5 Viral Southwest Airlines Seating Incidents That Forced The End Of 'Open Seating' Forever

The phrase "woman spreads leg on seats Southwest" has become a viral shorthand for the chaos and lack of passenger etiquette that often plagues the airline's unique, unassigned seating system. As of this month, December 2025, the conversation around onboard behavior and legroom is more critical than ever, following a series of shocking viral incidents that directly challenged Southwest’s decades-old 'free-for-all' boarding model.

The most explosive of these controversies involves a high-profile assault that led to a major lawsuit, with the victim and her lawyers directly blaming the airline's open seating policy for creating a "fight club" environment. This article dives deep into the most notorious passenger meltdowns, the specific incident that may have been the final straw, and the monumental change coming to Southwest flights in 2026.

The Central Controversy: Leanna Perry and the Lawsuit That Blamed the Seat

While the search query often points to general legroom disputes, the most significant and recent controversy involving a female passenger, a seat, and a viral meltdown is the Leanna Perry incident. This case has become the centerpiece of a legal battle against Southwest Airlines, with the plaintiff arguing that the lack of assigned seating was a direct cause of the violence.

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Leanna Perry: Biography and Incident Details

• Full Name: Leanna Perry.
• Age at Incident: 32 years old.
• Occupation: New York City-based artist and graphic designer.
• Notable Work: Known for collaborations with major brands, including Maybelline and Adidas.
• Date of Incident: June 17, 2025.
• Flight Details: Southwest Airlines Flight 779, from New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
• The Assault: Perry, who was visibly intoxicated, allegedly launched into a violent tirade, shouting profanities, pulling the hair of her seatmate (Livia Rombola), spitting on her, and hurling offensive slurs.
• Outcome: Perry was arrested upon landing for aggravated assault and disorderly conduct.

The viral footage of the assault was widely circulated across social media, sparking a massive public debate over passenger conduct and the stress of Southwest's boarding process. The victim, Livia Rombola, subsequently filed a lawsuit against both Leanna Perry and Southwest Airlines on August 25, 2025.

Why the Lawsuit Targets Southwest’s Open Seating Policy

The legal action taken by Livia Rombola is unique because it directly names the airline and argues that the open seating model was a "substantial factor" in causing the attack. The core argument is that the free-for-all system creates a competitive, high-stress environment where disputes over seat saving, legroom, and personal space are inevitable and can quickly escalate into violence, especially when alcohol is involved.

Rombola's legal team claimed the policy essentially turns the cabin into a "fight club" where passengers are forced to compete for the best spots, which include window seats, aisle seats, or any seat offering a slight advantage in legroom or distance from other travelers. This lawsuit, filed in New York Supreme Court, put immense pressure on Southwest to address the safety implications of its brand-defining policy.

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The 4 Other Viral Incidents That Defined the Seating Debate

The Perry case was the climax, but it was preceded by years of viral incidents that highlighted the deep flaws in the 'no assigned seat' system, particularly concerning space and etiquette. These incidents fueled the public outcry that ultimately led to a policy overhaul.

1. The "Manspreading" and Bare Feet Epidemic

While the initial search was for a woman, the most common viral seating complaint involves passengers—mostly men—taking up excessive space, a phenomenon dubbed "manspreading." Reports of male passengers spreading their legs across multiple seats or placing bare feet on armrests and seatbacks have become a recurring feature of Southwest flight shaming videos. This lack of respect for personal boundaries is a direct consequence of the scramble for space in an unassigned cabin.

2. The 'Customer of Size' Policy Controversy

Southwest has a long-standing "Customer of Size" policy, which allows a passenger who cannot comfortably fit into one seat to purchase a second seat and then be reimbursed. However, the open seating system often led to confusion and conflict, as passengers had to navigate the uncertainty of who might need extra space or whether a seat was "saved." Recent updates to this policy, announced in late 2025, now require plus-size travelers to secure the extra seat in advance, a change that reflects the airline's broader move toward managing cabin space more formally.

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3. The Seat-Saving Showdowns

The debate over whether it is permissible to "save" a seat for a family member or friend who boarded later is a perennial source of conflict on Southwest flights. Viral videos frequently show heated exchanges between passengers who try to reserve an entire row with a single item and those who insist on the "free-for-all" rule. This tension is a clear example of the stress induced by the non-assigned seating model.

4. The Mid-Air Meltdowns and Gate Rants

Beyond physical altercations, Southwest has seen numerous passenger meltdowns caught on video, often triggered by seating, boarding groups, or overbooked flights. These screaming rants at the gate or in the cabin, while not always about legroom, are symptomatic of a passenger base often frustrated by the boarding process and the lack of guaranteed comfortable seating, further cementing the airline's reputation for viral chaos.

The End of an Era: Southwest’s Shift to Assigned Seating in 2026

The accumulation of controversies, culminating in the Leanna Perry lawsuit, appears to have driven a massive, brand-defining change for the airline. In a major strategic pivot, Southwest Airlines announced in late 2025 that it would be transitioning away from its iconic, decades-old open seating system.

Starting with flights booked for 2026, Southwest will begin implementing an assigned seating model. This shift is a direct acknowledgment that the egalitarian, free-for-all boarding process—once a point of pride and a mechanism for faster turnaround times—had become a liability.

The move to assigned seating is expected to:

• Reduce Onboard Conflict: By eliminating the need to race for a seat, disputes over legroom, seat-saving, and personal space should dramatically decrease.
• Increase Revenue: The new system will allow Southwest to introduce premium seating options, such as extra-legroom seats, which other major carriers have long used for profit.
• Improve Customer Experience: For many passengers, the stress of the boarding scramble was a major deterrent. Assigned seating offers a more predictable and less stressful start to a flight.

The viral search for a "woman spreads leg on seats Southwest" ultimately led to a much bigger story: the end of an airline tradition. The Leanna Perry incident and the subsequent litigation served as a powerful, public case study proving that an unmanaged seating environment can lead to unacceptable passenger behavior, forcing the last major U.S. airline to adopt a more structured, assigned seating policy for the future.