Advocates for overweight passengers are praising Dallas-based Southwest Airlines for its accessible policies for more room on aircraft.
Southwest, which has had the policy in place for years, allows for customers who require extra room to buy the needed number of seats before traveling. A traveler on Southwest can then request a refund for the cost after traveling. Travelers also may discuss seating arrangements with a customer service agent at the gate on the day of the flight.
It’s a policy that’s been in place for “more than 30 years,” but has recently caught the attention of advocates on social media.
“Most importantly, it ensures that all customers onboard have access to safe and comfortable seating,” Southwest’s policy reads.
Other air carriers don’t typically publish or offer accommodations for passengers of size, leaving them frustrated and without guidance at the airport when trying to navigate the small legroom and seating size in a typical aircraft. Alaska Airlines has a policy similar to Southwest with regard to refunds; however, the one caveat is that the flight must have departed with an open seat available, which makes the passenger eligible for a refund of the second seat.
Jae’lynn Chaney, a plus-size travel blogger and marginalized body advocate, has taken notice of Southwest’s policy and is pushing for all airlines to institute similar policies across the board.
“There’s a lot of different challenges you face and different stress that you go through,” Chaney said. “Policies like this make it a lot easier to get on the plane. Travel isn’t just a luxury; it’s sometimes an absolute necessity.”
The Federal Aviation Administration regularly receives complaints about passenger space in an aircraft. Air carriers have shrunk seat sizes for decades, despite concerns around safety.
Southwest considers the armrest a boundary between seats and even publishes the width of the narrowest and widest seats on the air carrier’s website. The carrier said the notification of multiple seats purchased for one passenger allows the airline to plan for the number of seats occupied.
Fort Worth-based American Airlines encourages passengers to choose seats that best fit their needs; often seat upgrades are more expensive. Travelers who need special assistance can ask to board early at the gate.
Cara Cruz, an advocate for people with lipedema, said people need to be more understanding when traveling and not question other passengers who might say a seat is taken. Cruz blogs about her own experiences and shares her stories with 105,000 followers online.
“I just wish that more people respected that,” Cruz said.
