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Southwest Passenger Undergoing Chemotherapy Claims The Airline’s Gate Agents Physically Attacked Him When He Tried Purchasing An Extra Seat Because He Didn’t ‘Look’ Disabled
A man undergoing chemotherapy treatment was physically assaulted by a Southwest gate agent after he tried to purchase a second seat for himself.
He was reportedly refused the accommodation because he didn’t appear to have a disability.
The man claimed that the gate agents physically attacked him when he tried booking a second seat for himself since he ‘didn’t look disabled.’
David Ford from Avon, Connecticut, recently filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines after an unpleasant experience at a Dallas airport.
According to Avon, who was battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy at the time, he was physically assaulted by a gate agent who refused to allow him an extra seat per Southwest’s extra-seat policy.
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The policy allows passengers who “encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat” to purchase an additional seat next to them to properly accommodate themselves and other passengers.
Southwest’s policy noted, “The purchase of additional seats serves as a notification of a special seating request and helps us ensure we can accommodate all Customers on the flight. Most importantly, it ensures that all Customers onboard have access to safe and comfortable seating.”
“If you choose to purchase an extra seat, see a Customer Service Agent at the gate to obtain a Seat Reserved document for the additional seat purchased. You’ll place the Seat Reserved document on the adjoining seat.”
When Avon did just this before his flight in June 2024, he was allegedly humiliated and degraded by gate agents who claimed that he “didn’t look disabled” and refused to issue him a boarding pass for an additional seat.
Little did they know Avon was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments at the time and could have benefited from the extra room.
After Avon demanded to speak to a supervisor, another gate agent appeared to check the weigh-on scale before telling Avon, “You ain’t getting a second seat on my watch.”
As he grew increasingly vulnerable, Avon took out his cell phone and began recording the gate agents’ atrocious actions.
However, a gate agent snatched the phone from him and refused to return it until local police arrived on the scene.
Eventually, a supervisor stepped in to issue Avon a boarding pass for the seat next to him.
The damage, however, was already done, and the incident left him shaken and humiliated.
According to the lawsuit, after all of the passengers were seated, one of the gate agents boarded the plane and demanded that Avon delete the footage of their interaction.
Avon is now suing the airline for numerous violations, including “unfair trading practices over the way it markets its extra seat policy, and infliction of emotional distress.”
Southwest has allegedly reached out to Avon issuing an apology and admitting that they had “failed to comply with regulations in your case.”
While the gate agents certainly need to review their policies regarding additional seats for passengers, there is a much bigger issue within this entire scenario: the assumption that some people don’t “look disabled.”
Not all disabilities are visible. They do not have a specific appearance.
You never know why someone may have parked in a handicapped spot without a wheelchair or crutches or why they requested certain seats while using public transportation. Frankly, it’s none of your business.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.