|
Forum: Internet Links Topic: Southwest Airlines started by: Leisher Posted by Leisher on Jul. 27 2010,06:22
I can't find the thread, but you all remember how they kicked Kevin Smith off a plane saying he was too fat to fit in the seat and should have bought two? And just as an FYI, the real story broke that it was someone on the flight crew who started the process of him getting booted and Southwest admits he never should have and fit their criteria for a passenger who only needs one seat. Point being, they handled it very, very badly. Well, they're at it again, this time they < threw a skinny girl off a plane to make room for a fat one. > I respect, IF true, their goal of not embarrassing the teen, but let's be honest, not explaining to the other girl is bullshit and probably causes more of a scene resulting in all the passengers looking to see who takes the seat of the thrown off woman. And seriously, a 14 year old girl who needs two seats? WTF? Where the hell are her parents? Posted by GORDON on Jul. 27 2010,06:42
After having flown from Los Angeles to Detroit in 55% of my seat because of gigantor next to me spilling over the arm rest of his seat, and the flight crew would never make eye contact with me as they slammed into me for 5 hours as I was forced half way into the aisle, I definitely have an opinion about this.
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 27 2010,08:05
QUOTE While saying the airline plans to apologize to the bumped passenger, McInnis said Southwest staff may have acted more swiftly than usual in booting her because the overweight passenger in question was only 14 and they were trying to spare the teen embarrassment. Yeah, because I'm sure the kids at her high school haven't said shit. Posted by Cakedaddy on Jul. 27 2010,09:16
Had they seated her, she would have complained that the fat girl was taking up half her seat.I dunno. I think the airline did what they should have. After all, the real issue is why is the 14 year old so big? If the 14 year old had her shit straight, this wouldn't be an issue. So, the airline can charge one fat person for two seats, not sell the second seat, or cram some one in next to them. When really, people shouldn't be that big. Perhaps they should just base all tickets on size and weight. Include luggage in the equation. Posted by TPRJones on Jul. 27 2010,09:45
(Cakedaddy @ Jul. 27 2010,11:16) QUOTE When really, people shouldn't be that big. Some of those seats are absurdly small. They aren't made for people with hips or legs. Or shoulders. QUOTE After having flown from Los Angeles to Detroit in 55% of my seat because of gigantor next to me spilling over the arm rest of his seat, and the flight crew would never make eye contact with me as they slammed into me for 5 hours as I was forced half way into the aisle, I definitely have an opinion about this. I said I was sorry. Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 27 2010,09:53
QUOTE I think the airline did what they should have. After all, the real issue is why is the 14 year old so big? Uh, sort of. If you're looking at it from the perspective of running an airline, you don't care why people are like that, you care that some of them are & you have to find ways to deal with them, be that refusal of service, complete accommodation, or anywhere in between. QUOTE Some of those seats are absurdly small. They aren't made for people with hips or legs. Or shoulders. Smaller seats = more seats = more people = more tickets (over)sold = more profit. While I can't fault them for trying to maximize their cash flow, airlines get to weigh that maximization versus pissing off customers in these scenarios. Sometimes they piss off customers only peripherally involved. To be honest, air travel in this country is a fucking joke anyway, so what's one more bit of stupidity? Posted by Leisher on Jul. 27 2010,09:59
< United steals Southwest's thunder. >Remember Customer Service? QUOTE After having flown from Los Angeles to Detroit in 55% of my seat because of gigantor next to me spilling over the arm rest of his seat, and the flight crew would never make eye contact with me as they slammed into me for 5 hours as I was forced half way into the aisle, I definitely have an opinion about this. I've been there. Nothing worse than sitting next to a fat ass on a flight. I should add that people with bad hygiene are the worst. QUOTE Had they seated her, she would have complained that the fat girl was taking up half her seat. I dunno. I think the airline did what they should have. After all, the real issue is why is the 14 year old so big? If the 14 year old had her shit straight, this wouldn't be an issue. I can't agree with your logic there. The airline was correct in throwing someone off the flight to accommodate someone else's ridiculous needs? No way. Instead of throwing the innocent woman off the flight, what they should have done is: 1. Pre-sell the larger girl two tickets. Then don't double book those seats. 2. If the girl shows up and sees too big for one seat, kindly and DISCREETLY, ask people in the front of the plane if someone would be willing to give up their seat and fly later. Offer compensation. If you can get someone next to the already open seat to take the offer, great. If not, move someone else around so you get the two empty seats near one another up front. Now seat the girl. 3. Tell the girl she's going to have to wait for the next flight. All would have been better options than "Fuck over another customer who did nothing wrong except buy a ticket on our airline with the expectation that she would be reserved a seat on that specific flight." And no, people shouldn't be that big. Apparently, "Big Boned syndrome" is out of control. Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 27 2010,10:10
(Leisher @ Jul. 27 2010,11:59) QUOTE And no, people shouldn't be that big. Apparently, "Big Boned syndrome" is out of control. Just wait till the universal health care kicks in. QUOTE Harte suspects her son may have been intentionally bumped from an overcrowded flight. "It's a lot easier to have a kid that's not going to say anything than an adult who has a business meeting that's going to scream at you in front of everybody," his mother told the Ottawa Citizen. The "bumped" theory is vaguely interesting. The company would be positively crucified in the media if that were found to be true. I always thought overselling flights was a particularly stupid idea anyhow, though. QUOTE United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy told the Ottawa Citizen that the airline apologized for the inconvenience and planned to offer Harte a refund for the child care fee and an undisclosed goodwill gesture. Forgetting about someone's luggage is an inconvenience. Good to know you place people on the same level as baggage, assholes. Posted by GORDON on Jul. 27 2010,10:33
(TPRJones @ Jul. 27 2010,12:45) QUOTE QUOTE After having flown from Los Angeles to Detroit in 55% of my seat because of gigantor next to me spilling over the arm rest of his seat, and the flight crew would never make eye contact with me as they slammed into me for 5 hours as I was forced half way into the aisle, I definitely have an opinion about this. I said I was sorry. If only he had. He was in the middle of 3 seats. I was in the aisle and the little asian chick against the window was smashed up against the bulkhead. The guy folded his arms on his chest and pretended to sleep the entire 5 hours. Never moved. Could have been dead but his fleshed that was smushed against me was still warm. Posted by Troy on Jul. 27 2010,11:04
QUOTE buy a ticket on our airline with the expectation that she would be reserved a seat on that specific flight I thought the woman was on stand-by? I kind of see it as a no-win for the Airline. Either be forced to kick a standby passenger who you have confirmed a seat for, or strand a ridiculously fat 14 year old at the airport. How the hell does a 14 year old get that big, anyway. Posted by Leisher on Jul. 27 2010,11:20
How often does a person big enough that they need two seats fly? If it's often enough, why not throw in a row in the front of the plane with oversized seats? Sure, you lose out on two seats, but you make the bigger folks and the smaller folks happier. Plus, if no big people have booked those seats smaller people might like those seats for the extra space. Surely the customer relations win is worth the cost of those two seats. Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 27 2010,12:34
(Leisher @ Jul. 27 2010,13:20) QUOTE If it's often enough, why not throw in a row in the front of the plane with oversized seats? Sure, you lose out on two seats, but you make the bigger folks and the smaller folks happier. Plus, if no big people have booked those seats smaller people might like those seats for the extra space. Surely the customer relations win is worth the cost of those two seats. Bingo. Make guaranteed big-ass capacity seats. Use if needed. But that'd cut into their profits, which are allegedly down since ... I dunno, forever, I think. Posted by GORDON on Jul. 27 2010,12:38
(Malcolm @ Jul. 27 2010,15:34) QUOTE (Leisher @ Jul. 27 2010,13:20) QUOTE If it's often enough, why not throw in a row in the front of the plane with oversized seats? Sure, you lose out on two seats, but you make the bigger folks and the smaller folks happier. Plus, if no big people have booked those seats smaller people might like those seats for the extra space. Surely the customer relations win is worth the cost of those two seats. Bingo. Make guaranteed big-ass capacity seats. Use if needed. But that'd cut into their profits, which are allegedly down since ... I dunno, forever, I think. They already make cargo planes for oversize loads, though. Posted by TPRJones on Jul. 27 2010,12:49
While I can't find an airline that publishes an actual weight limit, it looks like the smallest forced two-seated passengers are weighing in in the 220 to 250 range. If that's the case, they might make me get three seats. Posted by TheCatt on Jul. 27 2010,12:50
Dude, seriously?
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 27 2010,12:55
(GORDON @ Jul. 27 2010,14:38) QUOTE (Malcolm @ Jul. 27 2010,15:34) QUOTE (Leisher @ Jul. 27 2010,13:20) QUOTE If it's often enough, why not throw in a row in the front of the plane with oversized seats? Sure, you lose out on two seats, but you make the bigger folks and the smaller folks happier. Plus, if no big people have booked those seats smaller people might like those seats for the extra space. Surely the customer relations win is worth the cost of those two seats. Bingo. Make guaranteed big-ass capacity seats. Use if needed. But that'd cut into their profits, which are allegedly down since ... I dunno, forever, I think. They already make cargo planes for oversize loads, though. Soon as they start flying domestically, everyone's problems will be over. Can't seem to charter a C-130, though. Posted by GORDON on Jul. 27 2010,13:45
(TPRJones @ Jul. 27 2010,15:49) QUOTE While I can't find an airline that publishes an actual weight limit, it looks like the smallest forced two-seated passengers are weighing in in the 220 to 250 range. If that's the case, they might make me get three seats. 220 isn't big enough for 2 seats. At my biggest I was 217, and the biggest problem was my shoulders... which were still too wide for a standard seat when I weighed 175. Posted by DoctorChaos on Jul. 28 2010,18:51
(Leisher @ Jul. 27 2010,09:22) QUOTE And seriously, a 14 year old girl who needs two seats? WTF? Where the hell are her parents? She ate them? Posted by TPRJones on Jul. 29 2010,06:28
(GORDON @ Jul. 27 2010,15:45) QUOTE 220 isn't big enough for 2 seats. I agree with you. Apparently some airlines don't. Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 29 2010,08:03
(DoctorChaos @ Jul. 28 2010,20:51) QUOTE (Leisher @ Jul. 27 2010,09:22) QUOTE And seriously, a 14 year old girl who needs two seats? WTF? Where the hell are her parents? She ate them? That'd be some Jerry Springer shit right there. Posted by Leisher on Aug. 13 2010,06:05
< Southwest loves kids. >Three kids, aged 15, 13, and 11 go to the Jacksonville airport and try to buy tickets to Nashville with what one would have to assume is cash. The ticket agent, following Southwest policy, asks them for ID and proof of permission from their parents to fly. Without both, he denies them and the kids went nowhere, right? Nope, that didn't happen. The ticket agent didn't ask for ID or seek parental proof because there is no policy at Southwest for handling kids. The kids wound up flying to Nashville. I have to assume the ticket agent has no kids because any sane adult who has ever been remotely exposed to children whether it's their own or a niece or nephew or something would know that no parent is sending their kids to the airport alone, with cash, to fly far away. Posted by GORDON on Aug. 13 2010,07:06
Hmmm. Well there isn't a LAW against kids buying plane tickets...
Posted by Leisher on Aug. 13 2010,07:59
And there shouldn't be, but there should be an internal policy within the airline so a clerk would know in a situation like this to not sell these kids tickets.
Posted by DoctorChaos on Aug. 13 2010,08:00
The only thing I see that was done wrong was not asking for id. And that is a law. The kids get by because a guardian is present. In this case no guardian, so it should follow there's no tickets. Guess Southwest is hard up for paying passengers.
Posted by Troy on Aug. 13 2010,08:15
Wait, how did they board a plane without ID.You can't even get through the first airport security checkpoint without it. Posted by TheCatt on Aug. 13 2010,09:09
Kids under 18 can go through without id. Cuz all terrorists are adults.
Posted by TheCatt on Aug. 13 2010,09:10
(DoctorChaos @ Aug. 13 2010,11:00) QUOTE The only thing I see that was done wrong was not asking for id. And that is a law. The kids get by because a guardian is present. In this case no guardian, so it should follow there's no tickets. Guess Southwest is hard up for paying passengers. Nope. Not the way it works. If they are being dropped off by an adult, the adult *may* be checked for ID. But even that isn't a requirement. Posted by DoctorChaos on Aug. 14 2010,15:47
Thank God the terrorists haven't thought of that yet.So let me get this straight. Strip search at the terminal but they don't need to know who I am. I usually get dinner first. Rude Bastards! |