The new ‘customer of size’ policy has come under fire (stock image) (Image: John M. Chase via Getty Images)
A so-called « fat tax » targeting plus-size airline passengers has left travellers furious and « stressed ». Major carrier Southwest Airlines has found itself at the centre of a storm over its contentious new policy, which can require passengers to fork out for an additional seat at its « sole discretion ».
The policy change comes after 30 years of permitting plus-size passengers to request a complimentary extra seat at the gate, and reimbursing them if they’d purchased one in advance – but that’s no longer the case.
Customers will now only receive a refund for a second seat if their flight departs with at least one vacant seat, while those who failed to book ahead may be forced to purchase another ticket on the spot.
In a statement regarding the policy change, a spokesperson for Southwest said: « To ensure space, we are communicating to customers who have previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at booking. »
On the airline’s website, the new « customer of size » policy states: « Customers who encroach upon the neighboring seat(s) must purchase the number of seats needed. Customers should purchase the seats prior to travel to ensure adjacent seats are available.
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« The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats; you may review information about the width of Passenger seats. In addition, Southwest may determine, in its sole discretion, that an additional seat is necessary for safety purposes. »
However, passengers are far from happy. Influencer Samyra Miller took to TikTok to condemn the policy, labelling it a « fat tax ».
She said: « They’ve been doing this way before their little new policy was even supposed to go into effect because, remember, they kicked me off my flight in December. »
She explained that a Southwest representative privately contacted her after she spoke about her negative experience online, and said: « My primary concern with that whole back and forth with Southwest was for how they were about to treat their plus size customers in changing their customer of size policy. »
Samyra referenced the wording of the policy on the Southwest website but said, at the airport, « they’re just eyeing people ». The content creator continued: « There is no criteria that they are using to determine who has to pay for an extra seat. »
Describing it as « discrimination », Samyra added: « It is literally just at the discretion of and fatphobia of whoever is working that day. »
In the comments section, viewers were eager to voice their opinions. One TikTok user wrote: « This is absolutely horrible! »
Another said: « We have a company trip in May and I told my boss to use any other airline BUT Southwest. »
A third shared: « I have a flight in 5 days I AM STRESSED I DON’T have more money to buy an extra seat ».
While another added: « This isn’t fair at all ».
Fellow TikTok user Sassa Ésmith uploaded a clip ahead of a Southwest flight and included text overlay which read: « Shoutout to Southwest for contributing to my traveling anxiety with your superfluous ‘customer of size policy' ».
In the caption, she wrote: « Spent my entire lobby time mentally preparing for a random gate agent to tell me I gotta buy an additional seat for a 40 minute flight ».
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