𤯠INCRĂVEL: PlusâSize Woman Goes Viral After Calling Out Airline For Forcing Her To Buy A Second Seat, Splits The Internet đ˛
Every customer deserves to be treated with respect. And though many companies try to do this, some of their business decisions are controversial, raise eyebrows, and make you wonder who theyâre truly meant to serve.
Passenger Erika DeBoer has recently gone viral online after calling out Southwest Airlines for its new policy, which left her furious. With the change in guidelines, the airline urges âcustomers of sizeâ to proactively buy a second seat. Whatâs more, the airline can demand that these passengers purchase an extra seat right before their flight. Scroll down for the full story and the internetâs remarks.
A passenger has called out Southwest Airlines for its new policy regarding âcustomers of size,â which disrupted her travel plans
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
The airline urges larger customers to âproactivelyâ purchase an additional seat. Employees can also demand that you pay extra at the airport
Image credits: erikawithak27
Image credits: erikawithak27
Image credits: erikawithak27
Image credits: erikawithak27
Image credits: erikawithak27
Image credits: erikawithak27
Image credits: shurkin_son / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: erikawithak27
You can watch the passengerâs full viral video right here
@erikawithak27 @Southwest Airlines #southwest#southwestairlines#flying#omaha⏠original sound â erikawithaK
The airlineâs new guidelines leave a lot of room for vagueness and interpretation
According to the policy for âcustomers of sizeâ on the Southwest Airlines website, customers who âencroach upon the neighboring seat(s) should proactively purchase the needed number of seats prior to travel.â
âThe armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats,â the airline states, adding that the company âmay determine, in its sole discretion, that an additional seat is necessary for safety purposes.â
As per the guidelines, if the airline determines that you need an extra seat and you havenât reserved it in advance, you may be required to purchase it and pay the fee at the airport, at the fare available on the day of travel.
âIf the flight is full or adjacent seats arenât available, youâll be rebooked on another flight with available seating. If this determination is made after boarding, you may need to deplane for rebooking,â the airline notes.
Naturally, this vague wording might worry quite a few passengers, as it would be very expensive to buy an additional seat because one employee decides to flag you as a potential âcustomer of size.â
Not only that, but you may end up missing your flight if someone decides that you need to purchase another seat, but itâs not available, and so youâre rebooked. Or you might miss your original flight because the added fee might be prohibitively expensive.
As per the airlineâs policy, you may request a refund for your extra seat after travel. However, it is not guaranteed. âThe flight must have departed with at least one open seat,â the airline explains. âBoth seats should be purchased in the same fare class. The refund request must be made within 90 days of travel.â
Multiple passengers have been affected by the new, inconsistent policy
Passengers Erika DeBoer and Grace Simpson went viral on TikTok after calling out Southwest Airlines for its new policy that went into effect on January 27, 2026. These two customers ran into issues with the new guidelines.
DeBoer explained that she ran into trouble when she was traveling from Omaha to Las Vegas on February 6. While she was having her bag checked at the airport, a Southwest Airlines employee told her that she needed to buy an additional seat. This was, supposedly, done for the âsafety and comfortâ of other passengers.
âThe part that lingers the most is the words used. âSafety and comfortâ of other passengers. They just kept repeating it like robots without any care for the actual situation,â DeBoer explained to âPeopleâ magazine.
âIt feels powerlessâŚto be given two options â either buy an extra seat or not be allowed on the flight.â She ended up paying for an extra, upgraded window seat. However, when traveling back from Las Vegas to Omaha, Southwest Airlines employees did not demand her to purchase an extra seat. So, there seem to be inconsistencies in the new policy for âcustomers of size.â
âI was not humiliated or embarrassed or on the verge of tears. I was angry. I have zero shame in my size.â Southwest Airlines issued a refund to DeBoer and also gave her a $150 voucher.
What do you think about this airlineâs new policy regarding âcustomers of sizeâ? How would you react if an airline employee told you to purchase an additional seat at the last moment, once you were already at the airport? What do you think the airline could do to make the guidelines fairer and more respectful for all passengers? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Many internet users backed the woman up against the controversial policy
However, some individuals agreed with the airline
The woman later shared a follow-up about her interaction with the airline after the drama
Image credits: erikawithak27
Here is the full follow-up video
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@erikawithak27 in MY situation I was suppose to sit next to my best friend and the window. @Southwest Airlines admitting this was handled poorly and refunded me my full ticket just shows that this lack of policy and inconsistency isnât right- whether you agree or not. I watched my brother die- I walked into an ER to see my niece dead. Let me tell you, calling me names or saying âI agree with SWâ has ZERO impact on me. You canât hurt my feelings, I have none anymore đ also- Iâm on a glp1- track macros and do a fitness boot camp class 3-5 times a week. not every bigger person hates themselves- maybe you do though if you feel the need to comment hateful sh*t on a strangers profile without knowing the whole situation. Didnât your mama tell you if you have nothing nice to say keep scrolling. #southwest#southwestairlines#update#bekind⏠original sound â erikawithaK
This is how the internet reacted to the new clip
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