The Airline Ended Its Most Inclusive Policy. Here Is the Full Story, the Real Impact, and What You Should Do Next.

On January 27, 2026, Southwest Airlines officially implemented what the travel industry calls its updated “Customers of Size” policy. On the same day, the airline ended its decades-old open seating model and moved to assigned seats. The combination of changes triggered an immediate and still-ongoing wave of social media backlash — TikTok videos going viral, passengers sharing stories of being pulled aside at gates, people reporting bills of $400 to $800 for second seats they did not plan for, and at least one person calling publicly for a class action lawsuit.

This did not come from nowhere. Southwest had been systematically dismantling the policies that made it different and beloved since 2025. Understanding this moment requires understanding the full arc of what this airline has changed, and at whose expense.

What Southwest Used to Do and Why It Mattered

For years, Southwest Airlines operated what was genuinely the most inclusive customer-of-size policy in the American commercial aviation industry. The policy had two practical pathways for plus-size passengers:

• Purchase a second seat in advance, then request a full refund after travel — even on fully booked flights.
• Arrive at the airport, request a second seat at the gate at no cost, and pre-board to select two adjacent seats.

Either way, a passenger who needed more space could fly without a financial penalty and without the unpredictability of showing up at a gate and being told they had a problem. The policy was clear, consistent, and designed around the reality that aircraft seats have been shrinking for decades while the population has not.

Travel advocates, plus-size content creators, and fat acceptance organizations held Southwest up as a model. “Southwest was not just an industry leader — it was an example to other industries that accommodating people in the body they have today is an important business practice,” said Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, in a statement to The New York Times after the changes were announced.

The policy was not charity. It was strategy. Southwest built fierce loyalty among passengers who felt invisible — or worse, humiliated — on every other carrier. For many plus-size travelers, Southwest was not just a preferred airline. It was the only airline they trusted.

What Changed — and When

The dismantling of Southwest’s differentiating policies did not happen all at once. It happened in stages, each one eroding what had made the airline distinctive.

SOUTHWEST POLICY CHANGES — 2025 TO 2026   March 2025: CEO Bob Jordan announces end of the 50+ year ‘Bags Fly Free’ policy. May 28, 2025: Checked baggage fees take effect. First bag: $35. Second bag: $45.   (Free bags remain only for Business Select, Choice Extra, A-List Preferred, and Southwest credit cardholders.) July 2025: Southwest announces end of open seating, citing data that 80% of customers prefer seat assignments. August 25, 2025: Southwest officially announces the updated ‘Customers of Size’ policy, effective January 27, 2026. January 27, 2026: Both assigned seating and the new Customer of Size policy take effect simultaneously. January-March 2026: Viral TikTok videos, passenger complaints, and calls for class action lawsuits multiply.

The January 27, 2026 changes are the ones that ignited the current firestorm. Under the new policy:

• Passengers who cannot sit comfortably within the boundaries of a single seat — defined by the armrests — must purchase an additional adjacent seat at the time of booking.
• Refunds for that second seat are only possible if the flight departs with an empty adjacent seat, both seats were purchased in the same fare class, and the refund request is submitted within 90 days of the flight date.
• If a passenger arrives at the airport without having purchased a second seat and is determined to need one, they may be required to buy one at airport prices — or be rebooked onto a later flight.
• There is no standardized, objective measurement for determining who “qualifies” as a Customer of Size. The policy language says the determination is based on whether a passenger can “comfortably” fit within a single seat’s armrests — a standard that is, by design, subject to the judgment of individual gate agents.

CRITICAL DETAIL: The policy has no objective measurement standard. Gate agents use their own judgment to determine who the policy applies to — which means two passengers of identical body size can have entirely different experiences depending on which employee they encounter, which airport they are flying from, and on which day.

The Stories Coming Out of This Policy — and Why They Are Important

Within weeks of the policy taking effect, TikTok became a documentation engine for what this looks like in practice. These are not isolated incidents. They are a pattern.

“They Made Me Pay $800”

TikTok user @msunforgettable_88 posted a video claiming Southwest required her to pay an additional $800 to secure a second seat under the new policy. The video spread widely, prompting hundreds of similar accounts in the comments. The dollar amounts in other shared stories ranged from $127 to $400, depending on route and fare class.

The Woman Pulled Aside at the Gate

TikTok user Grace Simpson documented being flagged and pulled aside at the gate by a Southwest employee who told her it had been “flagged to me that you might be a customer of size.” The employee attempted to explain the policy and told her she would need to purchase a second seat. Simpson, who described herself as someone with “zero shame” about her size, said she was not humiliated — she was angry. She noted that she was not the only larger person on the flight, but was the only one approached. “When something as personal as your body is left up to real-time opinion, it doesn’t feel clear or fair. It feels like you’re one decision away from public embarrassment,” she said. The video accumulated over 573,000 views.

The North Carolina Man Calling for a Class Action

TikTok user @dearisaacsmith, a frequent Southwest flyer, posted that he had been targeted by the policy at a gate and treated in a way that left him “very disappointed and honestly appalled.” He announced it was the last day Southwest would receive his money and stated it was time for a class action lawsuit.

The Problem No One Is Talking About Enough

One of the most pointed critiques emerging from this situation is about consistency of enforcement. Multiple passengers and advocates have observed that the policy appears to be applied selectively — with some plus-size travelers waved through without comment while others are stopped and flagged, based entirely on which employee they encounter. One passenger noted that she was singled out despite not being the only larger passenger on her flight. “If there are no clear, objective standards, then employees are left to make real-time judgments based on what they see. That naturally raises concerns about bias,” said Grace Simpson in a follow-up statement.

This is not a hypothetical concern. It is the actual mechanics of what is happening at Southwest gates right now.

The Broader Context: Airlines and Body Size

Southwest’s policy change brings them in line with the majority of American carriers — and that alignment is worth examining clearly, because it means most airlines in this country currently have policies that can require plus-size passengers to pay double for the same flight.

American Airlines

Advises passengers who need extra space to purchase a second seat during booking. If they do not, they can request adjacent seating from an airport agent — but availability is not guaranteed. No refund policy.

United Airlines

Requires passengers who cannot fit in a single seat with the armrests down to purchase a second seat. Gate agents have discretion in enforcement.

Delta Air Lines

Does not require passengers to buy an additional seat in advance. However, if a passenger encroaches on another traveler’s space, Delta may reassign them or ask them to take a later flight. This makes Delta the most flexible major carrier on this issue currently.

Frontier and Spirit Airlines

Both require passengers who cannot lower both armrests to purchase a second seat before travel. No refund provisions.

Alaska Airlines

The current best alternative to what Southwest used to offer. Requires passengers who cannot fit comfortably with armrests down to purchase an extra seat, but may refund the cost of the second seat if an open seat is available on the flight. Of all major US carriers, Alaska Airlines currently maintains the most passenger-friendly policy for customers of size.

If You Are a Plus-Size Traveler:  Alaska Airlines currently offers the most accommodating policy of any major US carrier with a refund option for the second seat when space permits. This is the closest alternative to what Southwest used to be. Delta’s flexibility on enforcement makes it a reasonable second option for domestic travel.

The Question No One Is Asking Loudly Enough

Airlines have been making seats narrower for thirty years. The average coach seat width has shrunk from approximately 18 inches in the 1980s to as little as 16.5 to 17 inches on many modern aircraft. The average American body has not shrunk. The industry created this problem and is now charging passengers for the consequences of its own decisions.

This point gets raised consistently in the comment sections of viral videos and in advocacy spaces, and it is worth saying clearly: the framing of this debate as a question of whether large people should pay for the space they use ignores the fundamental fact that airlines have systematically reduced the space available to all passengers in the pursuit of maximizing revenue per flight.

A coach seat in 1980 was between 18 and 18.5 inches wide. Today, many narrowbody aircraft used for domestic travel have seats as narrow as 16.5 to 17 inches. This is not a standard that accommodates the full range of human bodies — and it never did. The difference is that when seats were wider, the disparity between a standard seat and what many passengers needed was smaller. As airlines compressed seating, they made a business decision that converted a comfort issue into an exclusion issue.

The suggestion from some passengers — that airlines offer a small number of wider seats on each aircraft at a fair price — is not a radical proposal. It is a logistics and revenue modeling question that airlines have simply chosen not to prioritize because it is easier to charge for a second standard seat.

This does not mean the question of personal space on aircraft is simple. It is not. Passengers sitting next to someone whose body extends into their seat have a legitimate experience to speak to as well. But the way airlines have structured this — shrink the seats, then charge larger bodies for the space that disappeared — is worth naming for what it is.

What the Fat Acceptance Community Is Saying

The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) has been the most consistent institutional voice on this issue. Their response to Southwest’s changes is worth reading directly.

In a detailed FAQ published on their website, NAAFA wrote: “Southwest should have improved inclusion, not backpedaled on it.” They also noted several practical complications the new policy creates that go beyond the cost of a second seat: the requirement to purchase adjacent seats in advance is complicated by the fact that the most affordable fare classes on Southwest do not allow seat selection at booking — meaning a plus-size passenger who buys two budget-fare tickets may not be able to assign those seats as adjacent without calling the airline directly or upgrading to a more expensive fare class.

NAAFA also raised accessibility concerns: “For able-bodied or slimmer passengers, location may be a matter of comfort or convenience, but for fat people and disabled people, it can make a difference in whether or not moving through the plane is even possible.” Many plus-size and disabled passengers have limited mobility in airline aisles and rely on aisle or bulkhead seating to board and deplane safely. If adjacent seats in accessible locations cannot be guaranteed, the policy does not just raise costs — it may make certain flights impossible to book at all.

What Plus-Size Travelers Should Do Right Now

If you are a plus-size traveler, here is the practical guidance — not opinion, just information you need before you book.

On Southwest Airlines

• If you believe you may need a second seat, purchase two adjacent seats at the time of booking. Do not wait for the airport.
• Book in a fare class that allows seat selection (Anytime or Business Select), or call Southwest immediately after booking to manually assign adjacent seats. Budget fare classes may not allow online seat selection.
• Request a refund within 90 days of travel if the flight departed with an open adjacent seat and both seats were in the same fare class.
• If you are approached at the gate and you believe you do not meet the standard for the policy, you are permitted to push back and ask for a supervisor. Document the interaction.
• If you are charged for a second seat at the gate and you did not feel it was warranted, file a complaint with Southwest’s customer relations team and with the US Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division.

On Other Airlines

• Alaska Airlines: Currently the best policy. Requires advance purchase of a second seat but offers a refund option if space is available.
• Delta: Does not require advance purchase of a second seat. Gate agents have flexibility. Best for passengers who are not certain whether they will need extra space.
• American, United, Frontier, Spirit: All require advance purchase with no meaningful refund provision. Plan and budget accordingly.

Know Your Rights

• The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) covers passengers with disabilities, including obesity recognized as a medical condition in some cases. The law prohibits discriminatory treatment but does not require airlines to provide more than one seat per ticket.
• The DOT does not currently require airlines to have a standard plus-size policy. Individual airline policies vary and none are federally mandated to provide free accommodation.
• You can file a complaint with the DOT Aviation Consumer Protection Division at dot.gov/airconsumer if you believe you were treated unfairly or inconsistently with an airline’s stated policy.

The Booking Strategy

• Book window seats where possible — studies show gate agents are less likely to apply the customer-of-size standard to passengers in window seats, possibly because the encroachment is less visible to observers.
• Pre-board whenever the option is available. Getting settled before other passengers boards reduces the stress and visibility of the seating arrangement.
• If flying Southwest, book early in the week when flight loads are typically lower, improving the probability of a refund for the second seat.

Travel Divas’ Position on This

We serve women who deserve to travel in dignity. We have always said that. We will say it again here, specifically: no woman in our community should be pulled aside at a gate and told her body is a problem that requires payment. That is not customer service. That is humiliation structured into a revenue model.

We want to be clear about what we are and are not saying. We are not saying airlines do not have the right to set seating policies. They do. We are not saying the comfort of all passengers is not a legitimate consideration. It is. What we are saying is this:

• A policy applied inconsistently based on a gate agent’s visual judgment of a passenger’s body is not a policy. It is a discretion-based system with enormous potential for bias — racial, gender-based, and size-based simultaneously.
• Women in our community — Black women, plus-size women, women over 50, women who have been told their entire lives that their bodies are subject to other people’s opinions — have a specific and well-documented experience of being singled out in spaces where other passengers are not. This policy, as currently structured, will not be applied neutrally.
• The fact that Southwest eliminated free checked bags, free extra seats, and open seating all within the span of eight months suggests this is less about solving a genuine seating equity problem and more about extracting additional revenue from the passengers least likely to have alternatives.
• The solution the industry needs — wider seats in a dedicated configuration, offered at a fair price — is not impossible. It is simply not profitable enough to have been prioritized. The cost is being passed instead to the passengers who need the accommodation.

We will continue watching this situation. If class action litigation moves forward, we will cover it. If the Department of Transportation takes action, we will cover it. If Southwest revises its policy, we will cover that too. This community deserves to know what is happening in the spaces where they travel and why it affects them.

In the meantime: know your options, know your rights, and know that your right to travel with dignity is non-negotiable regardless of what any airline’s revenue model says.

Quick Reference: Airline Plus-Size Policies at a Glance (March 2026)

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES: Advance purchase of second seat required. Refund possible if flight not full, same fare class, within 90 days. No objective measurement standard.   ALASKA AIRLINES: Advance purchase of second seat required. Refund available if open seat exists on departure. Currently the best alternative policy in the US.   DELTA AIR LINES: No advance purchase required. Gate agents have discretion. May rebook or reassign if encroachment occurs. Most flexible enforcement of major carriers.   AMERICAN AIRLINES: Advance purchase recommended. No refund provision. Gate agents may accommodate if space is available but no guarantee.   UNITED AIRLINES: Advance purchase of second seat required if cannot fit within armrests. No standardized refund provision.   FRONTIER / SPIRIT: Advance purchase required. No refund provision. Lowest-cost carriers with least flexibility.

Travel Divas is watching. And we are talking about it.

For 18 years, we have taken women to the world in ways that honor who they are. The conversations happening in airport bathrooms and on TikTok right now — about dignity, about cost, about whose comfort is considered when policies are written — are conversations we have been having with our community for a long time. Visit thetraveldivas.com to join us.