Southwest rolls back some changes to plus-size policy. Advocates say it’s not enough.

In March, Southwest Airlines went viral for its inconsistent enforcement of its “customer of size” policy. Now, it’s backtracking on some of those changes.

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In January, as part of its switch to assigned seating, Southwest nixed its longstanding customer of size policy, which fat advocates had long hailed as the gold standard for equitable travel. Previously, plus-size passengers were guaranteed a complimentary second seat at the airport or a refund for purchasing a second seat ahead of time. But as of late January, passengers were no longer guaranteed a refund, and some customers had to choose between buying a second seat at the airport and not flying at all. 

However, after public backlash, Southwest is reversing course. Now, if a customer needs a second seat but didn’t purchase one when they booked their ticket, Southwest will provide one, free of charge, if there’s space on the flight. If a second adjacent seat is unavailable, Southwest will rebook the passenger on a later flight that can accommodate them. 

“Southwest is working to create a more consistent and seamless experience for Customers who require an additional seat,” Southwest spokesperson Lynn Lunsford told SFGATE in an email.

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The airline still encourages passengers to purchase a second seat when buying a ticket to ensure they can travel when they want to. After their trip, eligible passengers will receive a refund within 90 days of travel. 

Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, thanked fat travelers, influencers and activists for their advocacy that pressured Southwest into changing course but told SFGATE it wasn’t enough.

“This still puts plus size passengers who need an extra seat and can’t afford to pay for one at risk of being bumped off their flight and reassigned to the next flight with a seat available,” Osborn said in an email to SFGATE. “There is no guarantee of a time frame for that reassignment, and this will still be very disruptive and stressful for fat passengers.”

Southwest is keeping other parts of its policy that many plus-size passengers have deemed problematic. Passengers are eligible for a refund for the second seat only if the flight departs with at least one open seat and the seats are purchased within the same fare class. 

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The policy also maintains that at the airport, a customer service agent “may determine, in its sole discretion, that an additional seat is necessary for safety purposes.” This guideline led to embarrassment for many plus-size passengers who were forced to buy a seat at the check-in counter, even when they knew they fit in the seat without “encroach[ing] upon the neighboring seats,” as laid out in the policy.

Meg Ellison, who previously made a video about her inconsistent experience with the airline, believes the change is not enough.

“This is so vague and noncommittal, it really seems like they want us to shut up more than they want to make a gesture of goodwill or regain lost loyal customers,” Ellison said. “I look forward to discovery in the inevitable lawsuit: this policy never made any sense.”