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By Darlin Tillery
Life & Trends Reporter
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A Southwest Airlines passenger say they were left stunned after boarding a flight that was apparently only about 60 percent full, only to be told that no one could change seats under any circumstances.
Reddit user fest00ned described this week sitting in a packed row near the back of the aircraft while two full rows ahead remained completely empty.
'Smooshed'
“I am sitting on a flight around 60 percent capacity," the original poster (OP) fumed.
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"My row is full, but we are behind two full rows of completely empty seats.
"The flight attendants said there is absolutely no moving seats allowed. That makes no sense and they should be able to use discretion because this is insane. Essentially everyone on the flight is smooshed to the back of the plane.”
The complaint prompted reactions from air travelers on the forum who questioned why empty seats could not be used once boarding was complete.
The most upvoted Reddit comment asked, “So with nobody in the exit row, who is going to save the plane?”
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Another pundit described ignoring a similar instruction on a previous trip.
“My last flight was like that I just moved when I went to pee I didn't care and no one said anything," they remarked.
"Some Karen was staring daggers, but screw her. I had a middle seat and I'm six feet, one inch [in height] and 250 pounds."
The frustration comes as airlines increasingly formalize seat assignments and tighten rules around switching, even when cabins are not full.
Policy Enforcement
Gary Leff, writing for View From The Wing in an article about Southwest’s assigned seating rollout, reported that flight attendants have been actively enforcing the policy.
Leff wrote that Southwest, “doesn’t just assign seats and sell seats, they’ve been enforcing seat assignments,” noting that some passengers were told they could not even shift to an empty seat in the same row.
Industry observers say empty seats are increasingly rare, which can make flexibility more complicated.
Ben Schlappig, writing for One Mile at a Time, noted that, “Perhaps the single thing that can most positively impact your experience on a flight is having an empty seat next to you,” in his August 11, 2025 article about seat selection strategy.
He added, “Globally, the average load factor for flights is approaching 85 percent, so most flights are close to capacity, but not actually full.”
While Southwest historically operated under an open seating model, changes made since January have led to more structured assignments, bringing it closer in line with competitors that restrict movement between seats for operational or revenue reasons.
For the passenger who started the Reddit thread, the sight of empty rows just ahead made the rule difficult to accept.
As airlines continue refining seating policies, travelers appear divided over whether strict enforcement on partially filled flights is necessary, or excessive.
'I wasn't the only one'
In reply to an invitation to comment, user user fest00ned told Newsweek that he did not purchase a seat and boarded in the last group.
"In this post, a lot of commenters think it was just exit rows that were empty, but many rows of seats before the exit rows were also empty," the OP continued.
"The flight attendants were kind, it just seemed like a policy they had to adhere to. I wasn’t the only one on the plane frustrated either.
"This flight was [from Virginia to Dallas], which is a fairly long flight."
Newsweek has reached out to Southwest Airlines for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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