Wednesday, February 17, 2010

I am so fed up with airlines!

We have all heard about airlines requiring larger people to buy an additional seat or being forced to leave the aircraft due to their sheer size. Well, Southwest's latest victim, Kevin Smith did not take it lightly and stirred up a media frenzy with a vengeance. Southwest better watch who they mess with. If it happened to me, you better believe I would be seeking revenge. My thoughts on the matter are as follows:

With the ever-increasing size of Americans, why wouldn't an airline strive to cater to the needs of their customers?

Is the number of seats you can squeeze in a tiny vessel really the bottom line?

Are airlines actually diverting the blame for an inferior product to people of larger stature (I don't like to call anyone fat. I am sensitive to that word.)?
I think that if airlines truly wanted to promote safety (Southwest claims they kick big people off in the name of safety) and comfort (what their customers actually care about), they would take out a seat or two from each row and put in wider seats--and maybe even a wider aisle. They are so concerned with creating lighter-weight seats so that the aircraft flies faster and uses less fuel. The simple solution may be less seats. After all, the frame of the seat is what really makes up most of the mass. But, no, instead they design seating arrangements that are only adequate for people under 5'5" in height and under 160 lbs. Most people I know can't meet both those standards. According to airlines, no one could possibly be uncomfortable on a flight--unless they are overweight--or they are sitting next to an overweight person. I will not take the blame for an airline's inferior product. I love to fly, but these rules and attitudes make me sick to my stomach. This is yet another case of the bullies preying on the weak.

Check out these blogs for more info.
http://jezebel.com/5473679/will-airlines-ever-change-their-customer-of-size-policies

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/travelers_check/archives/2010/02/fat_nation_kevi.html

http://jezebel.com/5472230/kevin-smith-isnt-the-first-person-southwest-deemed-too-fat-to-fly

No comments:

Post a Comment