I'm getting sucked into this whole Kevin Smith vs. Southwest Airlines fiasco. Sadly. They should just call the whole thing Fatgate! I'm interested in the whole, 'was Kevin Smith too fat to fly' controversy. But what I find more interesting is how Kevin Smith (I feel like I have to use his first and last name) is using the almighty and powerful social media to battle the big, powerful airliner.
He's using his blog and twitter to make his case. He has virtually ignored the eager/starving media conglomerates and their request for interviews. I've seen CNN and Good Morning America tweet Smith (even asking their followers to try tweeting him) for interview requests. Smith has stayed mum ... except for using his very controlled social media outlets.
In case you haven't heard: Kevin Smith was told he couldn't board a flight over the weekend after the airliner claimed he was too big to fit in the seat and buckle himself. Smith admits that he normally buys two seats while flying. He actually did buy two seats for his flight home, but switched to an earlier flight ... where only one seat was available. Smith claims he was able to fit in the seat (with both armrests down) and buckle himself in.
Southwest countered their claim, taking to their blog (cleverly titling it "Not So Silent Bob")about the incident saying, "Our employees explained why the decision is made, accommodated Mr. Smith on a later flight, and issued him a $100 Southwest voucher for his inconvenience."
Kevin Smith is starting to get the hint that he may have been too fat to fly ... "Lots of folks still telling me to stop crying and lose weight - as if that's what this was all about. ... Once again: I know I'm fat. The point of all this? I'm not too fat for Southwest Air, yet someone deemed me so. *sigh*"
But Kevin Smith really just wants Southwest to admit they were wrong and that he could fit in one seat. From Southwests' last blog ... he could be waiting for a while. In a blog titled "My Conversation with Kevin Smith," Linda Rutherford (a Southwest employee) says ... "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."
According to that blog, Southwests' only mistake was boarding him on standby and then asking him to leave.
I think this is going to die down in the mainstream media, but it could be a while before it dies down in the world of social media.
-daniel
He's using his blog and twitter to make his case. He has virtually ignored the eager/starving media conglomerates and their request for interviews. I've seen CNN and Good Morning America tweet Smith (even asking their followers to try tweeting him) for interview requests. Smith has stayed mum ... except for using his very controlled social media outlets.
In case you haven't heard: Kevin Smith was told he couldn't board a flight over the weekend after the airliner claimed he was too big to fit in the seat and buckle himself. Smith admits that he normally buys two seats while flying. He actually did buy two seats for his flight home, but switched to an earlier flight ... where only one seat was available. Smith claims he was able to fit in the seat (with both armrests down) and buckle himself in.
Southwest countered their claim, taking to their blog (cleverly titling it "Not So Silent Bob")about the incident saying, "Our employees explained why the decision is made, accommodated Mr. Smith on a later flight, and issued him a $100 Southwest voucher for his inconvenience."
Kevin Smith is starting to get the hint that he may have been too fat to fly ... "Lots of folks still telling me to stop crying and lose weight - as if that's what this was all about. ... Once again: I know I'm fat. The point of all this? I'm not too fat for Southwest Air, yet someone deemed me so. *sigh*"
But Kevin Smith really just wants Southwest to admit they were wrong and that he could fit in one seat. From Southwests' last blog ... he could be waiting for a while. In a blog titled "My Conversation with Kevin Smith," Linda Rutherford (a Southwest employee) says ... "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."
According to that blog, Southwests' only mistake was boarding him on standby and then asking him to leave.
I think this is going to die down in the mainstream media, but it could be a while before it dies down in the world of social media.
-daniel
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