Southwest customer accuses worker of body-shaming after being told she needs to buy 2 seats: ‘What was the issue if you were the only one in the row?’
A Southwest Airlines traveler finds her seat and sits down, noticing that no one is sitting next to her. Then a worker comes up to her, making her feel singled out for the airline’s new customer-of-size policy.
In a video with over 382,000 views, TikTok Lala (@natalia.hernandez082) sits in her seat with a flight attendant standing at the entrance of the row.
“How come you’re pointing me out out of everyone else when there’s women bigger than me?” Lala asks, suggesting that the woman “body shamed” her. The flight attendant starts to respond, then walks off.
“This is crazy,” Lala remarks. She pans the camera to the rest of the row after takeoff, showing that no one else was seated in her row.
The TikToker shares more details of what happened before she started filming in the caption.
She writes, “I CANT BELIEVE SHE BODY SHAMED ME. BECAUSE OF MY. THIGHS.
@Southwest Airlines I’ve never been so humiliated in my life she picked me out of the line as if I stole something required my ID AND SAID ILL NEED TO BUY ANOTHER SEAT THERE WERE PPL BIGGER THEN ME.”
What is Southwest Airline’s new customer-of-size policy?
Southwest Airlines recently changed its customer-of-size policy, which now requires passengers who workers believe can’t fit comfortably in a seat to purchase an additional one out of pocket.
The previous policy allowed customers to request an extra seat during booking. With the new policy, the money will only be refunded if someone doesn’t purchase the seat next to you. If a worker decides you need an extra seat the day of the flight, passengers may face additional fees or be asked to deplane for rebooking, per Southwest’s website.
Since the policy change, other Southwest Airlines customers say workers have belittled and pulled them out of line in front of other customers for their size. Many say the policy feels fatphobic.
Passengers who decline purchasing a second seat at the instruction of a Southwest staff member will be denied boarding, The Mary Sue previously reported.
@natalia.hernandez082 I CANT BELIEVE SHE BODY SHAMED ME?BECAUSE OF MY. THIGHS AND ?✈️. @Southwest Airlines I’ve never been so humiliated in my life she picked me out of the line as if I stole something required my ID AND SAID ILL NEED TO BUY ANOTHER SEAT THERE WERE PPL BIGGER THEN ME ?#4upageplz #foury #foruraz #bodyshame #bodyshamingneedstostop ♬ original sound – Lala
What do viewers think of the policy?
In the comments, viewers empathize with Lala’s frustration and embarrassment after the worker confronted her in front of other passengers.
“Girl, I’m so sorry this happened to you. I’m a plus size girl and this is my nightmare. I would cry cause why?? You handled it so well,” one writes.
Another says, “Southwest is the worst. I am sorry she did this to you. So wrong! Also, your seat appeared totally fine.”
“Thats discrimination im so sorry you were treated that way,” a third adds.
Lala notes that she reported the Southwest worker who confronted her in a comment.
In an email to the Mary Sue, a Southwest spokesperson shared the following statement:
“We ask Customers who may need an extra seat to let us know in advance of their day of travel so we can do our best to accommodate their needs. Our goal is always to provide a comfortable experience for everyone on board; however, with assigned seating, adjacent seats may sometimes already be occupied,” a Southwest Airlines spokesperson tells The Mary Sue. “In this case, we have reached out directly to the customers involved to better understand their experience and ensure we address any concerns with the appropriate discretion.”
The Mary Sue reached out to Lala via TikTok comment.
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