What if the person went to sit, and the seat was found to be too damaged for them to sit on? If they were then again removed to standby, would that be an issue?
The issue is not the size of the woman, it is the size of the seats. Especially in a nation where so many are overweight. I know I am overweight, and admit it. Airlines could very easily make a row or two of wider seats, put 2 instead of 3. Then just charge a bit extra for them. But that would be too easy. Instead they do things like this, when the person has to pay extra, and then people that are not obese, and have no sympathy for them, starts crying about it.
Should the overweight person have been booted, and told they were on ‘standby’ until there were not one, but two seats available side by side? Or perhaps their money should have been refunded and they get told to drive, take a bus, or a boat? After all, any flight they are on, they will displace someone, so they should not be allowed to fly.
If you are going to discriminate against obese people, then you also need to start saying that people with young children cannot ride. Because, after all, the children often disturb other passengers. And what about those that have various diseases or issues that cause them to need the restroom a lot? That inconveniences someone, I’m sure, if they are occupying the restroom. And non-smokers should have to suck up and deal with the secondhand smoke issue because we infringe on the rights of smokers by demanding no smoking on flights.
This can be carried to extremes. Flat out simple fact. One was on standby, the other was not. period.