Woman goes to Tampa airport to catch flight. Then a Southwest worker forced her to pay for another ticket because she’s ‘wide at the bottom’
A woman flying out of Tampa, Florida, with Southwest Airlines says staff demanded she buy a second seat in order to board because of her size.
In a video that has garnered more than 121,900 views, TikTok creator @msunforgettable_88 recounts how a dispute with a Southwest Airlines supervisor allegedly caused her to miss her original flight.
“So I’m standing at Tampa International Airport,” she begins. “And I was already nervous about flying with Southwest because I had seen a lot of TikToks about the changes with their policies.”
According to the creator, the same thing she had heard other Southwest Airlines passengers complain about ended up happening to her that day.
“I actually missed my flight because [I was] arguing with a supervisor at Southwest about having to purchase an additional seat,” she says.
During the exchange, she claims a supervisor made a remark about her body.
“This [expletive] proceeds to tell me, ‘Oh, cause you wide at the bottom so you don’t spread into two seats,’” she recalls.
She says she tried to propose an alternative solution after noticing empty rows on the seating chart.
“Well, why not just move me to a row that nobody is in?” she says she asked the staff. “I looked at the seating chart, there was a few rows towards the middle and the front of the plane where nobody was sitting.”
Instead, she says the airline refused and required her to purchase two seats for the flight.
Southwest Airlines Asks Her to Pay for the Cost of Two Seats
The creator says she then suggested paying for an upgraded seat next to her instead.
“I was willing to pay for the upgraded seat next to me,” she explains, adding that the extra seat would have cost around $140.
According to her account, that option was not allowed.
“Oh, we can’t do that,” she says the staff told her.
Instead, she says she was required to purchase two seats for both directions of the trip.
“These people legit just made me pay $800 going and coming home in order to board,” she says.
The dispute delayed things long enough that she missed her original departure. “But I missed my flight,” she adds.
Despite the frustration, she says she tried to acknowledge the airline’s reasoning behind the policy.
“I understand you want your customers to feel comfortable,” she says, adding that she was willing to compromise. Still, the price tag left her stunned.
“I was willing to pay that $140,” she says. “But having to pay $800 in order to board my flight?”
She says the policy also raised questions about affordability. When she asked what would happen if a passenger didn’t have that money, the staff allegedly responded: “Well then we don’t allow you to board.”
Empty Seats Raise More Questions
Although she missed her original departure, the creator says she was able to catch another flight, leaving about two and a half hours later.
Even then, she says the situation still didn’t make sense to her.
“What’s killing me,” she says, “is that the flight going has 66 open seats and the flight coming home has 59 open seats.”
“Why am I paying $800?” she asks.
She vented directly to the staff. “I told the lady, it’s not you,” she says, before criticizing what she described as corporate decisions affecting the airline.
She ended the video by predicting the consequences she believes could come from those business decisions.
“And the first people who are gonna go is the desk agent, the gate agent,” she says. “Because y’all can’t fly no plane. So I pray for you.”
Commenters Share Thoughts and Stories
In the comments section, viewers shared their own experiences with Southwest and weighed in on the situation.
“I just flew SWA this week and I was approached by an employee trying to make me buy an extra seat,” one commenter wrote. “I refused, fit in my seat WITH the arm rests down.”
Another person said they were familiar with the policy as a larger passenger.
“I fly Southwest and as a larger passenger and knowing this stupid rule that they have, I know it is inconvenient but you purchase the two seats ahead of time,” they wrote. “But if the plane isn’t full you get your money REFUNDED for your extra seat within 7 business days.”
The creator responded to that comment.
“I understand that but I fit in one seat and I have never had to do this so that is my biggest issue,” she replied. “I know for the future but I will be avoiding Southwest at all cost.”
Others said they had seen similar stories circulating online.
“FOURTH. This is the FOURTH this week that I have heard about this,” another commenter wrote.
Some viewers suggested the issue should escalate further. “It’s time for a class action suit,” one person said.
What’s Southwest Airlines’ Policy for Plus-Sized Passengers?
Southwest Airlines used to be a favorable choice for plus-sized passengers because it essentially offered an extra seat for free. Passengers who decided on their own whether they needed additional space could purchase a second seat and then request a refund after the flight was completed. The refund would be issued with no questions asked.
Since January of this year, however, the policy has changed. The airline now requires all passengers “of size” who “encroach upon the neighboring seat(s)” to “proactively” purchase an extra seat before arriving at the airport, according to its website.
Additionally, that refund is no longer guaranteed. If a flight is completely full, passengers may not receive the money back for the additional seat.
What appears to be causing the most controversy isn’t necessarily the rule itself. Instead, passengers say the issue lies in what they describe as inconsistent enforcement before boarding, similar to what the TikToker described in her video.
Other storytime videos about similar situations have also gained traction recently. In one clip, a woman said she had never previously had trouble fitting into a seat but was required to purchase an extra seat at the check-in counter. In another case, a passenger stated she was ‘mortified’ when staff pulled her aside while she was waiting at the gate.
@msunforgettable_88 @Southwest Airlines #southwestairlines #privateequity #southwest #flyin #flights ♬ original sound – msunforgettable_88
The Mary Sue has reached out to Southwest Airlines via email and @msunforgettable_88 via TikTok messages.
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