by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:30 AM ET, Tue July 30, 2024
Following recent news that Southwest Airlines will transition to offering reserved seats for the first time in over 50 years, an advocacy group for plus-sized travelers is urging the airline to maintain its Customer of Size policy when it restructures its seating arrangements.
According to Travel Weekly, a petition was launched on July 29 by the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) to encourage Southwest to retain its current policy and accessibility policies to the same or greater extent when it begins offering new seating arrangements.
Southwest Airlines announced the transition to offering assigned seating last week, citing data that supports the majority of travelers prefer assigned seating over open seating. More details, including a potential date for the seat restructure, is likely to be announced later this year.
Southwest’s current Customer of Size policy allows travelers who “encroach” on a second seat can pay for two seats when they book, but receive a refund after the flight as a way to encourage travelers to make it easier for the airline to do inventory management. The airline’s policy also allows accommodation for larger individuals at the gate for free, too.
"If Southwest does not create procedures that account for the need for customers of size and disabled people to arrange seating near the front of the cabin, accessibility for customers of size and disabled customers will be disappointingly limited by the new assigned-seating policy," NAAFA said.
According to the organization, Southwest’s open-seating policy actually benefited travelers for whom aircraft aisles are too narrow, as they could board early and thus choose seats at the front of the plane.
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