Southwest Airlines debuts plus size policy, leaving some passengers devastated – oregonlive.com:
A new Southwest Airlines policy that requires plus-sized passengers to buy an extra seat if they “encroach” onto the seat next to theirs is sparking disappointment, anguish and frustration among leagues of larger bodied people across the U.S. who long relied on the airline as their carrier of choice.
Southwest’s new “customer of size” policy, which takes effect Tuesday, requires plus-sized passengers who cannot fit entirely within one seat to purchase a second one. That’s regardless of whether the seat next to them is empty.
Those passengers can later request a refund for the second seat, but will only receive one if the flight is not full. Under Southwest’s old policy, plus-sized passengers could choose to purchase an extra seat, but the airline didn’t require it. And the airline would later refund the price of that extra ticket — even if all other seats on the plane were full and the refund could result in a net loss for the airline, according to an airline spokesperson.
That Southwest used to do this was cool. That they choose to no longer do this is…well within their rights? Air travel cost is, for the airlines, driven by fuel cost which in turn is determined primarily by weight. Heavier passengers (and luggage) are more expensive for the airlines. Southwest used to spread that cost out to everyone in the form of slightly higher ticket prices. Now it’s the responsibility of the overweight party.
…The change in policy also is cast against a backdrop where some smaller bodied passengers have felt encroached upon, creating unpleasant flying experiences and encounters.
Well, no kidding.
Southwest says its new policy will prevent situations where a plus-sized passenger arrives for a flight, needs an extra seat and there isn’t one — resulting in someone getting bumped from the plane.
Spokesperson Chris Perry said the new rule, also known as the “extra seat policy,” allows the airline to “provide a quality experience for all Customers traveling with us.”
Although Southwest doesn’t specifically spell it out, the change may also help reduce conflicts in situations where smaller bodied passengers feel their available space has been reduced by larger bodied passengers sitting next to them.
The simple solution for all this is exactly what the new Southwest policy provides for: If a person needs two seats, they can buy two seats. It may be a bummer that the second seat is no longer a freebie, but it’s never been free on any other airline either.