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

Customers have criticized Southwest Airlines for a ‘ridiculous’ policy that gives overweight passengers free seats to accommodate their size.

The airline has instituted a ‘Customer of Size’ policy, which allows overweight passengers whose body takes up more than one seat on the plane to get ‘the needed number of seats’ for free.

The policy states that customers who ‘encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat(s)’ may purchase however many extra seats they need, which will then be refunded at check-in. 

The change has provoked mixed feedback among customers.

While some body-positive customers have praised the policy for allowing those with obesity to travel more easily, critics say it’s ‘pandering’ to very overweight people – and gives them an unfair advantage.

On social media, many have pointed out that free space is not available to customers who are very tall and need extra legroom, those traveling with medical equipment or are wheelchair users.

These groups have to pay – often hundreds of dollars –  for additional space. 

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

Southwest passengers are unable to book seats ahead of time, which often results in a scramble for window and aisle seats when customers make it to the plane.

Southwest’s policy states that customers qualify for the free ticket if any part of their body extends past the seat’s armrest. ‘The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats,’ it reads. ‘If you’re unable to lower both armrests and/or encroach upon any portion of a seat next to you, you need a second seat.’

‘Our policy does not focus on weight.’

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

The extra seat can be purchased ahead of time while booking online and then refunded, or customers can go to the departures gate and ask about the free seat. If you book the seat online, you still have to see a customer service agent at the airport for refund documents.

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

‘It also helps us ensure we can accommodate all customers on the flight for which they purchased a ticket and avoid asking customers to relinquish their seats for unplanned accommodation.’ 

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

In the clip, which has more than 900,000 views, the customer service agent gives her an extra ticket for the seat next to her.

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

In the overlaid caption, Ms Garris states that this policy ‘should be the industry norm.’

She adds: ‘Flying in [sic] public transportation should be more comfortable and accessible for all people including fat and disabled people.’

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

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

On Twitter, a user named Tuck wrote: ‘They’ve never offered me the seat in front of me because I’m 6’6” and my legs don’t fit?’

‘Sorry but this is b*******. You need the extra space you pay.’

User Curtis Westmoreland said: ‘This is rediculous [sic]. We keep rewarding the problem at the cost of our own comfort.’ 

Additionally, a Twitter user named ProudPatriot wrote: ‘Glamorizing obesity is not a good look.’ 

‘So what happens if the “person of size” requests 2 additional 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 frequently advocated for free or larger seats on planes. 

In an October video, which reached nearly 73,000 views, text on the screen read: ‘Hot take: every airline should have a customer of size policy like Southwest Airlines.’

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

Ms Chaney also called upon 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 get to pay one fare to get to their destination,’ she told CNN. ‘And we have to pay two fares, even though we’re getting the same experience. If anything, our experiences are a little bit more challenging.’ 

In April, personal trainer Josh Nabbie filmed a response to one of Ms Chaney’s videos on the subject and criticized the idea of giving extra seats to obese passengers. He said the policy offers an advantage to overweight customers that those requiring other accommodations have to pay extra for. 

‘You did not think about this for more than 30 seconds,’ he said in the video, which has more than 1.4 million views. ‘The reality is, everybody has the ability to fly on a plane. Some people just have it worse.’

‘Let’s say you have some disease and you need to carry medication or special medical equipment with you.’

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

‘Say it’s not even physical, 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 that.’

A TikTok user also stitched one of Ms Chaney’s videos and said: ‘I can’t stand the entitlement of people who have literally put themselves in this position to be this overweight and morbidly obese.’

‘The fact that she thinks she deserves two or three free seats on that airplane that costs people money to go travel to god knows where honestly breeds so much narcissism and makes me so mad.’ 

‘None of these people deserve this. You need to pay your fair share just like everyone else.’

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that obesity is on the rise in the US. 

Rates 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 this criteria. No state had an obesity rate below 25 percent.