No bots allowed!
A 3.5-foot humanoid robot scored a seat on a Southwest Airlines flight to Dallas, but the airline grounded the bot before it could earn frequent flyer miles.
Tech entrepreneur Aaron Mehdizadeh, gave the robot, named Stewie, his own seat in coach aboard a May 10 flight from Las Vegas to Dallas instead of checking him in as cargo, according to cbsnews.com.
But two days later, Southwest updated its travel policy to ban humanoid robots from the cabin and checked luggage, citing safety risks.
The concern centers on lithium-ion batteries, which have been linked to fires onboard aircraft.
“To ensure compliance with our guidelines for traveling safely with lithium-ion batteries, Southwest clarified its baggage policy to include robotic devices,” the airline told The Post.
Southwest said the restriction applies to robots “regardless of size or purpose.”
Mehdizadeh, owner of The Robot Studio — a company that rents humanoid robots for events — said the flight turned Stewie into an instant celebrity.
“Most people were excited to see a robot flying and it provided so much entertainment,” Mehdizadeh told CBS News Texas.
Stewie leaned into his new role. Using a programmed voice, joked: “I had the perfect window seat, clouds like cotton candy, and everyone’s snapping selfies with me.”
After Southwest updated its policy, Mehdizadeh posted a farewell-to-flying video on Instagram.
“Today we found out Southwest updated their internal policy banning all robots aboard,” he wrote. “We bought him a ticket. He was SO excited for his first flight … and yes, everyone was suspicious … flight attendants had LOTS of questions … so Stewie was probably the last humanoid to fly on SWA.”
He added: “To our friends at Southwest — we still love you.”
Online reactions ranged from delighted to deeply concerned about the robot’s appearance on an airplane.
“Probably way better behaved than people,” one commenter wrote.
“He literally moved like an excited little kid,” another added.
Others were less charmed.
“I mean he can be basically be a bomb of course people will be worried,” one person commended, while another demanded: “Kick that that dirty clanket off the plane!”
The airline noted that smaller robotic toys are allowed if they fit inside a carry-on bag and comply with existing battery restrictions.
