Southwest Airlines refuses overweight family

Airline Industry Information, July 12, 2002

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Southwest Airlines reportedly removed an overweight family from a flight after they refused to buy extra seats.

The airline - which asks passengers who are too large to fit between its 18-3/4 inch seats to buy an extra seat - reportedly informed the family that they would need to buy two additional seats when they were preparing to board their return flight to New Mexico.

The family, which had previously flown with the airline to Indiana, were originally told that they would not need to purchase the extra seats as the husband was of average size and the daughter weighed 75 pounds.

Southwest Airlines has refunded the cost of the entire family's flight and they travelled the 1,200 miles to New Mexico via bus, reported Reuters.

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