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I see it as giving a preference to obese people. Anytime you arbitrarily give some group preference over another, it will create animosity. There is the famous psychological experiment where school children are divided by some arbitrary characteristic, and then the teacher gives just one of the group preferential treatment.
This is compounded by the fact that most people consider obesity a sort of failure of character. Like walking around disheveled, stinky, or unkempt. Something that the individual can fix if they chose to do so.
But let's face it, no one likes flying couch. Everyone is miserable. So you signal out fat people and say hey, you can get 2 seats for free, that will anger none fat people. Same thing if SouthWest said, all White people can get 2 seats (though that would technically be illegal).
SouthWest can certainly do what they want. I won't stop them. But why cannot we complain?
I dunno. I fundamentally think it is not "giving preference" but being flexible, reasonable, decent, and even kind. We make accommodations for all kinds of people---those with disabilities that limit their mobility, those that have intellectual disabilities, etc. If an airline has a policy to not bump a passenger who has limited mental capacities because they aren't as capable of dealing with flight changes/gate changes/rebooking, and its in that passenger's best interest to bump someone else so the disabled passenger can get from point A to point B safely and reliably, then that's a sensible policy. I think this idea of treating everyone the same in order to ensure "equality" is fine in concept, but the reality is there are a million nuanced reasons to make accommodations to be fair and, yes, equitable. People are pretty smart, and most are pretty reasonable. We are allowed to make some subjective decisions/allowances....not everything has to be black or white.
I dunno. I fundamentally think it is not "giving preference" but being flexible, reasonable, decent, and even kind. We make accommodations for all kinds of people---those with disabilities that limit their mobility, those that have intellectual disabilities, etc. If an airline has a policy to not bump a passenger who has limited mental capacities because they aren't as capable of dealing with flight changes/gate changes/rebooking, and its in that passenger's best interest to bump someone else so the disabled passenger can get from point A to point B safely and reliably, then that's a sensible policy. I think this idea of treating everyone the same in order to ensure "equality" is fine in concept, but the reality is there are a million nuanced reasons to make accommodations to be fair and, yes, equitable. People are pretty smart, and most are pretty reasonable. We are allowed to make some subjective decisions/allowances....not everything has to be black or white.
Most people are ok with that since people who are disabled (intellectually or physically) cannot do something about it. Meanwhile, obese people can become thinner.
I'm tall (6'4"), so economy seats are also uncomfortable. I also cannot make myself shorter, short of lobbing off my legs. But you don't see me asking for special treatment, I just buy business seats, or seats behind the bulkhead when business is full. And when those options are not available, I suffer like everyone else.
Most people are ok with that since people who are disabled (intellectually or physically) cannot do something about it. Meanwhile, obese people can become thinner.
I'm tall (6'4"), so economy seats are also uncomfortable. I also cannot make myself shorter, short of lobbing off my legs. But you don't see me asking for special treatment, I just buy business seats, or seats behind the bulkhead when business is full. And when those options are not available, I suffer like everyone else.
Well actually, I was on a Southwest flight 3 or 4 years ago, and I was standing behind a very tall gentleman (he was probably about your height….maybe a bit taller) I overheard his discussion with the gate agent, and she was talking to someone on the plane via a walki about holding a bulkhead seat for this guy because he was in a later boarding group. I was boarding ahead of him, and I was fine with that…made sense to me the airline would try and accommodate him.
Anyway, we’ll just have to acknowledge that we have differing perspectives. I’m guessing I wont run into you on any Southwest flights….maybe I’ll see you on United. Ha!
In a nutshell, it's just basic far left and far right hypocrisy where they cry when the other side does it and then turn around and do the same.
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I don't see any hypocrisy. I never met someone who was angry that customers refused to spend money at a business. A business is not owed business. But using the government to penalize or shut down businesses is a different beast.
Well actually, I was on a Southwest flight 3 or 4 years ago, and I was standing behind a very tall gentleman (he was probably about your height….maybe a bit taller) I overheard his discussion with the gate agent, and she was talking to someone on the plane via a walki about holding a bulkhead seat for this guy because he was in a later boarding group. I was boarding ahead of him, and I was fine with that…made sense to me the airline would try and accommodate him.
Anyway, we’ll just have to acknowledge that we have differing perspectives. I’m guessing I wont run into you on any Southwest flights….maybe I’ll see you on United. Ha!
God I hate United, but flying them is a necessity when going through the Pacific from Honolulu. Delta FTW, when it comes to American airlines. But I prefer even American Airlines to United (though their policy of ripping out the entertainment sets, and forcing you to bring a device and connect to their wifi is kind of annoying since I always forget to bring an iPad - even in business class, unless it's a trans-pacific or atlantic flight - won't have entertainment sets in the seats).
Well tbh, I don't fly them anyway. Last time I flew them was years and years ago. And I remember feeling burned by the preferential seating thing, albeit that was my fault. I purchased the preferential seat thingy, without really knowing what that meant (that I needed to be the first person at the gate to get my seat). Instead I showed up later, and got one of the worst seats on the entire flight. After that, I never bothered flying them again. But this marketing ploy will only ensure I never fly them again.
Southwest changed their boarding policy some years ago. It's much more civilized now. You get a boarding number when you check in and you board in that order. It's so much calmer and more peaceful than the mobs you see at the other airlines, crowding around the gate waiting for three-quarters of the people to "pre-board" before they start running through their innumerable boarding groups. You ought to give them another try.
Southwest is ordering new planes due to this policy.
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