Southwest Airlines accused of ‘rewarding obesity’ with new policy that gives very overweight passengers free extra seats

Customers have criticized Southwest Airlines for a “ridiculous” policy that gives overweight passengers free seats appropriate to their height.

The airline has introduced a ‘Customer of Size’ policy, which allows overweight passengers whose bodies take up more than one seat on the plane to get ‘the required number of seats’ for free.

The policy states that customers who “occupy any portion of the adjacent seat(s)” may purchase as many additional seats as they need, which will then be refunded upon check-in.

The change has led to mixed feedback among customers.

While some body-positive customers have praised the policy for making it easier for obese people to travel, critics say it “panders” to the very overweight – and gives them an unfair advantage.

On social media, many have pointed out that there is no available space for customers who are very tall and need extra legroom, who travel with medical equipment or are wheelchair users.

These groups must pay – often hundreds of dollars – for extra space.

Some have also pointed out that the new rule is likely to worsen the airline’s already hectic boarding process.

Southwest passengers cannot book seats in advance, which often results in a scramble for window and aisle seats when customers reach the plane.

According to Southwest’s policy, customers are eligible for the free ticket if any part of their body extends beyond the armrest of the seat. “The armrest is considered the definitive boundary between the chairs,” it reads. “If you are unable to lower both armrests and/or access part of a seat next to you, you will need a second seat.”

‘Our policy is not focused on weight.’

The airline does not ask about customers’ weight or body mass index (BMI), which determine whether you are overweight or obese, according to medical guidelines.

The extra seat can be purchased in advance when booking online and then refunded, or customers can go to the departure gate and ask for the free seat. If you book the seat online, you will still need to consult a customer service representative at the airport for refund documents.

“The purchase of additional seats serves as notification of a special seating need and allows us to adequately plan for the number of occupied seats on board,” Southwest’s policy states.

‘It also helps us ensure we can accommodate all customers on the flight they have purchased a ticket for, and avoid customers being asked to give up their seat for unscheduled accommodation.’

Kimmy Garris, a Nashville TikToker who calls herself a “fat solo traveler,” posted a video in October asking about the airline’s policy for obese passengers.

In the clip, which has been viewed more than 900,000 times, the customer service representative gives her an extra ticket for the seat next to her.

She is then seen boarding the plane and placing her extra ticket on the seat next to her so that no one can sit there.

In the caption, Ms. Garris states that this policy “should be the industry standard.”

She adds, “I’m flying into it [sic] public transport must become more comfortable and accessible for all people, including fat people and the disabled.’

The latest announcement means the airline has made this benefit a company-wide policy.

Critics on social media have lambasted Southwest, which does not offer free accommodations for tall customers or for those who need extra space for medical equipment.

On Twitter, a user named Tuck wrote, “They never offered me a seat because I’m 6 feet tall and my legs don’t fit?”

‘Sorry, but this is b*********. You need the extra space you pay for.”

User Curtis Westmoreland said: ‘This is ridiculous [sic]. We continue to reward the problem at the expense of our own comfort.”

Additionally, a Twitter user named ProudPatriot wrote, “Glamorizing obesity is not a good look.”

“What happens if the ‘person of size’ requests 2 extra seats at the gate and takes the seats you and your partner purchased?” User SheezThe1 said.

Jae’lynn Chaney, a size 6XL travel influencer with about 135,000 followers on TikTok, has often advocated for free or larger seats on planes.

In an October video that was viewed nearly 73,000 times, the text on the screen read: “Hot take: Every airline should have a major customer policy, like Southwest Airlines.”

“If more airlines adopted policies like Southwest Airlines’ customer-of-size policy, offering free or reimbursed additional seats to plus-size passengers who need more space, air travel would be much more accessible and accommodating for people of stature,” the caption read. .

Ms. Chaney also appealed to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier this year with a petition asking airlines to scrap their “discriminatory” policies and give obese passengers free seats.

“People with smaller bodies can pay one fare to get to their destination,” she said CNN. ‘And we have to pay two rates even though we get the same experience. If anything, our experiences are a little more challenging.”

In April, personal trainer Josh Nabbie filmed a response to one of Ms Chaney’s videos on the subject, criticizing the idea of ​​giving extra seats to obese passengers. He said the policy provides a benefit to overweight customers, for which those who require other accommodations must pay extra.

“You didn’t think about this for more than 30 seconds,” he said in the video, which has been viewed more than 1.4 million times. “The reality is that anyone can fly an airplane. Some people just have it worse.”

‘Suppose you have an illness and you need to carry medicine or special medical equipment with you.’

“You have to pay extra to get that shit on the plane, or at least spend a lot more time going through TSA. That sucks, but you have to do it.’

“Say it’s not even a physical condition, it’s a mental disorder, and you’re just extremely prone to anxiety attacks or crowded spaces or something like that. If you want to fly, you have to figure out the accommodations for it.’

A TikTok user also merged one of Ms. Chaney’s videos, saying, “I can’t stand how people who literally put themselves in this position are so overweight and morbidly obese.”

“The fact that she thinks she deserves two or three free seats on that plane that costs people money to travel to God, I know where so much narcissism comes from, honestly, and it makes me so angry.”

“None of these people deserve this. You have to pay your fair share just like everyone else.”

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that obesity is increasing in the US.

The numbers are highest in West Virginia, Louisiana and Oklahoma, where 40 percent of adults are considered obese. This is defined as a BMI of at least 30.

In 19 other states, 35 percent meet these criteria. No state had an obesity rate of less than 25 percent.