Passengers Told They Had to Buy a Second Seat on Flight Due to Weight Say Policy ‘Felt Like a Slap in the Face’ (Exclusive)

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Southwest Airlines’ updated ‘Customer Size’ policy goes into effect January 27, 2026

• Since then, many customers have expressed their complaints about the airline on social media.

• Two recently affected passengers, Erika DeBoer and Grace Simpson, went viral after flying with the airline and now they’re talking to PEOPLE about how the policy changes make them feel

In January 2026, Southwest Airlines, “Customer Size” policyhas changed the way some travelers book flights.

According to the guidelines, passengers who cannot fit into a single seat must now “proactively” purchase an additional seat. The policy also states that the airline may decide “in its sole discretion” when a second seat is needed for safety reasons, as well as possible encroachment on neighboring seats, without outlining specific measurements or criteria.

Passengers since the change came into force shared mixed reactions on social media, some are calling for clearer guidance on when an extra seat is required – Including Erika DeBoer While traveling from Omaha, Neb., to Las Vegas on Feb. 6, he encountered policy-related issues.

In a now-viral TikTok, the 38-year-old claimed that while she was having her bag checked, she was informed by a Southwest employee that she would need to purchase an extra seat. When she asked for an explanation, the attendant told her it was for the “safety and comfort” of other passengers, and she told PEOPLE only.

“The most memorable part is the words used: ‘safety and comfort’ of the other passengers. They just kept repeating it like robots, with no regard for the actual situation,” says DeBoer, who notes that as a frequent Southwest flyer, the choice felt rigid and limiting.

“It feels very disempowering to be presented with two options: either buy an extra seat or not be allowed to fly,” he says.

After all, DeBoer paid for an extra, upgraded window seat on his flight to Las Vegas, but he says he was flagged down by Southwest employees on the flight back to Omaha.

“I was Negative humiliated, embarrassed, or on the verge of tears. “I was angry,” she emphasizes: “I’m not ashamed of my body at all.”

When DeBoer returned home, he contacted Southwest and told PEOPLE they refunded him for the extra ticket and upgraded seat. They also sent him a $150 coupon “hoping I’d fly with them again.” But DeBoer is still waiting to hear from Southwest about clarifying its policies.

Just a few days later, Grace Simpson took to TikTok to share a similar experience with the same policy. In her video, she explained that she “had to do everything not to cry” after successfully flying a Southwest Airlines flight from Norfolk, Va., to Baltimore on Feb. 10, only to be pulled aside at the gate for her connecting flight to San Diego.

According to Simpson, a Southwest manager told him that a doorman identified him as a potential “big customer” and told him he needed to purchase an additional seat. “I told him I had flown from Norfolk to Baltimore without any problems, so I wasn’t going to buy another ticket,” he recalls.

She adds that “the supervisor who approached me was clearly uncomfortable and embarrassed to leave me out and talk about my body.” “In many ways, this seemed unfair to both of us. While I believe he had some common sense in how he handled the situation, it was clear that he was put in a difficult position implementing a policy he did not create.”

Eventually, he says, his supervisor provided him with a freshly printed boarding pass and placed him in an empty seat in the back row of the plane at no extra cost.

“It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around ticketing, security, boarding, and the fact that I can sit in my seat with multiple employees seeing me and still be publicly kicked off the ship if one person decides I’m not following policy,” Simpson tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Even if nine people thought I was good before, the 10th person could override that. This level of discretion is more about personal judgment and discrimination than safety.”

Unlike DeBoer, Simpson did not formally complain to Southwest about the incident.

As avid Southwest travelers, both women emphasize that their frustration with the airline’s policy stems less from the issue of purchasing a second seat and more from a lack of clear and consistent logistics in how that decision is made.

“It’s completely unfair to get to the airport and be told you have to buy an extra seat with no real parameters or guidelines,” says DeBoer. “It all depended on whether the Southwest employee decided to look at me or not.”

Simpson also noted how this unpredictability creates intense anxiety in “fat passengers,” who are most likely conscious of their bodies while flying. “When something as personal as your body is left up to real-time opinions, it doesn’t feel clear or fair. It feels like you’re one decision away from public embarrassment,” the mother of one emphasizes.

Simpson believes that “without clear measurements or objective standards, there is no way to prepare or make an informed decision before arriving at the airport.”

“When enforcement is based on ‘pure discretion’ rather than defined rules, it feels subjective, which directly impacts fairness,” he tells PEOPLE. “Without clear, objective standards, employees are forced to make real-time decisions based on what they see. This naturally raises concerns about bias.”

Their experiences also reveal how politics can inadvertently send broader social messages. DeBoer observed that focusing on size can be exclusionary. “The message it sends is that it makes me feel valued before I’m respected,” she says. “This sends the message that larger travelers’ access to public space is conditional.”

DeBoer also notes potential mental health implications for travelers with body image concerns or travel anxiety.

“This lack of policy can absolutely be very damaging to the mental health of people who struggle with body image and travel anxiety,” she says. “Imagine this being a turning point for someone. Maybe someone trying to lose weight? Maybe someone with health problems? Maybe someone having to see a dying family member?”

For Simpson, her recent weight loss and health journey has made the experience even more complicated. “I had reached the 100-pound milestone less than a week before this event,” he says. “Instead, this experience felt like a slap in the face. Even though I knew I was still a great person, that moment overshadowed what I should have been celebrating how far I had come.”

Even at his heaviest weight, he says, he hasn’t been flagged by any airlines in the past, even though he flies for business almost once a month.

Both women made clear that their concerns were about the practice rather than Southwest’s “Customer Size” policy.

In his first TikTok video about his complaint, DeBoer emphasized that he “absolutely understands” if a neighbor is encroaching on a seat or a passenger has made it clear they feel uncomfortable. However, at the time of the incident, he had purchased a window seat and his friend was sitting next to him, but he was still made to change his seat and upgrade his ticket.

“If they want to have a clientele of that size that’s fine and I respect that, but there need to be real rules beyond an employee’s discretion to just look after someone,” he says. “Also, it’s too bad your employees have to have this conversation. Maybe just make better seats for people. You’ve got extra legroom, why not make a bigger seat?”

Simpson also emphasizes the importance of clearer communication at the point of purchase; because both women claim that they were unaware of the new policy when they bought their tickets online.

“From a consumer perspective, transparency means more than just having information buried on a website. If a policy requires someone to purchase additional seats or possibly get off the plane, that should be clearly communicated at the point of purchase. There should be an alert, a checkbox, or a clearly visible notification—something that lets customers know before finalizing their ticket,” says Simpson.

“To me, fairness looks like proactive communication and consistent enforcement. If seat sizes are standard, expectations should be clearly explained and enforced equally,” he adds. “Customers should not be aware of a policy until after they have arrived at the airport, gate or boarded the plane.”

DeBoer also raises questions about who is being targeted: Are taller or more muscular passengers treated similarly?

“The scrutiny wasn’t just about space; it was about size, and especially fat bodies. Each this is the body maybe they might climb over an armrest or encroach on the seat next to them,” she tells PEOPLE.

Simpson also describes how a lack of standards can increase existing stigma towards fat travellers. “Being approached in that moment made me feel like a kid again, being ostracized and made fun of because of my weight,” she shares. “When a policy targets bodies that do not have clear standards, it risks normalizing such decisions.”

The inconsistencies between their experiences underscore the importance of clarity, as DeBoer experienced politics on a single flight while Simpson’s encounter occurred midway through the trip after completing the first leg of his journey; This is a clear example of how discretion can vary even within a single airline, they say.

The safety and comfort that both travelers define should be extended to them as well. DeBoer and Simpson agree that framing the policy as protecting all but older travelers could create the impression of conditional belonging.

“When people say it’s about ‘comfort and safety for all passengers,’ I think what’s often missing is that larger people are also part of ‘all passengers,'” DeBoer tells PEOPLE.

Simpson feels the same, saying “fat travelers” deserve “respect, predictability and respect” in public spaces, too. The conversation often focuses on how other passengers feel sitting next to someone older than themselves, but rarely is there consideration of what it feels like to be the one being evaluated, marked, or potentially pushed away.

When PEOPLE reached Southwest Airlines for comment, the company said its “policy is well defined.” websiteHe adds that there is another page It explains that “customers should book a second seat if necessary.”

“Last summer, we notified Customers who had previously used this policy that we strongly encouraged them to book a second seat at the time of booking. It is important to note that our policy complies with airline industry standards,” Southwest said in a statement. he said.

Read the original article People