types of treatments.

So if you judge, please stay healthy and hope you fit into the perfect prototype, and all of your family members are o.k.

Our society has become so rude and nasty to each other and this is one example. I never jam anything into anyone's guts.

I appreciate the fact that most people are overweight and that it does impinge on others but give people a break and show some kindness. I also see this when I travel with my dad who needs onboard oxygen and needs walking assistance. People look at him and are very rude and nasty and do not want to sit anyplace near the oxygen since it might touch or go into their space. They also breathe heavy when he is getting adjusted.

Give me a break and have some respect and kindness for others.

 

[ducklite]

don't care if I wedge it into the guts of the person next to me



???? this can all lead to rage and I am glad that I am not going to be part of that anymore, tickets were cancelled and refunded and now going with UAL. This is not worth the semi discounted price ($20.00)

My feeling is to all of those people who are perfect is that some day you don't know what position you will be in and what the future holds. Health issues also add weight, as does medicine and other types of treatments.

So if you judge, please stay healthy and hope you fit into the perfect prototype, and all of your family members are o.k.

Our society has become so rude and nasty to each other and this is one example. I never jam anything into anyone's guts.

I appreciate the fact that most people are overweight and that it does impinge on others but give people a break and show some kindness. I also see this when I travel with my dad who needs onboard oxygen and needs walking assistance. People look at him and are very rude and nasty and do not want to sit anyplace near the oxygen since it might touch or go into their space. They also breathe heavy when he is getting adjusted.

Give me a break and have some respect and kindness for others.

There is a line between being kind to someone with a meidcal condition which means they need more time to get settled or ambulate, and someone who can't fit into a plane seat and wants to encroach on everyone else.

Big diference between that inconsiderate person and the person who needs more time getting down the aisle--although IMHO if you need to preboard because you need extra time to get settled, then you should also have the consideration to wait until everyone eles is off the plane before getting off. If you need mroe time getting on, it's going to be the same way getting off.

Like I said, I paid for my seat, and until someone starts handing me cash to use part of it, they need to stay out of it. It's something I have no tolerance for, because they CAN do something about it by buying two seats, they would just rather inconvenience others and not do so. It's the large people who need to have respect--they need to respect that people pay for their seat and expect to use it, not part of it because someone else is hanging over into it. The lack of respect is coming from the person of size. End of story.

Anne