Chaya Raichik, the founder of the popular conservative social media account Libs of TikTok, recently expressed dissatisfaction with Southwest Airlines, claiming that she was forced to share her seat with an “obese guy” during a flight.
In a post to her account, which boasts over half a million followers, Raichik described feeling cramped due to her seatmate encroaching on her space. She asserted that she had paid for a full seat and criticized the airline for not enforcing its policies regarding passengers of size.
Referring to Southwest Airlines’ policy allowing overweight passengers to request an additional seat free of charge if they encroach past the armrest, Raichik called for action from the airline.
Her post, accompanied by a photo showing her discomfort, quickly gained traction, amassing 2.8 million views by the following day.
Raichik continued to document her experience, expressing further frustration over her seatmate’s behavior, including littering on the flight.
In response to the incident, Southwest Airlines reached out to Raichik, offering a $150 voucher for a future flight. However, Raichik dismissed the compensation, declaring her intention to avoid flying with the airline in the future.
She explained that her decision was not solely based on this incident but rather on her overall dissatisfaction with Southwest Airlines’ service. Despite having flown with them only a few times, she stated a preference for other airlines, even if it means enduring a layover.
Raichik concluded by reaffirming her stance against flying with Southwest Airlines in similar circumstances in the future.
