A woman is upset because she was told she was "too fat to fly." Had the woman been a student in a classroom, the person who said this a physics professor, and the comment in conjunction with a lecture on gravitational effects related to aerodynamics...no problem. Unfortunately, the woman was an airline passenger, the person who said this was a gate agent for Southwest Airlines, and the offending remark, while a scientifically correct, was rude and inappropriate for any airline employee to have done openly in public. The agent allegedly said this with respect to Southwest Airlines' policy regarding passenger size and the requirement that this woman would have to purchase an additional seat. The woman countered that the airline's policy is too vague and inconsistently applied, therefore she has filed a lawsuit against Southwest.
The woman in this case is not suing for monetary damages, which I find curiously un-American. Instead, she is seeking to have an industry standard put in place that sets rules "for flyers who have to buy a second seat." She stated in a T.V. interview that she's "not opposed to paying more if you (the airline) tell me what I have to pay and I know at the point of purchase." Fair enough. Here's a portion of the current Southwest Airlines
"Customers who encroach upon any part of the neighboring seats(s) should proactively book the needed number of seats prior to travel. The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats and measures 17 inches in width."
I want to know what part of "17 inches in width" she thinks is vague. I checked other airlines' policies, and they're more vague than Southwest. By and large (no pun intended) they generally enforce additional seat purchases on a case-by-case basis with the litmus test being the ability to lower the armrests and buckle the seat belt. As far as I can tell, Southwest is the only airline that puts an actual figure on your figure...17 inches. The woman knows how big she is, and she knows what the restriction is. I don't understand the problem. Can't measure yourself? Then let's do what they do at theme parks and put up a cartoon character to size everyone before they reach the gate.
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This little piggy says, “If you’re wider than this,
you need to buy a second seat.”
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From the interview and from the woman's blog (she has a weight-loss blog where she talks about this lawsuit and other weighty issues), it's clear to me her argument is with the consistency in Southwest's application of the rule as there have been times her size when flying was not an issue. Reading into that leads me to conclude that she knows how big she is, and that she flies enough that she should have an expectation there may be a question about her size before she gets to the airport. Knowing this, she should either pay for the second seat at the point of purchase ("proactively book" - see vague policy) or be prepared to fork over additional cash at the gate. Seems like any inconsistency in the application of the policy would be in her favor.
I can't help but assume that this woman has been getting away with not paying extra more often than she has been asked to pay extra if the policies were enforced. In fact, she has an apology letter from Southwest from the first time she was stopped that she used to avoid paying for a second seat the last time she was stopped. But winning this personal battle isn't enough. She wants a policy that's consistent and applicable to everyone, so here you go...
The only objective practice I can think of for buying a ticket would be if airlines set their prices based on a passenger's weight. Grocery stores price fruits and vegetables and meat per pound. The Postal Service and UPS and FedEx charge by weight. Why not airlines? Price per pound with a generously included buffer of 5 pounds if you book your flight in advance in case you put on a couple of pounds or want to enjoy that Cinnabon while you wait for your flight. Exceed the weight on your ticket, pay extra for every pound over. And everyone gets sized at the gates. No exceptions, because everything in the world should be applied to everyone exactly the same way. Come in under weight...rebate! Flying with kids on the family vacation? That adult-sized $250 seat is now about $100 for little Timmy, so go upgrade that hotel room, dad!
Of course, fat people won't view this as fair, but if life was fair, no one would be fat. With the obesity epidemic in this country, perhaps saving $20, $30, or more on a plane ticket might be a positive step towards a healthier population. And those with medical conditions...sorry. I'd allow a medical exemption except I've seen too many people walking comfortably away from handicap parking spaces to give a crap about the validity of a doctor's note. Nope, crack open the wallet a little wider because that's what your seat needs to be.
For me, this isn't about defining people as fat, obese or large. It's not about the arbitrary enforcement of policies by the airports, airlines or TSA. No, this is about me being tired of reading about people suing the world because it doesn't fit them or their concept of fairness. Guess what? The world doesn't always fit me, either. I don't care if it's clothes or airplane seats, if you want a tailored fit, you gotta pay extra.
But here, again, we have one individual who feels personally disadvantaged and is seeking an across-the-board remedy through the legal system. And the fallout from that remedy could be someone else or some other group gets impacted. This will ultimately end in a win for the airlines. Airlines don't like empty seats unless they're paid for. I can recall only two times I've flown when I've seen vacant seats, and they weren't next to a fat person. They were just empty. If a size standard is enforced, there will be a lot more empty seats, and I guarantee the airlines will make sure they're all paid for. And in the end, by pushing a lawsuit for an absolute standard to make the airlines do what she feels is right for her, all this woman may accomplish will be to punish passengers who are big like her by forcing airlines to make them pay for what they may not have had to pay for before.
Because that's fair.
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