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Woman says Southwest discriminated against her on flight
An Atlanta traveler claims Southwest Airlines discriminated against her after forcing her to buy a second seat on a flight based off her looks.
ATLANTA - Tammy Parker says Southwest Airlines discriminated against her by forcing her to buy an extra seat at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after an employee decided she was too large for a single chair.
What we know:
Parker was traveling from Atlanta to Los Angeles for a 56th birthday cruise to Hawaii when a Southwest Airlines counter agent told her she was too big for one seat. Parker said the employee made the decision just by looking at her rather than having her try the seat first.
She paid $443 for an additional roundtrip ticket to continue her trip.
The airline's "Customer of Size" policy has been in place since the end of January.
Parker, who says she has lost more than 100 pounds, provided FOX 5 Atlanta video proof that she fit in the seat with the armrest down and her seatbelt buckled. She described the forced purchase as a "slap in the face" and believes the airline is discriminating against larger people.
"You're wrong," exclaimed Parker." God don't like ugly; what you're doing is discrimination."
What we don't know:
It is not clear exactly what specific measurements or criteria Southwest employees use to determine if a passenger is too large for a seat during the check-in process.
What they're saying:
Southwest Airlines released a statement saying their goal is to provide a comfortable experience for everyone on the plane. "Our Customer CARE team will work with her directly if she requests a refund," the airline said. Parker confirmed she plans to request that refund but maintains that the policy is wrong.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 5 reporter Kevyn Stewart, who interviewed Tammy Parker at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and obtained a formal statement from Southwest Airlines.