‘Fly Frontier’: Charlotte Woman Has To Buy 3 Seats To Avoid ‘Harassment’ Due To Southwest’s Size Policy. Then They Tell Her She Can’t Use $300 Flight Credit

Southwest Airlines’ recent extra seat policy change for plus-sized passengers has sparked outrage among customers.

Previously, the airline was known as a plus-sized friendly option, since passengers had the option of booking an extra seat if they needed one and getting a refund after the flight was completed.

With the policy change, however, plus-sized passengers are required to book an extra seat, and a refund is no longer guaranteed. What’s more, airline staff can determine whether a passenger qualifies as someone who may need extra space.

As a result, a number of people have taken to platforms like TikTok to share their experiences of Southwest Airlines staff allegedly demanding they purchase a second seat while checking in, just before boarding, or sometimes even after they were seated.

According to one Charlotte woman who attempted to book a seat in advance and follow the policy, however, doing so is not smooth sailing. 

The trending TikTok was viewed over 159,000 times and was posted by content creator Kayla Anderson (@thelushdiva). 

What Happened When She Tried To Buy An Extra Seat With Southwest Airlines? 

“Southwest Airlines would not let me use a flight credit that I already had to buy a third seat,” she begins.

Anderson explains that she had heard passengers’ most recent stories and decided to purchase a second seat, though she says she can easily fit in one seat. 

Two weeks before that, she had bought two tickets for her and her daughter, but after hearing tales about larger passengers complaining about Southwest, she decided to go with another airline.

But then she says she saw that Southwest had one-way return flights from their spring break destination at a nearby airport that cost roughly half what she would’ve paid.

“I already know what they’re gonna approach me with,” she says. “So I’m like, ‘You know what? I don’t wanna deal with this.’”

So she decided to use the $300 flight credit she got from canceling the prior booking.

“I go online, I put in the information, I get to the end where I’m trying to put in my flight credit, and it’s giving me an error,” she says.

She reportedly called customer support. “The lady lets me know you can’t use your flight credit on your second seat,” Anderson recounts.

The customer support agent allegedly told her that because passengers can request a refund for the second seat if the flight isn’t full, she was required to pay for it upfront.

The explanation didn’t make sense to Anderson. “I don’t give a [expletive] about the flight being full or not or anything,” she says. “I need to sit next to my daughter, and I need to not be harassed at the gate.”

As someone who says she didn’t need a second seat in the first place, the situation was frustrating. “You guys aren’t coming up with policies to… make sure everybody’s comfortable or make sure everybody’s safe,” she says. “Y’all are coming up with policies and practices and procedures to try to get additional money out of fat people.”

What Does Southwest Airlines’ Policy State? 

According to the airline, passengers who “encroach upon the neighboring seat(s) must purchase the number of seats needed.”

In its guidelines on how to purchase an additional seat, the airline states that customers can do so by selecting two passengers instead of one, and entering the same name for both bookings, except with “XS” in the middle name for the extra seat. 

After the flight is completed, if there was at least one open seat on the trip, the passenger can request a refund for the extra seat.

However, there is no mention on the airline’s website that passengers are unable to use flight credit to book an extra seat. The only listed case in which passengers can’t use flight credit is when booking Getaways vacation packages.

It’s unclear whether the rule has still not been communicated or if it was an error on the support agent’s part. Southwest Airlines did not respond to an email.

Commenters Express Frustration

Hundreds of people commented on Anderson’s post. Judging by the top comments, people do not like Southwest’s new policy.

“If you’re sitting next to someone you know, and they’re fine with it, a second seat shouldn’t be needed,” one user wrote. “Shame on Southwest!!!!!!”

“They just playin’ in our face at this point,” stated another. 

“The rate at which they are trashing their business has to be studied!” a third added. 

BoardingArea has also reached out to Anderson via email for comment and additional information.

@thelushdiva (When I say “third seat” I mean 3 total. 2 for me and 1 for my kid – not that I needed all 3 seats) #southwestairlines ♬ original sound – THZA