Airline Bumps Thin Woman to Make Room for Plus-Sized Teen

people like mr. smith are the main reason i would love to become a drill instructor...how dare he defend such a pathetic lifestyle. i think they should switch the in-flight movie to What's Eating Gilbert Grape anytime this happens...

The kid is only 14 years old, had a paid ticket for a reserved seat and was flying alone. The lady who was booted from the seat was on stand by. They had every right to deny her the seat and give it to the kid because at that point there wasn't an "extra" seat for her to use. The problem is the kid arrived after they gave her the seat. If he had come prior to seating her there wouldn't even have been an issue. It's not like they took someone off the plane who had a reserved seat.

I don't think she was being insensitive, she was there first and although they were trying to protect the minor and his feelings I feel it was wrong. I agree there should be postings about the size of the seat and if you don't fit them, then you should pay for two seats. And also agree with the baggage pound fee, if someone larger is going to be taking more fule and space then my baggage should be free.

I really wish people would read a full article before jumping all over others for being ignorant...

Dreamer: If what you say is true and he paid for 2 seats then yes, he is entitled to them and this article was poorly written in an attempt to cause a debate.

Planner, what are you not understanding?? The way the article was written it seems there were two seats. BUT THE FAT KID COULDN'T JUST FIT IN ONE AND LEAVE THE OTHER FOR THE THIN WOMAN.
Therefore she was evicted from the plane after she purchased a standby ticket.
Jeez.

I feel sorry for the woman! It is completely unfair that she got kicked out of her seat. If that had been me I would've sued the airline!

I agree with Giz. Also, it makes me very very sad that a fourteen year old boy takes up two seats. But he still needs to pay for both those seats. His lifestyle choice, his responsibility.

I would be angry also because he should control his weight
I once sat between two(2) overweight mama's from las vegas to atlanta
my shoulders was locked up with sever pains when we landed in atl
and i also wet my pants because the one on my right was asleep
refuse to move to let me out

Oh great, this topic again. Must be a slow news day.

she should have paid for like two seats and she needs to be on time those poor women could have been doing something important like a job conference or something else or just vacationing.those women were on time and paid for their seats they should like get free flights now but personally if i were those women i would want to ride on southwest airline their stupid

Michelle: I was quoting the article and what Kevin Smith said. Moreover, most overweight and obese people have control over their weight issues. Their weight problem is usually due to poor diet and lack of exercise. The subsequent health problems they have are typically a result of the excess weight the accompanying unhealthy lifestyle. This is especially true for someone as young as 14, although, at that age, I blame the parents who should be looked into by child services for endangering the health of a minor and/or neglect. You are in the minority of people who have a weight issue that is largely due to an outside health problem. It is something I have studied extensively.

Still, with all of that said, he needed 2 seats and didn't purchase 2 tickets. That's the part of the story that matters. His family didn't reserve the proper accomodations for him and then got him to the gate late. They should be punished, not some woman who fufilled her obligations in order to board a flight. Plus, the kid was 14, not 8. He's old enough to hold a job, babysit, go to a mall or a concert by himself. He can wait at an airport alone for a couple of hours.

For once I agree with you, Giz.

I beleive firmly that the purchasing of a "seat" on any form of transportation entitles the purchaser to one allotment of a specified number of inches of seating space. If you need more than one allotment, you must purchase it. You may not steal someone else's allotment just to fit your bottom/thighs/stomach. You may not raise the armrest in order to accommodate said stomach. The person next to you paid just as much for his allotment as you did.

I am an adult woman. I have hips and thighs and big breasts, and sometimes that makes life difficult in a world built for teenage models. But I wear a size 8 (American sizing) which is hardly obese, and I have been forced to be uncomfortable on flights because other people do not choose to follow simple common sense and etiquette. I spend a lot of money to get a flight to wherever I am going, and I deserve to be able to use my entire allotment of seating space. Period.

In relatonship to this article, I agree that an unaccompanied minor needs some preferential treatment. I often traveled cross-country by myself at that age, and I always felt safe. However, that was because my parents did the right things to make sure I would be taken care of: they did their research. This boy's family did NOT look into the future to be sure that he would get what he needed. It is not fair for someone else (stand-by or not) who is already seated and following procedures to be booted off in order to accommodate the PARENTS who got their child to the gate late.

Southwest is known for having an "open seating " policy. That means that this boy could have sat next to anyone. ANYONE on that plane could have been bumped - so why not ask over the loudspeaker system for a volunteer to fly later for a discount? I have often been willing to do this, and have been happy to get discounted flights, free flights in the future, and free dinners in exchange for arriving late to my destination. But it was always by MY choice and not by the airline's discretion. SHAME on them.

This sounds as if we are not getting the whole story on this.I find it hard to beleive that an airline would do something like this, this is just bad for the passengers, and pretty bad publicity for the airline. It seems that obesity is adding to the numerous annoyances to flying (ie, getting thru security, charges for bags). Think next time I fly I'll splurge for first class if I can afford it.

The boy's family should have had to deal with this issue, not strangers on the plane. Keep him due to his being late and not having additional seats available for him when he needed more than was paid for. Simple.

Can't WAIT 'til America has the third world country status that it seems to be heading towards then larger people like us, who by the way are well equipped for famine, will be valued, even revered. And to all you teeny ladies, your men will want us because we will be a status symbol, proof that he has the means to provide well in tough times. You skinny, fit people will just waste away....... or maybe we'll just eat you. Bon appetit!

giz you are so incredibly ignorant. not all overweight or obese people are sedentary processed food eaters. for a large number of them there is the issue of thyroid problems and in my case losing my thyroid to cancer making it almost impossible for me to lose weight. you should be ashamed of yourself for making such a remark. and the kid was 14 and people were most likely waiting on the other end for her as guardians. would you want your 14 yr old bumped off a flight and made to wait in an airport unattended because of a situation like this? i know i wouldnt be happy if it happened to my child who i left in the care of the airlines once she went thru the security gate.... think before you make remarks which make you look ignorant

Who was travelling with the kid? And why was he late to the gate? If you're late, you're late. YOU get bumped if you're not at the gate in time, and you don't ride if nobody volunteers to give up a seat they're already sitting in.

If you can't fit in one seat, buy two. It may be embarassing, but I've flown enough to know that my size 2 bum is sometimes even too big for those tiny seats!

Not to mention, the poor lady was there first! Again, it would be embarassing to have to miss your flight/get kicked off, but its even more rude to incovieniece someone else!

Geez ERyn_Lyndsay! Maybe you need to find another job that doesn't require you to be tolerant of people different than yourself! Not all fat people are that way by choice or laziness. There are plenty of studies to prove genetics and other health factors are involved. No one wants to be obese. Try a little compassion. Personally I would rather deal with an obese person every day of my life than have to deal with your prejudicial, small minded and compassionless mentality. Maybe what those people need is a little understanding and coaching from someone much more understanding than you. Be thankful you even HAVE a job in this economy! With that attitude you may not have it very long.