Southwest has recently ditched several of the policies that made it a beloved airline for many. From the implementation of baggage fees to the elimination of open seating, it seems that everything that made the airline stand out is being taken away and replaced with cookie-cutter methods.
But this woman says that even when you follow the airline’s new rules and pay for upgrades, you may not be guaranteed the trip you paid for.
Assigned Seating Gone Wrong
In a video with more than 1.9 million views, flyer Ansley (@tiny_tobasco) gives the camera an incredulous look with a sarcastic smile and a thumbs up.
“Booked a flight with @southwest weeks ago, obviously had to buy an ASSIGNED SEAT (because that’s what they do now???) And just got notification that I do not have a seat for the flight tomorrow and am now standby!!” she writes. “Might not even get on.”
“Babe I bought the seat??? I hope you go out of business,” she adds.
“Used to loveeeeee southwest but they changed their game, ruined everything that made them good, and screw over their passengers. It’s awesome,” she says in the caption.
Southwest Has Been Changing Everything
For over 50 years, Southwest’s open seating was the whole thing. No assigned seats, no scramble at booking—just show up, board in your group, and pick a spot. That’s gone now.
The airline rolled out assigned seating earlier this year, ending more than five decades of its signature free-for-all boarding. Under the new system, passengers choose their seats at booking with options to upgrade for extra legroom or preferred seating. Passengers who book a Basic fare get assigned a seat at check-in.
As Travel + Leisure notes, the changes effectively bring Southwest in line with what Delta, United, and American have been doing for years.
And assigned seats were just one piece of it. Southwest also ended its “bags fly free” policy in May 2025, introducing checked bag fees of $35 for the first bag and $45 for the second. The airline framed all of it as giving customers more choice. Loyal flyers framed it differently. Industry analyst Henry Harteveldt told Newsweek, “This is how you destroy a brand. This is how you destroy customer loyalty.” On social media, longtime customers said the airline was just becoming every other carrier, with some saying if they’re paying extra for everything, they might as well fly Delta.
What Happens When An Airline Bumps You From A Seat You Paid For
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines routinely oversell flights to account for no-shows, and when more passengers show up than there are seats, someone gets bumped. Before bumping anyone involuntarily, airlines are required to ask for volunteers first. If there aren’t enough, they can select passengers based on their own criteria—check-in time, fare paid, or frequent flyer status—but those criteria can’t be discriminatory.
If you’re bumped involuntarily and you checked in on time and have a confirmed reservation and the airline can’t get you to your destination within an hour of your original arrival time, you’re entitled to compensation.
For domestic flights delayed one to two hours, that’s 200% of your one-way fare, capped at $1,075. Over two hours, it goes up to 400%, capped at $2,150. The airline is required to pay at the airport on the same day.
Commenters React
“Southwest is a perfect example of destroying your business overnight,” a top comment read.
“Unless they’re refunding your ticket AND giving you a seat, show up with your ticket. thats not your problem to fix,” a person said.
“I LOVED southwest. But since the assigned seating thing I’m going to be closing my credit card and choosing a new airline,” another wrote.
@tiny_tobasco Used to loveeeeee southwest but they changed their game, ruined everything that made them good, and screw over their passengers. It’s awesome.
BroBible reached out to Ansley for comment via email and TikTok direct message and Southwest Airlines via email. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.