Southwest
Airlines is implementing some changes to its long-standing “customer of
size” policy, with several plus-size travelers saying the updates make an
already stressful experience even harder.
Starting January
27, 2026, the airline will require passengers who “encroach upon the
neighboring seat” to purchase an additional ticket—something that was
previously encouraged but not strictly enforced. The rule coincides with
another major shift for the carrier: the end of its signature open seating
system and the move
to assigned seating.
For years,
Southwest stood out from other major airlines by offering a relatively flexible
policy for plus-size travelers. They could book a second seat in advance and
later apply for a refund, or in some cases, request an extra seat at no cost at
the airport. That refund option will still exist—but with far stricter
conditions.
According to
Southwest’s updated
policy, refunds for extra seats will only be granted if three requirements
are met:
- The flight departs with at least one
open seat (or passengers traveling on space available passes).
- Both tickets are purchased in the same
fare class.
- A refund request is submitted within
90 days of travel.
If all three of
those boxes aren’t checked, travelers are out of luck in terms of obtaining a
refund.
Plus-size advocacy
groups say the changes are a blow to those who have long relied on Southwest’s
more accommodating approach. “Southwest was the only beacon of hope for many
fat people who otherwise wouldn’t have been flying,” Tigress Osborn, executive
director of the National Association to Advance
Fat Acceptance, told The New
York Times. “And now that beacon has gone out.”
Jeff Jenkins,
founder of the travel community Chubby Diaries, told USA
Today, “It seems like a sneaky add-on from a policy that had been around
for 20+ years without much hitting the bottom line. I just hope that consumers
are aware of this change, and I wonder if plus-size people will skip out on
flying with them at all because of them not knowing if the flight is sold out
or not. It’s just more anxiety to an already high anxiety experience.”
Others say the
cost itself could deter travelers. Kaycee Bivens, a South Carolina–based travel
advisor who runs The Plus
Size Passport brand, said, “I have been exclusively flying Southwest
because of their customer size policy.” But with the new rules, she added, “If
you’re already budgeting and now you’ve got to add $300 to $400 to your budget,
that may mean less travelers.”
Southwest did not
immediately respond to The New York Times’ request for comment on the subject.
The change comes amid a series of operational modifications that have
frustrated loyal customers, including new fees for checked bags, assigned
seating and a shake-up of the airline’s domestic routes. Collectively, the
moves have left some travelers saying Southwest is becoming more like the big
carriers it once distinguished itself from.
Although Osborn
noted that Southwest’s revised rules are still more flexible than those of
major competitors like Delta, American, and JetBlue—which don’t refund the cost
of extra seats—she described the change as a setback with broader implications.
“This was not just an industry leader but an example to other industries that
accommodating people in the body they have today is an important business
practice,” she said.
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