In this photo taken Jan. 20, 2011, three AirTran Airlines Boeing 717-200's, including one painted in the colors of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, sit parked at their gates at the Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Fla. Southwest Airlines Co."™s pending pur
In this photo taken Jan. 20, 2011, three AirTran Airlines Boeing 717-200's, including one painted in the colors of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, sit parked at their gates at the Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Fla. Southwest Airlines Co."™s pending purchase of AirTran Airways will combine two of the biggest discount carriers. Chris O'Meara, Associated Press
By Deseret News, Jon Byington, For the Deseret News

Obese airline passengers will be required to purchase a second seat when traveling, according to a new Air Tran Airways policy that begins in March, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The policy, already enforced by Air Trans parent company Southwest, requires passengers to be able to sit in one seat with the armrest lowered, according to the article.

Not everyone is happy about the new policy.

"I’m sorry to hear that they’re now going to be passing on their bad policy to another airline," Peggy Howell, a spokeswoman for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We are paying customers."

Air Tran does not service Utah, but parent company Southwest operates 39 daily nonstop flights at Salt Lake City International Airport, according to the company’s website.

View Comments

Jon Byington is the founder of DosLives.com, a news and entertainment website that reaches the growing number of Latinos in the U.S.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.