Comments on: Suck it Southwest Airlines

By: CassieM

CassieM — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:44:52 +0000

Okay so here’s the thing… I am a size 20, weighing in @ 240. While I understand his humiliation… at the end of the day, SW didn’t do anything wrong. Not really. Was it overly harsh? Probably. But they are well within their rights to boot someone for any perceived risk to other passengers. I don’t dislike Kevin Smith, and I feel bad for the situation… but I always, ALWAYS fly SW. I’ve never been on a different airline. I can no longer buckle myself in (so I hide the belt under my hoodies) and I have NEVER been able to get the arm rest down over my hips, it always pops back up, even when i was a size 16. Therefore, with no intention to be an ass… I highly doubt Smith was able to buckle himself OR put the arm rest completely, since he is clearly bigger than myself, and my girlfriend, who can’t buckle the belts or drop the arm rests all the way.

I’m not saying SW handled this right, but I can’t find a reason to be genuinely mad at them or boycott them.

By: Howard

Howard — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:38:14 +0000

@mdegraffen

Um… MD… I work “in the industry” too, at a manufacturer of large aircraft. You are full of crap. Weight and balance on a commercial aircraft of any size from CRJ100 on up to A380 is NOT going to be affected by one passenger, even if s/he is 300 lbs. Maybe if s/he was 1000 lbs. then maybe, but not even then. Hell, the difference of 150 lbs in pax weight isn’t even compensatable it’s far too small to be of any kind of significance. You need another argument.

By: mdegraffen

mdegraffen — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:46:22 +0000

Mifty, you don’t know me and I do not appreciate your statement that I gave no answer. I worked for a major airline for 13 years and have been in the travel business for 25. I made my statements from knowledge. No suprise there? How dare you.

By: Mifty

Mifty — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:05:14 +0000

So I guess safety is not important and all of you know more about weights and balances than professonals.

This, of course, is no answer at all — amounting, as it does, to “Is too!” No surprise there.

By: All Women Stalker

All Women Stalker — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:49:10 +0000

Give them hell Ms. Plumcake!

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:09:04 +0000

Now, here is my way to get back with this ‘fat policy’. As it stands, I buy two tickets…for my comfort as well as the next guys. This purchase puts me in the ‘board first’ group…like the handicapped and those traveling with small children. As a result, I get great seats and ample overhead storage if I need it. Soooooo, my suggestion, when ever you can…travel with a partner, split the cost of the middle seat…get early boarding for one, with the partner ‘holding’ the other seat for the other guy. Comfort for both at a small increase in cost…early boarding…stick it to South West and all others with those too small seats.

By: Kevin Smith, Too Fat to Fly? | Prada Gucci Dolce Gabbana

Kevin Smith, Too Fat to Fly? | Prada Gucci Dolce Gabbana — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:03:12 +0000

[...] Manolo says, or as our friend Miss Plumcake puts it, Suck on it, Southwest Airlines. [...]

By: mdegraffen

mdegraffen — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:41:07 +0000

So I guess safety is not important and all of you know more about weights and balances than professonals. Do you thnk those calculations are not done on big planes? You would be wrong. You choose to take offense and that is your choice.

By: Twister

Twister — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:36:48 +0000

I’m about your size, Plummy and am 2 weeks away from a flight and I have to say, this made me super nervous. I’ve never had an issue on a plane due to my size and I’m not flying Southwest, but it makes me think twice… and it’s sad that I have to. :/

By: gemdiva

gemdiva — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:55:33 +0000

@mdegraffen, I’m sorry to inform you that your argument quite literally doesn’t fly. The day that one overweight passenger on a jet aircraft places it in jeopardy, is the day the airline industry and aircraft manufacturers need to be overhauled by a congressional committee. Weights and balances are far more of an issue on small aircraft like say a Beech 19 seater, and of even greater concern is wheteher or not the checked baggage on any aircraft is properly stowed. For that matter, I have never heard of anyone being denied the privilege of checking overweight bags as long as they were willing to pay the hefty checked bag fees. Let’s face it it’s all about the money!