Radio host Charlamagne tha God praised an upcoming airline policy change on Wednesday, saying obese passengers should consider eating less food if they don’t want to buy a second seat to accommodate their size.
Beginning on Jan. 27, 2026, Southwest Airlines will ditch open seating, having previously had a "pick any seat" policy, allowing customers to purchase tickets in different boarding groups by selecting where they wanted to sit upon boarding the plane.
The airline has also cautioned portly customers "who encroach upon the neighboring seat(s)" to proactively purchase the necessary number of seats prior to travel. Next month, however, such customers "will be required to purchase an additional seat and pay any applicable seat fee at the airport."