A New York family says they were denied family boarding privileges on a Southwest flight over the weekend because the couple are same-sex partners.
Grant Morse flew from Buffalo to Fort Lauderdale on Saturday with his husband, their three children and the children’s grandmother. But when the group stepped up for “family boarding,” they were denied, Morse told HuffPost.
A Southwest gate agent told them their entire group couldn’t board, though Morse said the agent was initially vague about the reason.
“We approached the... ‘family boarding area’ as we have done many times,” Morse told HuffPost. “The boarding agent assertively approached and said, ‘This is family boarding.’ My husband responded, ‘We know, we are a family.’ She said, ‘Not all can go. This is family boarding.’”
Grant Morse with his husband, their 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old twin sons. Morse says the family was denied Southwest's "family boarding" while traveling with their grandmother this weekend. (Photo: Grant Morse)
Morse said after his family was turned away, a mom, dad and toddler were then allowed to board together as a family.
A spokesperson for Southwest told HuffPost Morse’s family was declined because his husband’s mother attempted to board with them. She is 83, Morse said, and requires assistance.
Southwest rules allow one adult to board with children, “but typically our employees allow both parents to board,” the spokesperson said. The airline denied in a statement that discrimination was a factor:
Our Operations Agent informed two parents that another member of their group was ineligible to board under Family Boarding and asked that she board in her assigned boarding group. This conversation in the boarding area had nothing to do with discrimination, we welcomed both parents to board the aircraft with their children. The parents expressed disappointment that the Family Boarding policy was not applicable to another member of their group. The two parents did not agree with our policy, and our Flight Crew worked to save seats together on the aircraft for the family as the conversation continued in the gate area.
Morse claims Southwest did not bend their parental rule and said that in the end, only one of the men was permitted to board with the children. One parent sat with two children in one row, while the other sat with one child in another row and Morse’s mother-in-law sat alone in an exit row, he said.
Through it all, he said, gate agents did not explain the reason for the shuffle.
“Never once did they say, ‘You two fathers and you three kids can board, and grandma has to wait over there,’” Morse said. “I feel all they’re doing is trying to cover up discrimination right now.”
Morse took photos in the terminal after he reportedly called a Southwest supervisor to address the issue. (Photo: Grant Morse)
Morse says he’s considering suing Southwest, though he’d give away any damages.
“If an attorney tells me there’s a case, as of today I’ll probably move forward with it,” he said. “But I’ll make it clear that any proceeds will be donated to a charity to educate companies about prejudice. There’s no doubt in my mind this [incident] is discrimination.”
Morse says he hasn’t heard from Southwest. He wrote to the Department of Transportation, who responded saying they’ve told Southwest to contact Morse and copy the DOT on its response.
This article has been updated to include Morse’s complaint to the FDOT.
Best Overall Coach-Class Airline in North America: JetBlue
Even after the current downgrading, JetBlue's extra legroom still beats any other airline. The de facto charge for a checked bag, at $15 over the minimum fare, is less than on most other airlines. The satellite-based Wi-Fi is free, at slow speeds, and $9 an hour for enough bandwidth to stream movies. And seats in JetBlue's Airbus planes are an inch wider than on any competitors' 737s. Related:7 Embarrassing Travel Gadgets That Actually Work(Photo: JetBlue)
Most Consumer-Friendly Coach-Class Airline in North America: Southwest
Its "two checked bags at no extra charge" and "no ticket-change penalty" policies make Southwest a clear winner for being nice to customers. Fortunately, at least so far, Southwest seems to have convinced Wall Street that those passenger-friendly policies gain more revenue in total customers than it would gain by imposing fees and losing customers. With other giant carriers charging checked bag fees of $25 a pop, even one checked bag gives Southwest a $50 round-trip fare advantage. Southwest has even managed to tame the chaos of its unique no-advance-assignment boarding process: You get your boarding group and number when you check in, which you can do online starting 24 hours before departure; at the airport, you line up according to number, and get on the plane with a minimum of pushing and shoving. (Photo: Southwest Airlines)
Best Frequent-Flyer Program for Occasional Travelers, North America: Alaska Mileage Plan
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Coolest Coach-Class Airline in North America: Virgin America
Yes, JetBlue beats it by the measurements, but Virgin America keeps earning great survey ratings for its flashy decor, well-trained flight attendants, top inflight technology, and general flair. Obviously, lots of travelers like what it has to offer. You might like it, too. The "Branson cool factor" also applies to Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia. (Photo: Virgin America)
Best Ultra-Low-Fare Coach-Class Airline in North America: Allegiant
The nod for best ultra-low-fare carrier for coach-class service goes to Allegiant, not because of its base product—which is down there with Spirit in terms of sheer torture—but because it alone brings the only low-fare mainline service to dozens of communities where travelers would otherwise have to rely on regional flights to nearby hubs, with the usual hassle, wasted time, and high fares of hub connections. Allegiant's "nowhere to somewhere" business model gives travelers to/from communities as small as Hagerstown, Missoula, Owensboro, Provo, South Bend, and Stockton access to nonstop flights to 16 of the country's primary leisure travel destinations, including Honolulu, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, and Phoenix. If you live in or near a big city, you'd never even think about Allegiant. But it's a no-brainer if you live in the sticks. Related:How to Get a Refund on a Non-Refundable Flight (Photo: Allegiant via Chris Parypa Photography/Shutterstock.com)
Best Coach-Class Airline for Seniors in North America: Southwest
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Best Extra-Legroom Airline in North America: JetBlue
JetBlue, which starts out with a 1- to 3-inch advantage for regular coach, retains a similar advantage for its extra-legroom cabin. And the price, capped at $90 for a transcontinental flight, is likely to be lower than the variable prices other airlines charge. This is a big advantage JetBlue has over Virgin America, the one airline that surveys usually place in the same class as JetBlue. On Virgin America, the extra-legroom seats, limited to bulkhead and exit rows, cost more than three times the regular-coach fare: more than $900 on a transcon, for example, compared with a base coach fare of $300. Yes, you get extras along with the legroom, but that huge fare premium is a deal breaker for someone who just wants enough space to use an e-reader or tablet comfortably. Related:10 Tasty Carry-on Snacks You Can Make Yourself(Photo: JetBlue)
Best Coach-Class Airline for Intercontinental Flights: Japan Airlines
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Best Coach-Class Airline for Transatlantic Flights: Turkish
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Best Low-Fare Coach-Class Airline for Transatlantic Flights: Norwegian
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Best Business-Class Airline with Coach-Class Prices: La Compagnie
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Best Coach-Class Airplane for Short Flights: Embraer
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