Southwest Airlines is rethinking a policy that upset some travelers earlier this year.
Last week, the airline quietly updated its “customer of size” policy for passengers who may need an extra seat.
“On flights where adjacent seats are available, our Agents at the airport are empowered to provide an additional seat at no extra cost to Customers who require one,” a spokesperson told Business Insider.
Emily Treischel, a plus-size TikTok creator who posted about the news on Tuesday, told Business Insider that she is relieved the policy changed. A bad experience in March, when a gate agent told her she was too big for a single seat, had triggered extra travel anxiety.
“It was in front of a lot of people, so it was pretty embarrassing,” she said, adding she spent hundreds on another last-minute seat. “I flew a few times after and bought a second seat, but I still had issues; it’s just been a challenge all around for Southwest staff and customers.”
She said the change may help retain some customers Southwest was potentially alienating with its new policy, especially since she found she could sometimes get a first-class seat on another airline for the price of two on Southwest.
The change comes after Southwest faced backlash over a policy change that went into effect on January 27. The rule said passengers who needed an extra seat would be required to purchase one before boarding the flight. The decision on whether a passenger needed an additional seat was left up to Southwest’s discretion. The policy shift was part of a wave of changes at Southwest, including the introduction of assigned seating.
While Southwest doesn’t list size requirements for passengers, it lists the dimensions of its seats in its policy. According to the guidelines, the armrests on the seat are the boundary markers between seats.
The airline came under fire on social media for the January policy, as some travelers complained about being charged a “fat tax” for flying Southwest. Others took issue with the way it was implemented, with gate agents publicly calling out plus-size flyers in some instances.
Southwest’s plus-size policy is more lenient than that of other major airlines
Before the change, Southwest’s rules for plus-size passengers were considered among the best in the industry. The airline typically offered passengers free accommodations.
The latest policy seems more in line with that earlier approach.
When adjacent seats aren’t available, flyers may be booked on a later flight, the company said. Southwest still encourages plus-size passengers to purchase an extra seat before traveling to avoid last-minute disruptions, but said they can request a refund on the second seat if the flight departs with at least one seat open.
It’s more lenient than Delta, American, and United’s plus-size policy, which generally don’t offer refunds even when flights leave with empty seats.
While that means Southwest’s earlier change wasn’t far from the norm, loyal customers like Treischel were disappointed because it went against the airline’s historical customer-first focus.
“I’m glad they listened and rethought the policy,” Treischel said. “I hope these changes will mean it’s a bit more inclusive, because that’s what Southwest is known for.”
While some flyers were frustrated by the January policy shift, it relieved some plus-size travelers when it went into effect.
Stephanie Massouda, 33, told Business Insider in April that purchasing an additional seat in advance helped her avoid any awkward encounters with gate agents. It alleviated the stress of flying that she often feels.
“Flying while fat, there’s already so many considerations that you have to keep in mind,” Massouda said at the time.
Southwest’s slew of changes shows how airline policies can become a flash point when travelers feel singled out.
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