Fort Lauderdale, FL – Southwest Airlines is apologizing to one of its passengers over a flight restriction. Was she too fat to fly? The passenger said she was not allowed to board a plane because of her size.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The trouble started on a return flight after a dream vacation.
Best friends for as long as they can remember, Connie Guillory and April Small always dreamed of taking a trip to the Bahamas together. Guillory convinced Small to board a plane for the first time and to show her the ropes as they traveled. The first stop was Fort Lauderdale, and Guillory was beyond excited.
“I was trying to contain my butterflies,” she said. “On the way back it was just another story.”
After their fun in the sun, Guillory was stopped by a Southwest agent in Fort Lauderdale, who wouldn’t let her board for Houston.
“The way they said it they were just like basically, ‘You can’t get on, you’re too big,'” she said.
Her favorite airline told her she needed to buy a second seat, even though she’d had no problem just a few days earlier.
Everything’s bigger in Texas. What you gonna ban the whole state? she asked.
Small was confused and embarrassed, and watched her best friend’s confidence disappear.
“For him to do that, I thought its crazy, I really did,” she said through tears.
After some heated words that dragged on so long, they missed three flights. The girls finally flew home without buying that second seat, but felt cheated all the same.
Southwest issued Guillory a $100 travel voucher. They said they’ll keep training employees to be consistent when it comes to decided who needs to buy a second seat.
What only 100 box they got to give her a million box what a loser she is
If they allowed this fattie board the first leg of her flight than she should have been allowed to fly home without buying a second seat. However, why was she allowed to board in the first place. Its gotten really bad and sometimes these obese passengers spill over to the seat next to them making life miserable for the passengers on either side. I’m sorry for the small number whose obesity is beyond their control due to medical conditions but over 90 percent of extremely obese people (i.e. more than 300 lb) are simply fat because they eat too much. Too bad. Either buy another seat or buy an 18 wheeler to haul your fat behind from JFK to Miami.
i agree with the airline. if someone has something sticking out of their back 2 feet long they souldent be able to fly in a normal flight.
I pity the person seating on her side…would want to sit next seat?
how big was that person? Also the airlines need to be consistent.
This story is missing one vital fact: How fat is she?
Her name is April Small. That’s ironic.
Well, maybe the first flight was rather empty, so they were (nice &) lenient. On the return flight, it may have been pretty full, so they went by the rules.
This teaches us, never be nice…
If they force you to buy a second seat because of your weight, do you get an extra airline?
You all should before you speak like that about another human being; you don’t know her and you can’t be sure she doesn’t have a medical problem. ‘Al tadin es chavercha ad shetagia limkomo’
If she was in a wheele chair they would have a seat for her. If there is an extra seat they should let her on.
thats why when my father used to be obese he used to take the last seat so he shouldnt have to bother too many people. and usually it was my mother thst didnt mind it.
They shouldn’t force an obese person to buy a second seat, but they should offer a refund to the poor soul that has to sit next to the large one.
they need to install a TSA approved scale at the gate and wheigh everyone b4 boarding….
Let the airlines weigh in people plus luggage together and let’s say over 350 lbs combined you have to pay overweight.
She bought 2 seats I hear 11A & 24F
This is really not right! If someone is overweight they shouldn’t have to be embarrassed like that…Most people who have Pimples also have them cuz they eat too much junk and there are some ppl who have a medical problem…Its the same idea! Whatever the situation you shouldn’t be putting people down and everyone should be respected for who they are and what they are! And the person who has to sit next to the person will deal with it…it’s not like that untolerable…There are worse things! Peoples try to be more compassionate!
if shes spilling over 1/3 in my seat, shouldnt i get 1/3 of my ticket price refunded?
When i flew last i bought 2 seats and when i got to check-in they told me there’s no 2 seats together, so this idea doesn’t really help!
Speaking as an obese person (but not as an appointed spokesperson), I quite agree that we should not impose ourselves on others.
I’m fortunate that I can afford first-class, which has both wider seats and a wider separation between them. But, that’s of little help to those who can’t afford it (or their seatmates).
Losing weight is the obvious thing to do and I’ve devoted years to this elusive goal. I’m a compulsive eater. Psychiatry hasn’t helped and formal diet and exercise programs – which I’m on – provide only temporary and moderate relief. I’m unwilling to go under the knife to reverse the condition, though it’s been recommended.
It’s an embarrassing condition and cannot be concealed like some compulsive conditions (few would notice they were seated next to a compulsive gambler, liar, shopper, substance abuser or even a sex offender as long as the affliction didn’t spill over into the adjoining seat.)
A train has wider seats, but one-way between the tri-state area and FL, for example, takes 20 hours instead of 3.
Don’t travel? If not for family or work obligations, I wouldn’t. Tough!? Yes, it is.
I think that joking about a large sized person is malicious and nasty.
She didn’t hurt anybody. She fit into her seat. And most importantly, she’s probably a lot nicer than all you mean commenters out there.
“Guillory convinced Small to board a plane for the first time”. Okay, so how is southwest “Her favorite airline”?! How can she have a favorite airline when she has never flown with any other carrier, and only flown with southwest once?!
The funny thng is try to book 2 seats on the same name u will lose both
theres really no fair and even way to deal with this.
a passenger will not subject themselves to getting weighed, so how do u make a policy? is it just by looks. do they take out a tape measure?
is there a secret scale that one steps on un knowingly and only the ticket agent sees the results?
It’s a hard topic to debate. Why should a person have to pay extra to fly just because he’s big and why should someone have to sit next to someone who is halfway in his seat? It’s not fair to either one. The airlines should have some wider seats in regular class for those needing them without charging more. People aren’t always in control of their size and even if they could lose weight, sometimes it’s a lifelong battle that is too hard to fight, so why should they be penalized for their size?
i once had an huge obese person seat next to me he suffocated me and had the chutzpah to tell me to move over… he wanted me to go in the ashtray..
also I know of a woman so obese she books 4 seats for herself..
There was one flight that she was so obese that there was no place for the pilot..
There was one flight that she was so obese that they told her why fly when you can just float over the atlantic ocean..
I know one guy was so obese he always gets window seats… from both sides..
I remember a guy he had 7 huge suitcases as carry on he said his snacks were inside..
I remember a time when this really big guy went flying.. they needed an escort plane just for his snacks..
I know another one she is so obese she has her own airline..
There is one that is so huge she has her own airport..
there was on so obese they had to put her exactly in the middle otherwise the plane would be lopsided…
I know one was so obese the flight would only go one inch above ground and land again..
I think there should be a lapband surgeon on each flight and as soon as an obese person boards they should grab them and do the lapband on them…
Just trying to add some humor..
why dont thes dumb airlines make bigger seats
the fat and the skinny will be happier instead of hurting peoples feelings for doing nothing wrong
How does buying a second seat help solve her weight issue? She would be getting 2 Meals and 2 Snacks.
What about people who are so tall they have no room for their legs? I was once on a plane where a woman kept complaining to the stewardess that the guy in back of her was sticking his knees into her seat back and pushing her. He was too tall to get his legs comfortable without his knees hitting her seat back. Sometimes being small is a benefit, such as when flying.
Lets say you are diabetic, then you have to spend your money on insulin, needles, meters ,even higher life insurance costs. It is not your fault. Being an obese it is a condition and it is your responsibility to pay for it. People around you shouldn’t suffer
my god.
what a bunch of disgusting posters
dont want to sit next to an overweight person? i get it. id had it as well
but the disgusting manner of insulting and belittiling other people,, this is a frum site???