Southwest Airlines praised for ‘customer size’ policy

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by melissa koenig

Plus-size TikTokkers are praising Southwest Airlines’ “Full Customers” policy. The policy allows overweight passengers to request free seats and forces airline staff to accommodate overweight passengers — even if that means kicking other ticketed passengers off the plane. Even if.

“If you’re overweight, you know the anxiety you get when you fly, so this really alleviates that,” said travel influencer Caroline, who says she’s a size 20 and has nearly 200,000 followers. He said this to: Video posted at the end of October.

“It was a very comfortable flight as I felt like I had the space I needed.”

The Texas-based airline’s policy is that customers whose bodies “encroach” on the armrests can receive additional seats at no additional charge.

It says passengers can “purchase just one seat and discuss their seating needs with a customer service agent at the departure gate.”

“If we determine you need a second (or third) seat, we will provide you with an additional seat free of charge.” says the policy.

The operations team will then review seating arrangements (which are not determined in advance by Southwest Airlines) and may move other passengers for “unscheduled accommodations.”

But Southwest suggests customers purchase additional seats in advance and contact the airline to “refund the cost of the additional seat after the trip.”

“Customers encroaching on some of the adjacent seats may proactively purchase the required number of seats in advance of their trip to secure additional seats,” the policy states.

“Purchasing an additional seat signals the need for a special seat and allows you to properly plan the number of seats that will be occupied on the plane. It also helps ensure that all customers are accommodated on the flight and avoids having to give up seats for unscheduled overnight stays.

“Most importantly, we want to ensure that every passenger on board has access to a safe and comfortable seat.”

“Please contact us to request a refund for additional seats after your trip.”

Kimmy, a self-proclaimed “fat solo traveler,” taught her followers how to use the program. A video that went viral in October.

She went to the airline’s booth and simply said, “Hello, I would like to take advantage of your size policy today.”

“Southwest Airlines is the only airline that lets you get a second seat at no extra charge, even if the flight is full,” she captioned the video.

“In the dozens of times I’ve been there, I’ve never had a problem or been turned away,” she said, adding that under the policy she is allowed to “pre-board” before other passengers. He added that

“Get on the plane, grab your seatbelt extender, and take your seat!”

“I’ll put the ticket on the seat next to you,” she continued. “If someone wants to sit down, I’ll tell them I’ve reserved two seats.

“Honestly, I’m rarely approached because no one wants to sit in the middle seat next to an overweight person on a plane.”

Kimmy concluded by saying she “praises” the airline for making air travel “more comfortable and accessible for all people, including fat people and people with disabilities.”

Plus-size travel expert Jaelyn Cheney, who once called on the Federal Aviation Administration to better accommodate larger passengers, also said it’s important to include people in the “super obese” category. He said it was a movement.

“Super fatness is how we identify,” she says he told Fox Business.He explains, “There is a wide range of ways to gain weight.”And when people become extremely overweight, they need to take various considerations into consideration.

“I’m really happy to be able to do this for people,” Cheney added. “We hope to see more airlines implement ‘customer size’ policies.

“Southwest’s customer size policy has helped many travelers offset the unreasonable costs of needing additional rooms,” she said.

“So it’s not just a question of physical accessibility. It’s also a question of economic access.”

But at least one person has spoken out against the policy, saying she, her teenage daughter and her friend were removed from a plane in June.

mother said in his own TikTok video. She and the two teens were on their way home from Montego Bay, Jamaica, with a layover in Baltimore, Maryland, before returning to Denver, Colorado, police said.

However, during her layover, a Southwest Airlines representative told her that the flight was “overbooked” and she would not be able to board, even though she had spent $620.72 on the ticket.

“Please help me understand why I have to spend a night in Baltimore without accommodation because a bigger person didn’t buy a second ticket,” the mother said indignantly, adding that her luggage and 10 It was claimed that all the children’s belongings were sent to the final venue. Her destination is Denver.

She shared a video of her conversation with the airline manager, saying airline officials told her “it’s their right to kick someone off the plane because of their size.” You have to cater to customers of that size.

“If you need an extra seat, we won’t charge you for the extra seat,” the manager was heard telling the woman.

The newspaper has contacted Southwest Airlines for comment.