Why I HATE Southwest Airlines...

[disneyldwjr]

I totally agree with your point here. To be honest, I'm having a hard time envisioning what weight would fit into a seat or not. I'm not a "math" person.

And you're right- it inconvenienced a lot of other people who had already settled in their seats. No one wanted to move.

I'm thinking of that saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." When I bought my airline tickets, I never knew about these restrictions (never really thought about it I guess) so I just think it would have been easier on everyone if it were laid out for everyone at the time of purchase.

You have some valid points, however, the COS is covered in print on the website. The fact that you or others did not take the time to read them is not the airline's fault. It is not a hidden fee, it is not a hidden rule, it is not a hidden anything.

I had to chuckle (no, not at you) when in an earlier post you mentioned that they should ask or have it in red re: COS. How many people do you know are going to plunk down more money because they think they might be a COS? Most are going to say "this rule cannot apply to me". It is human nature. In all the responses to this thread ONLY ONE has said they would and do.

Like most, I wish they would impliment it better, along with oversized carry ons and preboarding.

 

[disneyldwjr]

And it's NOT a hidden fee. While most, if not all, airlines have similar policies, only Southwest is so upfront about it.[/QUOTE]

I think it is, in a way, a hidden fee. I booked through a TA, but also researched prices on my own A LOT before booking. My TA didn't mention anything about the COS policy when I booked. If I had bought the tickets online, I wouldn't have seen anything about it while going through the purchasing procedure. I honestly didn't know anything about it at all until I read something about it in a thread on this board. Now, it IS written in plain English on the policy page of SW's site, but if I were buying a ticket there, I would read the rules about the fare itself, not the policy of the whole airline. I guess that's stupid on my part.

On SW's site, when you purchase tickets, there are links to go to policies about seniors, children/unaccompanied minors, and babies on board. Would it be too much of an inconvenience to them to put customers of size on the list? I wouldn't think a simple link would be too much to ask.[/QUOTE]

Stupid? NO!!!! But, I do wonder why anyone does anything without reading everything. It is in the same area as seniors, children and babies also right along with luggage allowances. If they linked the COS policy, I am sure someone would call them insensative. They treat it very delicately and very well. That is possibly why they don't link it.
Perhaps your TA did not mention it because your TA did not know about the policy or she/he knows you personally and did not think it important.
Why not ask? I would love to know.
There is NO way it is a hidden fee, that would be a HUGE stretch to say that.
That reminds me of a customer I once had that bounced a bunch of checks and told me that the bounce fee was hidden. It was hidden because he did not read the fee disclosure given to every customer.
General statement here (not aimed at anyone at all): The fact that you don't take the time to read policies does not make them hidden, unfair or anything else. Take responsibility for yourself and read. You learn a lot and you don't get in a situation where you will be forced to blame others for your lack of knowledge.