Southwest slammed for ‘fat‑shaming’ with seating policy change
by: David Lazarus
There’s turbulence over at Southwest Airlines, and many people didn’t see it coming.
For years, Southwest earned praise from plus-size passengers for what many described as sensitive treatment. But now the carrier is facing backlash on social media, with growing complaints about how it is treating some larger, heavyset travelers, including accusations of “fat-shaming.”
Southwest previously required some passengers to purchase a second seat, but then refunding or crediting them afterward. In January, however, that policy changed.
Now, plus-size passengers report being forced to buy an extra seat even if they never had to before. Some also say they are being denied access to flights, and refunds for those second seats are now given only when a flight is full.
Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, told The New York Times that Southwest provided very little warning about the switch. She said many plus-size travelers who had been loyal to the airline for years were suddenly asking, “Wait a minute, where’s the love?”
Southwest said in a statement that it aims to provide a comfortable experience for everyone, but when it changed its policy to add assigned seating on flights, it also had to change other seating-related requirements.
The bottom line is: airlines are a weight-based business. There’s no getting around that. But not making everyone feel welcome – that’s not the right play.
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