\n<\/p>\n
Longtime Southwest travelers will remember the old days \u2013 also known as four months ago \u2013 when passengers could choose any free seat on the plane. Now, Southwest works like pretty much every other airline: You pay for a seat assignment, or you gamble and have one assigned to you at check-in.<\/p>\n
This is where some fliers are having issues. People who opt not to pay for a specific seat assignment may find themselves seated in the back of the plane, in a full row, even when there are plenty of empty seats. Sometimes, when passengers try and move into a less crowded part of the plane, they\u2019re told it\u2019s not allowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get that there\u2019s assigned seating now, but we can\u2019t move to empty seats either?\u201d complained one Redditor. \u201cI\u2019m on my fourth flight today and exhausted. I\u2019m in a middle seat on a full row, but half the plane is empty. I moved seats and the flight attendant made me go back. WTF?\u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n
Another recent incident went viral, showing an airline employee telling a passenger they had to stay in their assigned seat or get booted off the flight. In some cases, flight attendants have said passengers can\u2019t move due to an issue with weight imbalance.<\/p>\n
This type of conflict may be new for Southwest, but it\u2019s been going on behind the scenes for other airlines since the advent of commercial flight. Every airline and every pilot pays close attention to weight and balance before take off, said Edgar Mora, former pilot and chief instructor of aviation at San Jose State University.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Plus-size passengers upset with new Southwest Airlines seat policy\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s checked by the dispatchers, it\u2019s checked by loadmasters, it\u2019s checked by the pilots. So it\u2019s triple checked most of the time,\u201d Mora said.<\/p>\n
Where people sit on the plane is a major factor for balancing the plane\u2019s center of gravity, as is the location of the plane\u2019s cargo. If the weight isn\u2019t balanced properly, the plane may not be able to take off safely.<\/p>\n
Even small changes in weight distribution \u2013\u00a0like from a group of people changing seats \u2013\u00a0could have a detectable impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny movement inside the cabin when the flight attendant\u2019s going around with a little cart, we can feel it,\u201d Mora said. \u201cWe even joke about it [in the cockpit] like, \u2018Oh, somebody\u2019s going to the bathroom.’\u201d<\/p>\n
The plane\u2019s autopilot technology is usually compensating for these changes in mid-flight weight distribution, so you don\u2019t feel anything as a passenger.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Southwest Airlines \u2018refining\u2019 new seating process amid complaints over boarding, overhead bin space\u00a0<\/p>\n
For safety and fuel efficiency, Mora said it\u2019s better for the center of gravity to be in the back of the plane, which is why you have spread out first-class seats up front, and denser economy seating in the back.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not uncommon for airlines to assign seating with weight balance in mind, and we usually don\u2019t even realize it\u2019s even happening. \u201cWe don\u2019t notice it as passengers because when the airplane\u2019s usually full, it\u2019s obviously balanced.\u201d<\/p>\n
He hypothesized it was also probably happening naturally under Southwest\u2019s old open seating policy. If a flight was only two-thirds full, passengers would probably spread out pretty evenly, naturally balancing out the flight.<\/p>\n
While the importance of center of gravity may be common knowledge for flight crew, it could be new information to flyers, especially Southwest passengers who are used to having more freedom.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that what you\u2019re seeing basically is both customers and flight attendants kind of getting used to this new normal,\u201d said Sean Cudahy, senior aviation reporter at The Points Guy.<\/p>\n
Cudahy and Mora both suggested asking a flight attendant before moving seats to avoid any issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cWeight and balance is most important during takeoff, which is why we ask Customers to remain in their assigned seats prior to departure,\u201d a Southwest spokesperson said in a statement to Nexstar.<\/p>\n
The spokesperson said conflicts between passengers and airline staff over seat assignments are not common, \u201cand we continue refining our policies to best serve our Customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nexstar\u2019s Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n