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Plus-size Southwest flyers can get extra seat for free at airport
Gate agents may now provide a free extra seat when two adjoining seats are open, after Southwest faced backlash over its January rule change.
- Southwest Airlines updated its "customer of size" policy on Friday, allowing gate agents to provide a free second seat when adjacent space is available, reversing a requirement that sparked significant backlash.
- Widespread backlash followed a January policy shift requiring plus-sized travelers to pre-purchase extra seats, with critics labeling the controversial mandate a "fat tax" after some gate agents enforced it publicly.
- Agents can now provide extra seats at no cost if adjacent spots are open, though Southwest still encourages pre-booking to avoid last-minute rebooking if flights are full.
- Travelers responded positively to the update, with one TikTok user calling it "the best news ever" after Southwest confirmed the shift aims to create a more consistent experience.
- Across the airline industry, policies for plus-sized travelers vary significantly, and Southwest's reversal marks a notable effort to standardize the experience for customers requiring additional space.
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Ticker: Southwest Airlines tweaks plus-size passenger policy following months of backlash
Southwest Airlines is once again altering its plus-size passenger policy after a previous change earlier this year sparked continuous backlash from some of the airline's most loyal passengers.
·Boston, United States
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Southwest modified one of its most controversial policies and will now allow reimbursement of an extra seat under certain passenger conditions
The OregonianReposted by 
The Seattle Times
The Seattle TimesAfter backlash, Southwest Airlines walks back new ‘customer of size’ policy
Just four months after implementing its new “customers of size” policy, Southwest Airlines has done an about-face by no longer requiring plus-sized passengers to buy an extra seat before their flights.
·Portland, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources40
Leaning Left7Leaning Right1Center28Last UpdatedBias Distribution78% Center
Bias Distribution
- 78% of the sources are Center
78% Center
L 19%
C 78%
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