Montana’s Travel Scene Shifts With A Controversial Airline Policy

When I was younger, I loved road trips. Filling up the car, grabbing some snacks, turning up the radio, and hitting the open highway, ah, those were the days, right?

The older I get, the more I appreciate air travel. Why do something that takes 12 hours when you can do it in 90 minutes AND get two of those delicious airplane cookies? Plus, it allows more time to visit your destination, which is always a bonus.

Here in Montana, we have several different airports to choose from, and a few of those have major airlines flying in and out. One of those airlines has just made a policy change that will affect several Montanans who plan on flying.

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Southwest Airlines, which flies in and out of Bozeman, just made a big change. (no pun intended)

How will Southwest Airlines' new policy affect Montanans?

The popular airline has decided that it will charge its larger customers double if they don't fully fit into one seat. As expected, this decision is being met with some criticism. While many support the airline's choice to charge for two seats, others say that it's discrimination and that airline seats have become smaller over the years, while passengers have become bigger.

As a large person, I have been in the situation where I've had to purchase two seats. It's never fun, but I certainly understand the thinking behind it. If you can't fit all of yourself into one seat, is it fair that you're taking part of another person's seat? They purchased their ticket; shouldn't they get all of it?

However, what if the airline were to offer the second seat at a discounted price?

I mean, that way everyone is comfortable, or not as uncomfortable. Plus, the airline is still making money. It seems that it could be a compromise that might be worth looking into.

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What do you think? Should larger folks have to pay for two whole seats? Should airlines make seats bigger? Let us know your opinion and send us a message on our app.