Southwest Airlines is once again altering its plus-size passenger policy after a previous change earlier this year sparked continuous backlash from some of the airline’s most loyal passengers.
The newly altered policy dictates that the airline’s airport agents are “empowered” to provide an extra seat for free to customers who require one “on flights where adjacent seats are available,” Southwest, which is based at Love Field, told The Dallas Morning News in a statement.
Southwest added that “if another seat is not available, we will work to accommodate the customer on a later flight.” The airline said it is still encouraging “customers who need an additional seat to book it in advance to help alleviate any last-minute inconvenience at the airport.”
In January, Southwest changed its policy to say that customers who “encroach upon the neighboring seat (s)” should purchase the number of seats they need prior to traveling if they want to secure the seat next to them, The News previously reported. Additionally, the airline stopped promising refunds for customers who required an extra seat, as it had done in the past.
The airline also stopped offering preboarding to plus-size passengers, instead requiring them to board with their assigned boarding group.
Since Southwest changed its policy, viral social media posts have circulated with passengers saying they were asked to purchase extra seats if the airline felt they needed them.
