Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Southwest Airlines’ ‘customer of size’ policy on TikTok
In October, Japan Airlines took the “very unusual” step of transferring
a number of sumo wrestlers to a hastily arranged additional domestic flight
over concerns that the two aircraft they had originally been due to fly would
be unable to carry sufficient fuel due to weight restrictions. It occurred when
ground staff learned that the passenger lists included sumo wrestlers whose average
weight is estimated to be 120kg, well over the 70kg standard average. If the
airline had known of such excessively overweight passengers earlier, it could
have arranged the booking in advance so that the flight would have been boarded
within the capacity.
In order to avoid such last-minute hassle, a US carrier Southwest Airlines
has implemented a policy to allow over-sized passengers to additional seats in
advance for decades. Upon completion of the flight, the passenger can claim a
refund of the extra seat. Also, such passengers can ask for more space at the
departure gate. Unless you pay for an upper-class seat, everyone gets a seat of
the same size and the same legroom, except for the exit rows, even though some passengers
are substantially larger or heavier than the average passengers. It’s not just
the cost but the comfortable and safe accommodation that airlines are working
on.
Read the article and learn about how airlines are trying to accommodate
over-sized passengers.
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