AirTran adopting passenger body size limit policy used by Southwest Airlines

They are the words anyone struggling with their weight fear the most: "You are too fat to fly."

Southwest Airlines has garnered a lot attention for their "customer of size" policy, which states passengers who cannot fit between the 17-inch armrests must purchase a second seat.

But starting March 2012, Southwest won't be alone in its efforts to keep people from smushing into their seats: AirTran will be requiring any overweight passenger to purchase an extra seat if they can't sit in one seat with the armrest lowered, the Huffington Post reports.

According to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, spokeswoman for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance Peggy Howell said she's sorry to hear that Southwest is "passing on their bad policy to another airline." She complained saying, "We are paying customers."

Southwest responded that the policy affects "far less" than one-half of 1 percent of its customers, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Do you think this policy is fair?