Southwest Airlines' plus-size passengers policy gains new buzz online

DALLAS - Plus-size travelers are giving high praise to Dallas-based Southwest Airlines for its little-known "inclusion policy."

The policy has been in place for more than 30 years, but it is getting a lot of traction ahead of the holiday travel season thanks to plus-size influencers.

"I want as many people to know about this policy as possible so that people of all sizes, especially those of us living in large bodies and super fat bodies are aware of the policy," said Jae'Lynn Chaney.

Southwest appears to be the only major U.S. carrier to have a policy like this.

Kimmy Garris has taken advantage of the policy three times.

"Planes should be accessible. We should have bigger seats," said Garris.

Southwest's policy states customers whose bodies "encroach" past the armrest are entitled to an extra seat, free of charge.

There's two ways to access the benefit.

(Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

One, is to talk to the gate agent.

"When you pre-board, you're able to go get your two seats, and then you place the ticket in your second seat, and it just says that it's reserved. So you have that extra space," said Garris.

But with flights often full, Southwest recommends plus-size passengers buy an extra ticket and seek reimbursement afterward.

"The purchase of additional seats serves as a notification of a special seating need and allows the airline to adequately plan for the number of occupied seats onboard," the airline says.

Some passengers we talked to at Dallas Love Field think the policy is unfair.

"I think if you're going to take up two seats you should have to pay for both of them so," said Southwest passenger Christian Dulaney.

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"There is a flurry of attention to this policy right now," said Tigress Osborn, with the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.

Osborn says there is a need for a policy like this.

"These kind of policies just formalize that for larger passengers. Larger passengers are subjected to a different kind of scrutiny and a different kind of scapegoating. We are all uncomfortable on planes, but you don't look at the broad-shouldered guy and blame him for the problem. You do look at the fat person and blame them for the problem. So we could all be working together as passengers, as customer service agents," she said.

Osborn says one of the criticisms she often hears is that the policy is going to raise the price of airfare to pay for the free tickets.

She points out that Southwest has been doing this for decades and is still one of the most affordable airlines to fly.