As criticism continues to build around Southwest Airlines about its updated policy and its implementation for plus-sized passengers, one woman decided to test how those rules are actually applied.
TikTok creator and musician Samyra (@samyra), who often uses her platform to advocate for plus-size people, believes the airline’s policy is discriminatory. To make her point, she called customer support with a specific question in mind.
“Hips Don’t Lie, But They Might Not Let You Fly: How Southwest’s Customer of Size Policy is Inherently Discriminatory,” she wrote in the video’s text overlay.
In the clip, which has garnered over 317,800 views, she records the phone conversation.
She Tests How The Company Applies The Policy
“I, in the past, have been considered a customer of size, so I know that I’ll need to purchase an additional seat,” she says to the customer support agent.
Then she introduces a comparison. “My friend, he’s not wide in the hips, but he is a professional athlete, so he has broad shoulders,” she says. “Would he also need to purchase a second seat or just me?”
According to the representative, the policy is based on seat width rather than upper-body size.
“The customer of size is considered based on the distance from one armrest to the next,” the agent explains, adding that the measurement focuses on the seat itself.
Based on that, the representative suggests her friend would likely not need to purchase an additional seat.
“I guess he would be OK. … It would seem to me that he probably would,” the agent says.
Samyra says she’s worried about how they apply the policy in practice. “I was made aware that now it was kind of up to the discretion and judgement of gate agents,” she says. “So I just wanted to triple-check.”
“You and him are traveling together, right?” the customer support agent asks. “Yes,” she responds.
“If you guys are traveling together and get your seats all in one row,” he says. “That would probably accommodate the extra room that he might need up top.”
She Pushes Back On The Logic
“That seems a little unfair,” she says. “It seems kind of unfair that the financial responsibility would fall on me to get the extra seat, not him.”
She moves on, now asking whether purchasing two seats comes with additional benefits.
“Since I have to get the extra seat, am I also allotted an additional carry-on and personal item?” she asks.
The answer was no. “The customer of size must adhere to the policy of one carry-on, one personal item, regardless of the number of seats,” the agent explains.
“If I have to pay double the amount of something based on my hips and someone else doesn’t have to because of their shoulders,” she responds. “I think the least I could get is an extra bag or something.”
Samyra added her thoughts in the video’s caption. “The fact that this policy is only enforced for hips, but not shoulders, should let you know that this is not about comfort or safety,” she wrote. “It is about discrimination, specifically body size discrimination, which does not come without other forms of discrimination. If you’re gonna discriminate, the least we could get is the extra carry-on and personal item we paid for with the extra seat.”
Why Southwest’s Updated ‘Customer Of Size’ Policy Is Facing Criticism
Under the policy update, passengers who need additional space must purchase a second seat in advance. Additionally, they are no longer guaranteed a refund. Instead, refunds are only issued if the flight has an empty seat available.
Since the change, multiple passengers have taken to TikTok claiming staff singled them out at the gate or during boarding and told them to purchase an extra seat on the spot.
It’s worth mentioning that a large number of the complaints appear to be coming from women. While that doesn’t necessarily reflect the full scope of who the policy affects, the stories gaining traction online right now largely feature female passengers, all describing similar experiences.
Commenters Say Her Argument Raises Fairness Questions
In the comments section, viewers said her comparison made sense and validated her points.
“The double carry on was a great point! Didn’t even think of that at first,” one person wrote.
Others said the situation has made them anxious about upcoming travel.
“Accidentally booked southwest for a flight in may and am so nervous…” another shared. “The trip is already so expensive and i dont wanna pay for another seat!! But i cant cancel now bc they only gave us 24 hours to cancel after booking.”
“Points were made,” another stated. “Even if I didn’t agree with you, I wouldn’t be in the business of defending a billion-dollar company. Inclusion of everyone helps everyone,” a third added.
@samyra The fact that this policy is only enforced for hips, but not shoulders, should let you know that this is not about comfort or safety. It is about discrimination, specifically body size discrimination, which does not come without other forms of discrimination. If you’re gonna discriminate, the least we could get is the extra carry on and personal item we paid for with the extra seat.
BroBible has reached out to Southwest Airlines and Samyra via email for comments.