An airline has received backlash online over its divisive new policy regarding plus-size passengers.
The airline has made some changes
Southwest Airlines has made some changes in its policy on plus-size customers, and it’s made it the recipient of backlash from passengers, influencers, and models alike.
It used to have better policies
The airline, which was once focused on budget-friendly travelling, used to have a policy often praised by plus-size travelers called the ‘customer of size’ policy.
They would let you buy an extra chair
The airline used to allow travelers who ‘encroach upon neighboring seats’ to buy themselves an extra seat in advance of flying to make sure it was empty.
Southwest would then refund the passenger the cost of the chair after the flight upon request.
The rules for a refund have now changed
The new policy, however, means that the airline will be changing the rules for extra seats on 27 January 2026, per its announcement on Monday, 25 August.
The statement from Southwest said in part, “To ensure space, we are communicating to customers who have previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at booking.”
The new conditions for a refund are specific
The airline now says it will still refund extra tickets but only if the flight isn’t fully booked at the time of its departure and if both the passenger’s tickets were bought in the same booking class.
It’s also required that the passenger requests the refund within 90 days of the flight.
Passengers are also required to buy a seat
The airline has also said that if a passenger needs an extra seat but doesn’t buy themselves one ahead of the flight day, they will be required to buy one at the airport.
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If the flight was fully booked by then, they’ll be rebooked onto a new one.
People aren’t too happy with this change
Influencer Jen McLellan, who hosts the Plus Mommy podcast, took to Instagram to express her dismay over the policy change.
She shared that she had been flying with the airline for the past decade for its original policy.
But now the change has upset her
In the post, she wrote, “It meant I wouldn’t be the next viral video of someone upset about sitting next to the ‘fat passenger.’ Newsflash: I don’t want to snuggle strangers either! That empty middle seat wasn’t just for me, it gave my fellow passengers comfort too.”
A travel agent has also weighed in
Orlando-based travel agent Jason Vaughn, who posts travel advice on his website Fat Travel Tested said the policy helped ensure all fliers have adequate space when flying.
Since the policy changed, he said per AP, “I think it’s going to make the flying experience worse for everybody.”
