My Conversation with Kevin Smith

[LindaRutherford]

I had the chance this afternoon to speak directly with director Kevin Smith. I let him know that in my 18 years here at Southwest, I have never dealt with a situation like what has been unfolding in the last 48 hours. I let Kevin know we have refunded his airfare. I told him we made a mistake in trying to board him as a standby passenger and then remove him. And I told him we were sorry.

Now, 48 hours later, after talking to many involved, we know there were several things going on that day and that our Employees were doing their best to get his flight out safely and on time, including finding seats for everyone and trying to accommodate standby passengers. The Captain did not single Kevin out to be removed, but he did ask that the boarding be completed quickly. At that time, our Employees made the decision to remove Kevin after a quick judgment call that he might have needed more than one seat for his comfort and those seated next to him. 

Although I’m not here to debate the decision our Employees made, I can tell you that I for one have learned a lot today. The communication among our Employees was not as sharp as it should have been and, it’s apparent that Southwest could have handled this situation differently. Thanks, Kevin, for your passion around this topic. You were a reasonable guy during our conversation.

Southwest, like most carriers, has a policy to assist passengers who need two seats onboard an aircraft. The policy is an important one for the comfort and safety of all passengers aboard a plane, and we stand by that 25-year-old policy. This has our attention, and we will be reviewing how and when this delicate policy is implemented.

[Anonymous3952]

I've never flown you, Southwest & now I never will. When you arbitrarily deem a paying customer "too fat" & throw them off even when they fit UNDER YOUR RULES, you obviously have a customer service problem. How many times have you done this before without challenge before Kevin Smith called you out on your humiliating policy? I'll bet it was standard operating procedure. Humility doesn't cost a thing Southwest & what you have lost in your haste has cost you more than a thousand of your asinine commercials will buy! As for those of you idiots who are posting about Kevin Smith's "selfishness", don't let the facts get in your way. Post your half-wit comments & show the rest of us how stupid you really are. You deserve Southwest & they deserve you.

[Curly_Jr_]

Is this stuff even moderated? This is a business website, how they can allow their employees to keep a flame war like this up and not locked is amazing.

[Anonymous2797]

I was going to be purchasing plane tickets for me and my friend to go on a short vacation. I will not be using southwest airlines or any airline that has a policy discriminating against a portion of our society. I think everyone in the country should boycott any airline with such a policy!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous2051]

Normally, I refrain from commenting on stories, but in this case I can't. Airlines discriminate against heavy people because they can, half the population encourages the practice, and most importantly it is PROFITABLE for them to do so. If size were really an issue, the practice of permitting lap children would be banned. I would much rather sit next to Mr. Smith than a thin woman with a lap child. They are a safety risk and typically a smelly, noisy, and squirmy annoyance to the passengers seated next to them. Let's quit blaming Mr. Smith and blame the airlines for reducing seat width year after year in the quest for greater profits. Where is our government? They should regulate the size of seats and how large passengers are treated. Till then, I taking the train or my car.

[Anonymous3503]

This situation is at the point where Gary Kelly needs to go hat in hand to Mr. Smith and personally and publicly apologize.

[Anonymous4001]

Shame on Southwest... I was also kicked off a Southwest flight for being "fat".... but I'm not a celebrity... so no refund, no publicity, no recourse. DO NOT FLY SOUTHWEST.

[Caroline1]

I heard about this incident in the news and on Twitter. I don't follow either Kevin Smith or Southwest but it was widely re-Tweeted, which I think is the only reason there has been any apology to Kevin at all. I agree with previous posters who state that the apology posted is a bit of a tepid one and surely could have been better. The bottom line is, you are trying to stand righteous behind a bad and outdated policy that was arbitrarily and inappropriately applied. I would have had much more respect for an honest "we screwed up and we're going to fix it so this never happens to a single solitary other Southwest passenger". Until I hear that kind of true regret coming openly from Southwest, I won't be flying with you again. Because you can't put a price on human dignity. Or corporate decency. I am voting with my dollar. And shame on all of you who are trying to hide your mean spiritedness and prejudice behind anonymous comments ... you're just proving Kevin's point.

[F__Linda]

It seems odd that Southwest will privately admit the real reason they kicked Smith off but continue to lie to the rest of us. This will only get worse for you.

[Anonymous4579]

The problem is that this isn't an issue of policy. The policy makes perfect sense, even if it is a little dated and it may be time to adjust seat size with the growing size of the average American. The problem is that Kevin Smith was not in violation of your policy. He was able to put down his armrests, therefore he fit, if snugly, into the space he paid for. The title of the post is "My Conversation with Kevin Smith" so why didn't you TALK about said conversation. The one where you apologized about the employee's poor judgement and that they straight up lied to Mr. Smith about being booted for his size. It would have made much more sense for your employees to boot him because their decision to let somebody in on standby was made before they were actually certain they could. But instead your employees covered up their mistake by telling a man of larger stature that he was a safety hazard, despite being able to put down his armrests, as is your policy.

[Cristie]

Just wondering why most of the negative comments are posted by anonymous people.... Mr. Hollywood director (K.S.) sure knows how to play the media and its audience. If you think this is a genuine complaint; shame on you! This was just an easy way to gain free press for his upcoming film. SouthWest, keep up the good work! I know you're not perfect (way too many moving parts & personalities), but I'm still nuts about your company and service! I've had luggage issues and various other issues in the past, but I've found you to be more than fair!

[Anonymous3059]

Shame on you Southwest. And shame on your employees who treat customers the way they do. I've seen first hand the way you treat overweight customers, and I've been so disgusted, I haven't considered flying with you, nor have any of my friends, for over 10 years.

[Dante_Hicks]

What's your encore Southwest?

[Anonymous2573]

Kevin Smith takes a pic of himself in the seat saying that he fits in it...look at how much space he is using of the seat next to him.....I am proud of Southwest for dealing with the issue...it is a safety and a comfort issue....since Kevin always buys 2 seats, he should have know better...Did he lose enough weight in a day to comfortably fit into one seat??? I don't think so.... I will make it a point to fly Southwest anytime I fly!

[Renea]

Anonymous seems to have a lot to say!! I think that the whole story is not being said and the whole thing seems to perfect timing for a movie coming out also? Everyone knows about the 2 seat for those that are bigger! I know that there are more people that feel uncomfortable when they can't relax on the plane. I think this is out of hand!! Good Job Swa for sticking to your guns if you let one person get away with one lil issues and then more and more people will try also and then wait we even have a 9/11 again? Rules and guidelines are on the web site. so you cant act like you didnt know?

[Anonymous2491]

As a "normal-sized" but previously a "person of size," I commend Southwest for enforcing its policy even for a famous person. As for the larger people out there, if I have to pay to check a bag and people have to pay for babies and pets that could comfortably sit on their laps, then you can pay a little extra for a second seat. I was recently on a flight sitting next to someone who had me wrapped around my single armrest for the entirety of the flight. And the woman was definitely trolling for the aisle looking for the one person who forgot to put down her armrest (me). I deal with my flying issues (like major motion sickness) in part to not make those around me experience it as well - don't make the situation worse for everyone. At the same time, the airlines have to meet these people halfway, as it doesn't really make sense for someone to have to pay twice the price of another passenger because of weight. I've heard of some airlines looking into making wider seats and charging a more reasonable price for them - might wanna look into that, Southwest. Or give someone the option to pay 1.5 times the price and be seated in a row with another plus-size. There are more options out there...

[Antoinette]

The funny thing about this is that I saw Kevin Smith live last week, and I can attest that he's maybe a bit "stocky", but not fat. I actually found him to be quite good looking, and not at all out of the normal range. I'm a dancer and I have a typical dancer's figure--definitely on the smaller, athletic side. So I definitely don't have some weight-skewed perspective. He's definitely not even close to one of those people who extends into their neighbor's seats. My only explanation for all the people who write as if we're talking about some 400 pound guy is that they haven't seen him recently--if ever. Or maybe it's just that Kevin, with his self-deprecating way of talking, calls himself fat. So everyone assumes this guy--who's totally in the range of normal--is like some huge Michael Moore type and doesn't fit in a seat. (I hope you're not reading this Michael, but if you are you know that you really are the type of person who should buy a second seat!) Many of the posters use this as an opportunity to tell the story of their uncomfortable flight with an obese person encroaching on their seat. But the truth is that these same posters probably look a lot more like Kevin than he resembles the obese people in their stories. The real issue is this: even though Kevin showed that he fit not only in his seat, but between his arm rests, the flight attendant lied to him, told him the pilot wanted him off, and forced him to get out of the seat he fit into, according to Southwest's policy. It reminds me of the time that the flight attendant on a full flight I was on told me my duffel bag wouldn't fit in the overhead compartment. I told her it would. She told me it wouldn't. I tried to explain that I still had my carry-on inside of it. But by then, it was too late. She'd made her call and was visibly upset that I was arguing with her. I pulled my carry-on out of my duffel and put the duffel in the overhead above my seat. It easily fit. She still didn't care--she made me go gate check it anyway! When certain people in a position of authority are challenged, they become insecure to the point of doing anything they need to in order to re-assert their authority. Many of us have experienced being the powerless person in a situation where someone else was abusing their position of authority. And when one of those authority figures finally picks on the wrong person--someone who doesn't have to take it--why is it that we find it more comfortable to side with the bully and insult the person who was wronged rather than stand up for our fellow travellers? -A

[Anonymous351]

You screwed up. This apology seems very hollow. It's only platitudes, just words, and you are only saying them because of who Kevin is. If he were some anonymous fat guy from Denver, this never would have been a blip on your radar, Linda, and you need to acknowledge and admit that. If you don't you'll never be able to fix it if you can't admit that you screwed up. We want to know what will happen in the future to prevent this from happening again. We want to know the measures you will be putting in place, in detail. We also want to know what will happen to the jobs of Suzanne & Jetbridge Revenue Guy. You'll never get back the business of the Askew Nation. Why pull someone aside & tell them to buy another ticket, when Kevin had already bought the seat between the both of them? I think that stewardess should be fired as well. How was she supposed to buy a seat that was already paid for???!?!?!?!?!?!

[Paul_L]

How come you do not allow fat people to sit in one seat but you allow short people to sit in the emergency aisles when there is clearly a tall person crunched up in a regular seat? Seems pretty dumb to me.. Aren't tall people just as important of customers to you? I'm a larger person but can get the armrest down so I have never had to purchase two seats but I am also 6'4" and I have had more problems with your horrible seating structure than with fitting in to your seats because of fat issues.. Your apologies are horrible and because this is the way you chose to fight and are standing firm on it.. I will never fly Southwest again - You have lost my 30-40 flights a year business (90% was done on Southwest). United > Southwest

[Anonymous398]

Southwest Airlines policy is great. I just wish it had been used by all airlines before I was forced to suffer a two hour trip next to a "large" individual who also took up half my seat pressing me against a window. I could not move, felt claustrophobia setting in, any was totally infringed upon. The person obviously needed two seats. Placing him next to me made my trip miserable and short changed me because I paid for a full seat and didn't get to use it! Sorry his feelings were hurt BUT what about the others made to suffer a horrible flight because someone thinks its fair to take up part of your seat. The policy is correct and should NEVER be changed because it fairly portrays the reality that all passengers are entitled to be comfortable, whether it takes only one seat or you if you obviously need two pay for it or take the next plane. The people that complain about the policy never had to fly next to someone taking up half their seat.

[Anonymous398]

Southwest Airlines policy is great. I just wish it had been used by all airlines before I was forced to suffer a two hour trip next to a "large" individual who also took up half my seat pressing me against a window. I could not move, felt claustrophobia setting in, any was totally infringed upon. The person obviously needed two seats. Placing him next to me made my trip miserable and short changed me because I paid for a full seat and didn't get to use it! Sorry his feelings were hurt BUT what about the others made to suffer a horrible flight because someone thinks its fair to take up part of your seat. The policy is correct and should NEVER be changed because it fairly portrays the reality that all passengers are entitled to be comfortable, whether it takes only one seat or you if you obviously need two pay for it or take the next plane. The people that complain about the policy never had to fly next to someone taking up half their seat.

[Anonymous1318]

Shame on you Southwest. Including this "apology".

[MeganH]

Thank you to the anonymous poster who made the suggestion to listen to Kevin Smith's point of view, which he gives in his podcast. (www.smodcast.com) Mr. Smith's story on the podcast is, I will admit, a bit long-winded, but his explanation clearly shows that Southwest Airlines was in the wrong when their employee asked him to leave the plane. Moreover, his story shows that what happened to him was not just the result of employees making mistakes in the attempt to get the flight out on time. Just a few hours after the incident involving Mr. Smith, he witnessed another customer on the next flight out being treated in a similarly insensitive and demoralizing fashion by an airline employee. In other words, it wasn't an isolated case, and Southwest should re-think their policies on how employees should treat "customers of size", (if I may use the popular airline euphamism). Yes, there are issues such as the comfort and safety for the other passengers, but there has to be a way for the airline to balance those issues with the need to be courteous and decent to all their customers.. Through his podcast and tweets, Kevin Smith has brought some much needed attention to the issue of certain airlines (I don't think Southwest here is soley to blame) placing the bottom line above customer service and common decency. I hope that more will come of this than a few tabloid stories and some frenzied tweeting.

[Anonymous3071]

I can't believe all the scathing comments about large people. Clearly folks need a different perspective. Imagine if Japan Air designed seats for the average Asian person. If you were not a smallish Asian, how would you feel if you were singled out because you had difficulty squeezing into one of the undersized seats? Surely, you can see the injustice there. This isn't much different.

[Anonymous2374]

The Kevin Smith situation is BS. I am overweight. I fly Southwest all the time. If I have someone sitting next to me, I make the conscious effort to not infringe AT ALL on my neighbor's seat. That means being uncomfortable for the entire flight in most cases. But here's the thing, "average" people. Most of the time, your arms are down and on the armrests. Those armrests are shared. So I have to cross my arms for 4 hours on a flight from Chicago to California because you, the "average sized person who want this policy enforced" wants to be comfortable and take up more than your seat that you paid for "and own for the entire flight?" At this point...and it happens all the time...I'm getting out of YOUR way. The next time you "own" your seat, why don't you take a look and make sure you aren't owning your neighbor's seats as well. I don't care how average you think you are. Those seats are tiny and unless you are a small human (not average) you don't fit properly either. Period. If armrests can go down, seatbelt can be fastened without extender, and tray table can be lowered, I don't care what the paying customer looks like. They fly. By the way...you jerks who insist on putting your seat back (and not put it back up on landing), you are infringing on the passenger's space behind you. Anyone over 5'10" has trouble with knees fitting, and you putting your seat back doesn't help.

[Amilhela]

My husband and I only fly SWA (because its the ONLY airline that has nonstop flights between us and where we usually go) and I'm a die hard Kevin Smith fan and supporter. I'm also a large person. But I don't need the seatbelt extender and I can comfortably sit with the arm rests down. I don't "squeeze" into the seat and spill out into the seat(s) next to me. Gee, that sounds like Kevin's situation. Once I board and sit down, I put the armrest down until after takeoff, then I put it up so my tall and skinny 160 pound husband is more comfortable because he has incredibly bony elbows and they hurt him after about 15 minutes. We actually have a flight next week and the week after with SWA and so now I'm wondering if I will be getting the same treatment Kevin did. If the women he was sitting next to had no problem with him, and he demonstrated that his seatbelt was fine and the armrests went down, then SWA employees were WRONG in taking him off the flight, even if he was a standby flier. I agree that this apology is more of "there was a problem, but we still think he's too fat to fly and should have been removed anyway".

[Tina11]

It's not about the fat policy itself. Everyone wants to "own" the seat they purchased. Your employees let him on the plane. Then your employees yanked him off the plane PUBLICLY HUMILIATING HIM and LIED to him as to the reason why. Customer service used to mean more than getting the politically correct 'do not use' words. Learn how to treat people with RESPECT and DIGNITY. And frankly, if he "fit" in the seat by your own standards (arm rests down, etc.), I hope he sues you for discrimination.

[Chuck_Spidell]

Man, that was so humiliating for Kevin. Regardless of celebrity status, is this how you treat paying customers? Southwest screwed up royally . Apology or not, you've lost my business and trust in another corporation.

[Dave_Thomas]

Curious to find out how much smaller your seats have gotten in an attempt to cram more passengers on planes since your "25-year old policy" was implemented. Also wonder how this so-called snap decision and miscommunication between employees resulted in the same thing happening to another girl hours later on another flight. Thanks

[Lou1]

This is unreal, you guys did it to Kevin Smith and then you did the same thing to a girl who was sitting next to Kevin Smith on another plane. You guys suck. I have never used SWA and never will. Linda your not skinny yourself, your a big woman. Linda what the fuck happened to that poor girl, not even a few hour had pass with everything that was going on with Kevin Smith, and SWA was doing it to someone again. Even Kevin Smith was shock to see it happen to another person.Why don't you call her and tell her how sorry you guys are for what you did to her. Linda, you and SWA and all your dumb ass customer that use SWA are not human and have no soul. UNREAL......

[marianna-m]

I can see the point of the airlines that every single customer should be comfortable in their particular seats and with that they will be able to carry on a safe flight for everyone. With the case of Kevin Smith that have been removed from a flight for being too fat and that touched off a Twitter torrent of hostile words aimed at the airline. He rebuffed their efforts to apologize, cited that they're bleeding cash and is not amused, in the least. I think Southwest should consent to the "seat challenge" he proposed for an episode of the Daily Show, or at least get him a coupon for a free ride in first class.

[Corporate_Trave]

BOTTOM LINE: ~ Your employees are routinely rude and obviously unprofessional. ~ Customer Satisfaction has apparently become an ELIMINATED priority in SWA's Guidelines. ~ You have SERIOUSLY under-estimated the POWER of today's Social Media sources. That said, I predict a marked DROP in stock value of SW Airlines shares . ~ BIG MISTAKE ~ attn: Ms. Rutherford and Gary Kelly, CEO. ~ HUGE MISTAKE.

[marianna-m]

I can see the point of the airlines that every single customer should be comfortable in their particular seats and with that they will be able to carry on a safe flight for everyone. With the case of Kevin Smith that have been removed from a flight for being too fat and that touched off a Twitter torrent of hostile words aimed at the airline. He rebuffed their efforts to apologize, cited that they're bleeding cash and is not amused, in the least. I think Southwest should consent to the "seat challenge" he proposed for an episode of the Daily Show, or at least get him a coupon for a free ride in first class.

[Aimee]

Since Southwest posted a ' For" comment by Joe W. who believes overweight people should be treated like cargo, I can only assume they have missed the whole point of Mr. Smith's frustration.

[Anonymous3865]

Although I'm sure Southwest is genuinely sorry for the situation, Linda Rutherford's response seems more an attempt to recover from the public relations nightmare this incident has become. Despite Southwest's dire wishes, this matter simply will not go away. It is now spreading to blog after blog, being talked about in social media circles, and being saved and pointed to as an object lesson in the role of social media in the modern age. The fundamental fact is that Southwest does not apply their policy with any consistency. While their size policy may be 25 years old, it has only been actively enforced within the past decade. I was a frequent flyer with Southwest for over a decade, and when this rule started being enforced from out of obscurity, I stopped patronizing Southwest. I'm a big guy, I admit it. But, I have no problem sitting in a seat with the armrests down and the seatbelt buckled. Nevertheless, I was not going to expose myself to ridicule and embarassment by the clearly appalling inconsistency that Southwest continues to display in applying their size policy. While Southwest seats are no smaller or larger than any other US domestic carriers on similar aircraft type, Southwest has been consistently challenged in finding a way to apply this policy without embarrassing its larger customers. I am encouraged that Southwest might actually be conducting a serious review of teh policy and its application, however I would caution their public relations department to be a bit more forthright in posting blogs of this nature and address the matter in a more open and honest manner. A blatant attempt at CYA ultimately does more damage than admitting that perhaps a fundamental mistake might have been made on their part.

[marianna-m]

I can see the point of the airlines that every single customer should be comfortable in their particular seats and with that they will be able to carry on a safe flight for everyone. With the case of Kevin Smith that have been removed from a flight for being too fat and that touched off a Twitter torrent of hostile words aimed at the airline. He rebuffed their efforts to apologize, cited that they're bleeding cash and is not amused, in the least. I think Southwest should consent to the "seat challenge" he proposed for an episode of the Daily Show, or at least get him a coupon for a free ride in first class.

[Daniel_J__]

I support Southwest Airlines and its enforcing of that policy. Kevin Smith can be as fat as he wants ("...pursuit of happiness..."), just like I can smoke as many Marlboros as I want, just not on a plane where it makes others uncomfortable and is a safety issue. I hope other airlines follow suit and keep fat people from having there life choices affect me and my comfort. P.S. Congrats to the NAAFA on the publicity, been aROUND since 1969 finally your BIG break. Maybe instead of boycotting Southwest you should get kicked off more flights and stay in the news. Otherwise it's back to coach, good thing there is a BIG ole' seat waiting right next to the guys from NAMBLA.

[Anonymous3641]

Kevin, first put down the box of donuts, I don't want you to choke when you read this shocking news: It SUCKS having to sit next to someone obese on a flight! There is an expectation of having some personal space in our culture. Airplanes already push the boundaries, so throw in some fat people and boundaries are obliterated. If you don't believe in personal space, move to india, china, etc.., and enjoy the transportation there. You KNOW that the entire plane groans when they see you coming and everyone bows their head and says a little prayer "please don't sit next to me, please don't sit next to me!". I'm sure you hear the whispers of "thank you god" as you pass each row. It seems you had no problem with buying two seats and I think its an extremely fair and generous policy that southwest refunds the 2nd seat if there is extra room on the plane anyways. Frankly, it sucks that this happened, but I'm glad for the sake of the person next to you that they yanked you off the plane. Maybe you'll take your assigned flight next time and avoid the hassles. When you are different (in this case obese), you can't expect the rest of the world to know how to handle you, so you gotta look out for yourself. In this case, you should have confirmed that they assigned you TWO seats before getting on the plane, and when you realized you didn't have two seats, you should have removed yourself, saving yourself and Southwest the uncomfortable decision that was made. This was EVERY BIT as much your fault as it was southwest's - so take some ownership and don't demand the world to accommodate you and your problems. If you felt you were just "border-line" too fat for the seat, then you should also realize that its going to be difficult for anyone to make that call, and realize that the call could go either way - so don't be pissed when it doesn't go your way... I'm sure that when the person made the call to yank you, she did it only after seeing the terror in the eyes of the person sitting next to you.

[Arthur11]

I see that you are really angry about what happened. what if this experience is really for you? I wish to offer my service to assist you in any way I can to find a solution rather than continuuing to focus on the problem. I have been a professional facilitator for 14 years on 6 continents with great success. again I offer my assistance. blessings arthur

[Anonymous2613]

Southwest is the BEST! Affordable and a very flexible flight schedule! Those of you who have flown Southwest for "year's" and now claim to be switching to another carrier, are in for a big let down! I have flown many year's for many miles and Southwest is by far the best in customer service, and the flight schedule's they provide are superior than any other. Truth is you have been spoiled by Southwest, you forgot how bad, bad can be....good luck to you and to all the other carrier's that have to put up with you. Don't worry Southwest it will only be a matter of time before "the fat guys sings" about another airline who did him wrong.

[Shell]

sorry I nearly confused this with an apology.. wow you guys need a new PR department...

[Anonymous1776]

No matter what side of the debate you are on, the real issue is how poorly the whole situation was handled by Southwest. If Southwest felt the passenger was too large to fly, why was he even allowed to board the plane??? To humiliate someone like Southwest did is absolutely unforgivable. I've flown Southwest only once but I have never forgotten it. The flight was nearly empty and I'll never forget the ugly racial slurs made by a Southwest flight attendant to another passenger of Asian descent. My jaws dropped, but fortunately I don't think the passenger really understood that he was being insulted since English was not his first language. I never forgot that and I never flew Southwest again. Shame on Southwest!

[Anonymous3811]

Awesome how you kicked someone off of a flight that MET THE REQUIREMENTS. Your stubborn, obnoxious, self-righteous crew refused to acknowledge that they were in the wrong when Kevin proved he fit in the seat. Your policy dictates that anyone who is able to put the armrests down and not invade the space of the passengers beside them is of an acceptable size for a single seat. When he proved he fit that criteria, he was still removed. That's what he's making an issue about. He was removed AFTER he showed he fit in his own seat. Just like Southwest continues to edit their blogs to remove falsehoods after they're brought to light. Despicable and unnecessary behavior from Southwest.

[Mallory]

really southwest? really southwest employees? really southwest pr hacks? really ignorant southwest customers who agree with their decisions? you guys should all be subjected to scrutiny about your weight and appearance in a national forum for no frickin' reason. seriously, go grab a camera and upload pictures of yourselves so we can all mock your fat asses... oh wait, you apparently all think you're thin and perfect and above getting thrown off flights for completely bullshit reasons. congratulations, now go choke on a cheeseburger.

[Merry_Y]

Its ridiculous to stand behind a '25 year old policy' that is based off JUDGMENT. No one wants to go into a place of business and feel like they are being sized up, judged, and looked down upon by the people providing the service. If this hadn't been Kevin Smith, there wouldn't have been a peep about this, and even though it WAS a famous person, you still didn't rightfully apologize - you still stand behind this "policy." Your apology is still doublesided. The statement "I'm not here to debate the decision our employees made" is so ridiculous because that is EXACTLY what you should be doing. Or at least not defending it. I travel for work and will never fly on Southwest Airlines again. I don't want to support a company that allows and encourages their employees to look down on others, to size them up to some invisible scale and make snap decisions like this. Its not about the money, refunding him, or making up excuses for your company - its about the lack of respect your employees, your company, and this policy, have shown.

[davidzerth]

I'll never fly SW air. Too much disrespect for customers.

[Anonymous2463]

REALLY bad move on Southwest's part... both for WRONGFULLY kicking Kevin Smith off the flight and issuing the poorest excuse for an apology I've ever heard. You have lost my business for life.

[Derrico69]

I am an occasional flyer on SouthWest and I am a big guy (6'5 230lbs). I am not typically seen as "fat" but my shoulders are very wide and I always lean into the aisle to give the middle seat person room. As near as I can tell I might be denied boarding on SW. Listening to Southwest's poor policy followed by this rudeness will make sure I avoid that disgrace. This has woken me up and I will not be flying Southwest again. I guess I can't take the chance.

[sage]

Have never flown with southwest, and certainly never will in the future. Thanks for being such a terrible company 😄

[Anonymous1647]

I love how many people are commenting here dissing Kevin Smith without really knowing the whole story or treating it like he is a 300 lb slob who made a hissy fit. If he didn't do anything wrong, if he wasn't bothering anyone, if he paid for his ticket (he actually paid for three tickets) he shouldn't be kicked out of a plane. Siimple as that. SW was not enforcing any policies when they kicked Smith out.

[sonia1]

God knows what was happening on board, ....perhaps it was just someone's words that hurt Mr. Smith's feelings. However, I agree that very large individuals are a danger and hazard to all the other passengers in the event of an emergency. Especially when they occupy just one seat........ Southwest did good.