Southwest Airlines is being praised by some TikTok influencers for its “passengers of size” seating policy. Others are not so fond of it.
People who feel that they are unable to comfortably fit in one seat can notify a gate agent who will put them next to an empty seat.
The customer can also purchase two tickets in advance, and then get a refund once they get to the airport.
As for who qualifies for the extra seat – it’s not about weight or body mass index. It is available to someone if any part of their body extends past the armrest.
For their part, Southwest says it’s had a policy like this for 30 years, but it only went viral recently when an influencer shared it on TikTok.
Of course, some don’t love it, and say it’s pandering to overweight people, or that it’s unfair to tall people.
Critics also worry that it will be abused since anybody could just buy two tickets, call up the airline later, and get refunded for the extra seats.
