Southwest’s Customer-of-Size Policy Sparks Backlash After Miami Incident

A Southwest passenger at MIA was told she might need to buy an extra seat because of a new January 2026 policy that allows staff to determine seat fit by eyeballing a passenger. The passenger, Linda Hyde, says she could fit in one seat and had recently flown full, single-seat flights. Southwest later updated the policy to require an extra seat only if the flight is full and to offer extra seats at no cost when available, with refunds contingent on fullness. The incident drew criticism from disability advocates and prompted inquiries to Southwest and the DOT, which notes airlines aren’t required to provide more than one seat per ticket; the case underscores ongoing debates over how size and seating are handled in air travel.