Woman flies from Kansas City to Orlando on Southwest Airlines. Then she learns about their new seat policy
A woman boarded a Southwest Airlines flight heading to Orlando from Kansas City with her family. Then, she realized she wouldn’t be able to sit next to either of her kids.
TikToker @findwhatsbeautiful issued a formal PSA about the airline on TikTok in a video with over 4,000 views. The first time she flew with Southwest for a family trip to Disney World, the family managed to find a few seats next to each other. But after battling the norovirus after their trip, they ended up in completely different aisles.
Southwest Airlines recently introduced a new boarding system, which has effectively eliminated family boarding alongside other perks. However, many families aren’t aware of how strict the policy is and what changes were made. The mom had to learn firsthand while going back home that Southwest would be accommodating her family’s desire to sit next to each other, as she and her husband sat completely away from their children on the flight heading home.
Why are families switching from Southwest Airlines to other carriers?
The change keeps rates the same for lone travelers or business professionals who aren’t looking to sit next to anyone in particular. But for families, who now have to pay extra to stay together, the new seating policy makes it harder to fly.
“I think Southwest is just trying to upsell families for maximal revenue. The system doesn’t have to be this punitive,” said one commenter on a Reddit thread about the issue. In the same post, the Redditor mentioned how a comparable airline, JetBlue, assigns adjacent seats for any children under the age of 13.
Southwest does claim to try to keep families together when boarding. They have a policy that states that they try to keep children under 12 with their families. But if a person doesn’t purchase choice seats or higher, there’s no guarantee of seating next to other passengers.
“From a loyal SWA customer of almost 40 years, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES SUCKS NOW!” one commenter on the original video. “They betrayed their brand and everything that made them special! Now they are the most expensive tickets, with tons of add ons and NO PERKS. All in the name of corporate greed. Herb is rolling in his grave! So sad!!”
Some Commenters Side With Southwest
While many viewers had empathy for the mother, others told her it was on her for not checking Southwest’s updated policies.
“There [were] all kinds of alerts about this change to assigned seating,” one commenter said. While I do have empathy for you, what is Southwest supposed to do if there are no seats together after the people that actually paid to choose their seat have selected their seat seats? If you don’t pay to select your seat, why should you get to select your seats together? Lastly, if you experienced this on your flight there then why didn’t you go in and upgrade to choose your own seats for your flight home? That’s totally on you.”
Another commenter added, “Southwest has been upfront about this. Don’t book a basic ticket if you want to choose your seats. Honestly, when you travel with little kids, you should ALWAYS buy seats next to each other.”
The TikToker replied, saying, “I was aware of the new policy. Assumed little ones would automatically sit next to us. I took [the] blame but thank you. This was a message so people know and don’t assume like I did.”
How concerning is the policy?
In other updates, she described the hate she received as somewhat humorous. That’s because by paying less, she could theoretically choose to make her children sit alone and thus have a “peaceful” flight.
But, the policy represents a larger issue for families traveling with minors. Despite the fact that Southwest clearly states that families with children under 12 will be assigned seats with at least one adult, that hasn’t always been the case since the 2026 policy change.
One commenter described her concerns with the policy, saying, “My kids have ALWAYS been assigned next to an adult in our party. I booked SW for my daughter’s 2nd birthday cruise and now I’m worried she will not be placed by one of us on the way back! (lap child on the way there). I booked these before the new policy went into place. we can’t afford to pay over $200 just to pick our seats.”
The issue, as many parents described, makes flights cost significantly more just to ensure safety for minor children. While other airlines have similar policies to Southwest, many of them do ensure that young children stay with a parent or guardian when assigning seats wherever possible. Southwest still seemingly hasn’t worked out issues with how they approach the policy.
Southwest arguably does the same, but that wasn’t the case for the TikToker or other travelers like her. For that reason, many families are turning away from Southwest and booking with other airlines.
@findwhatsbeautiful Heads up Southwest flyers! #southwest #flying #momtok #southwestairlines ♬ original sound – findwhatsbeautiful
The Mary Sue reached out to the TikToker via TikTok direct message and Southwest via email for comment.
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