Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size passengers to purchase an additional seat in advance as part of new policies tied to the airline’s switch to assigned seating.
The airline also tightened refund rules, only reimbursing customers if the extra seat remains empty on the flight, is purchased in the same fare class, and the request is made within 90 days.
These new guidelines, which begin on January 27, 2026, mark a shift from Southwest’s previous, more flexible policy, where plus-size travelers were encouraged but not required to buy extra seats, and refunds were easier to obtain.
Southwest states on its website that the “armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats,” specifying on another page that Boeing 737 models range from 15.5” to 17.8” in size.
The airline has also warned that those who require a second seat but did not reserve the space could be required to take a different flight.
“If we determine after boarding that you require a second seat, you will need to deplane so that we may update your reservation to include a second seat. As time is limited after boarding has commenced, you may be rebooked on an alternate flight that has two seats available. To avoid the need for rebooking, we encourage you to purchase your second seat in advance of travel,” states the airline on its website.
Southwest has released a statement about the changes but kept remarks short, writing in a statement to Fox Business that the airline is “communicating to Customers who have previously used the extra seat policy they should purchase it at booking.”
These changes have sparked concern among some in the plus-size community, with Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, saying that the risk of needlessly paying for two seats could dissuade many travelers.
“They can’t afford to take that gamble,” she said, according to The Washington Post. “We are hearing from a lot of people about how this will literally mean they cannot travel by air anymore.”
These seating policy updates come as Southwest has undergone significant changes within the past year, with the company announcing in February that 15% of its workers at the Dallas headquarters would be terminated, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
However, these changes did not hold the airline back from completing a 2025 Master Plan, which outlines the future growth and development of the airline in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex over the next 20 years.