Issue of obesity and airlines' policy - Case Study Example

Orto: Too Fat? Or Too Rude? This report is an opinion given in response to Sarah Netter’s article, “Was Southwest Passenger Too Fat to Fly?” Emery Orto, a 6-foot 350-pounds suburban Chicago man, was denied flying with Southwest Airlines from Las Vegas to Midway because of his size. He was not ready to buy a second ticket nor did he give the Airlines personnel a chance to see he was right by boarding the plane and letting them know that they were making an issue for nothing. After the incident happened, there were a lot of people who were of the point of view that Orto should have been allowed to fly.

But critically analyzing the situation, one comes to know that the Airlines personnel was only doing its duty by questioning Orto as by boarding him with only one seat booked would not only have made him uncomfortable but the comfort of other passengers sitting next to him was also at stake. If we go through the customer of size policy of South West Airlines, we come to know that “Customers who are unable to lower both armrests and/or who compromise any portion of adjacent seating should proactively book the number of seats needed prior to travel”.

The obese passengers are required to purchase an additional seat at discounted rate which can be refunded in case he does not overbook. So, it is a matter of common sense that the passenger should avail this offer when the Airlines promises to refund if the second seat is not occupied. Orto should have kept his ego aside and should have gone for an additional seat. This incident looks more like an ego-related story. Moreover, the personnel reports that Orto was offered to board the plane to show that he could fit in one seat without disturbing his seatmates, but he refused when he should have said okay.

The Southwest Airlines tells that the need for an additional seat for large passengers originally arose when complaints arrived from the customers who felt terribly uncomfortable sitting next to a seatmate “whose body extended into the neighboring seat”. It is the duty of the Airlines to guarantee safety and comfort to all passengers. Southwest did its duty. The question that who would decide who is obese and who is not has a very simple answer. The policy says that it is the size not the weight or the extension of the seat belt that determines whether the person is obese and needs an additional seat.

Also, even if a member of the family offers to remove the armrest and agrees to be encroached on by the large body of the passenger, still the safety aspect regarding quick movement is to be considered if some emergency occurs. It would be important to state that there should be specially designed seats for obese passengers which accommodate him comfortably without having him buy an additional seat. It would be a nice idea about the modification of seats for large passengers because this would save them from the hassle of another booking or refunding afterwards.

Moreover, the ABC News reported that it was not the weight that kept Orto from boarding rather it was his rude behavior. Orto had been reported acting irrationally speaking in a belligerent tone upon the Airlines’ personnel questioning which also frightened the co-passengers. Had Orto been more thoughtful towards the situation instead of being rude, things could have been solved in a much better way. To sum up, it is always the duty of the Airlines to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers for which it has to carry out necessary steps according to the policies.

It is for the passengers’ own good so they should behave decently while being questioned about anything that is disturbing, be it about their look or anything.Works CitedNetter, Sarah. “Was Southwest Passenger Too Fat to Fly?” ABC News. ABC News, 16 Oct. 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2009.Southwest Airlines. “Guidelines for Customers of Size.” Southwest.com. Southwest Airlines Co., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2009.