Woman Sues Southwest To Clarify "Customers Of Size" Policy

You may remember the story from last year about a woman who was not allowed on a Southwest Airlines flight after allegedly being told she was “too fat to fly.” The airline apologized for the incident, but the woman is filing a lawsuit in an attempt to get Southwest to clearly define its “Customers of Size” policy.

“I’m seeking an injunction because their policy needs to be less open to interpretation by their employees at the ticket counter and at the gate,” she writes on her blog. “It’s not about money. I didn’t seek damages in the law suit that I filed Pro Se (on my own.) But when this is over Southwest will (hopefully) owe overweight and obese Americans a clear definition of their rules at the point of purchase. Eyeballing people at the gate won’t cut it.”

According to the woman, she continued to fly Southwest after the incident last spring but after several flights without incident, she says she was once again blocked from boarding because of her size.

The woman says she understands that, as Southwest puts it, customers “falling under our Customer of Size policy… will require the purchase of a second seat for travel.” What she doesn’t understand is the fickle application of the policy.

“Why does it apply one day and not on another day?” she asks. “The problem I have with Southwest is not that they may want me to purchase two seats. It’s that sometimes they want that, and other times they don’t.”

The Law Suit [Alltheweigh.com]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.