Southwest tweaks plus-size passenger policy following months of backlash

Southwest Airlines is erstwhile again altering its plus-size rider argumentation aft a erstwhile alteration earlier this twelvemonth sparked continuous backlash from immoderate of the airline’s astir loyal passengers.

The recently altered argumentation dictates that the airline’s airdrome agents are “empowered” to supply an other spot for escaped to customers who necessitate 1 “on flights wherever adjacent seats are available,” Southwest, which is based astatine Love Field, told The Dallas Morning News successful a statement.

Southwest added that “if different spot is not available, we volition enactment to accommodate the lawsuit connected a aboriginal flight.” The hose said it is inactive encouraging “customers who request an further spot to publication it successful beforehand to assistance alleviate immoderate last-minute inconvenience astatine the airport.”

In January, Southwest changed its argumentation to accidental that customers who “encroach upon the neighboring spot (s)” should acquisition the fig of seats they request anterior to traveling if they privation to unafraid the spot adjacent to them, The News antecedently reported. Additionally, the hose stopped promising refunds for customers who required an other seat, arsenic it had done successful the past.

The hose besides stopped offering preboarding to plus-size passengers, alternatively requiring them to committee with their assigned boarding group.

Since Southwest changed its policy, viral societal media posts person circulated with passengers saying they were asked to acquisition other seats if the hose felt they needed them.