Southwest Airlines has revised its controversial policy on overweight passengers requiring a second seat, now allowing gate agents to assign a free additional seat when two adjoining seats are available. This change reverses a January rule that required passengers needing extra space to purchase and pre-book the second seat in advance.
What happened
The Dallas-based carrier announced that passengers who require an extra seat due to their size will no longer be obligated to pay upfront for that seat if an adjacent seat is available at the gate. When two side-by-side seats are not available on a flight, affected passengers will be rebooked on a later flight with open seating. Southwest continues to encourage advance booking of additional seats to prevent airport delays.
After traveling, customers who purchased an extra seat in advance may request a refund within 90 days if the flight departed with at least one open seat and both seats were booked under the same fare class. This adjustment comes following criticism from advocacy groups, including the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), which had called the earlier policy “more restrictive.”
Travel expert Katy Nastro noted that this rollback may help Southwest regain some of its customer-friendly reputation after recent policy changes that removed perks like free checked bags and open seating.
Why it matters
The policy revision reduces the financial and logistical burden on larger passengers who previously had to pay for an additional seat months in advance without assurance of availability. It also signals Southwest’s response to public pressure and criticism regarding how airlines accommodate passengers of size.
However, NAAFA warns the policy still falls short of fully supporting plus-size travelers, as those unable to book a second seat in advance remain at risk of being involuntarily rebooked, which could cause delays and stress. This change reflects ongoing challenges in the airline industry balancing operational constraints and equitable treatment of passengers with varying body sizes.
Background
Southwest Airlines introduced the original policy earlier in 2026, requiring passengers needing more than one seat due to their size to purchase extra seats when booking. This policy followed similar practices by other major U.S. carriers like Delta, United, and American Airlines, which require pre-purchased additional seating if a passenger occupies space beyond a single seat or prevents armrests from staying down.
The original Southwest rule provoked backlash from passengers and activist groups, prompting the latest adjustment to improve flexibility at the gate. The airline’s “customers of size” policy states that passengers must buy the number of seats necessary to avoid encroaching on neighboring seats for safety reasons. Southwest’s shares trade publicly under the ticker “LUV” on the New York Stock Exchange.
Sources
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