I realize the link here is a little bit old, so I apologize if some of you have seen this before. I was previously unaware of the "National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance," but they confronted Southwest and American airlines on their (then) new policy of requiring fat passengers to purchase an extra ticket. This is a Q&A between NAAFA and Southwest/American. The best parts are in bold. Someone at Southwest apparently doesn't like fatties and is hilariously unapologetic about it.
http://www.naafa.org/Convention2002/airlines.html
From the Article:
Question: Do you consider obesity a disability?
Southwest: We do not consider obesity a disability but we strive to comply with all pertinent laws.
However, if someone is both disabled and obese, they will have to pay for two tickets. If there is a second seat available on that flight, they will be refunded the cost of that second ticket later.
American: We comply with whatever federal and other rules and regulations apply to air carriers.
Question: If a passenger has to pay double on the basis of needing two seats, why should they not get frequent flier miles for two seats? Conversely, if a passenger is paying for a trip and not a seat, why should any passenger be required to pay more than any other?
American: This is a very valid question and I do not presently have an answer.
Southwest: If a fat passenger makes a reservation for two seats in advance, then a refund will be given for the second seat should the plane not be full. No decision has been made with regard to frequent flier miles. Sometimes there are exceptions.
Question: There are many ways in which a passenger encroaches on the space of another on an airplane. Elbows, shoulders, as well as reclining into another passenger's space. Will you distinguish between one form of encroachment and another? Does that mean no passenger may lift an armrest or recline a seat?
American: We offer more legroom per coach seat than the others (applause). Our policy is that a person does encroach when an armrest must come up, but a reclining seat does not represent encroachment..
Southwest:
Our new aircraft have larger seats. The whole encroachment issue is blown out of proportion by the media. We are not talking about marginal situations. We are talking about cases were someone actually encroaches on another person. If you cannot sit in one seat, then you encroach and must buy a second ticket. Either you fit or you don't.
Question: We are sure there are other common complaints on your aircraft carrier besides being seated by a fat person. Do you intend to deal with other customer complaints in the same manner? Do you anticipate charging mothers with crying babies more? Or parents of children who kick the seat in front? How about loud people or those with offensive language? Or those who talk too much or drink too much?
American: You cannot compare those situations. They are not equivalent. American deals with any complaints on a case by case basis. If there are legitimate reasons for a complaint, a customer may be denied boarding. There are regulations regarding drinking and other situations, including the transport of children.
Southwest:
This is apples and oranges. "Airlines sell seats, and I am sorry it's come to this and we're taking this policy to extremes..." "Our intent is to have complete disclosure upfront." "And we provide refunds to customers who are forced to buy two seats within 24 hours if requested and the aircraft was not full."
"Definitely we receive several complaints about fat people a month... that is not fair to the other customers who paid for a full seat." "If you got real estate to see, and we do sell seats, and they are all of the same size, that is what we have to do."
American adds: If a customer sits next to another customer who feels they're being encroached on, we may take action. If there are empty seats, we will make another seat available. However, any such action is only initiated by a complaint, not at the time of boarding. Also, we do not use the "armrest rule."
Question: You have stated that having two seats would make flying more comfortable for large passengers. Do you intend to also make using the restrooms more comfortable for large passengers? If they are expected to pay double, shouldn't they expect to be able to use the facilities of the plane comfortably?
American: Airplane restrooms are too small for any passenger. (applause). Larger aircraft have larger facilities and they must be wheelchair accessible, per regulations.
Southwest: All of our airplanes are single aisle. No change in facilities is anticipated.
Question: At the gate, how EXACTLY does a gate agent determine if a passenger needs a second seat?
Southwest: "Typically, the customer knows if they will fit, so our hope is that the customer will simply purchase the second seat. If that does not happen, and we're talking extreme situations, the customer can pre-board and we will make a determination at that time."
American: We do not judge passengers at the gate. Any action by the airline is only in response to an actual complaint, and then we seek to make all customers comfortable to whatever extent possible.
Question: If two fat passengers fly together, can they buy three seats between them?
Southwest: No. Both must buy two seats. They may get a refund if the plane is not full if they let us know in advance.
(please refrain from diving headlong into the played out, typical fat people vs. smokers OOT argument - this just cracked me up so I had to share in case some of you missed it/forgot about it)
Edit: bonus picture from original article
