- Southwest Airlines will require passengers who encroach on neighbouring seats to buy extra tickets from 2026.
- Refunds now require flights to have open seats, same fare class purchase, and claims within 90 days.
- Passengers without an extra seat booked must seek gate agent approval and may be rebooked if flights are full.
In a latest move that might make it difficult for plus-size passengers to seek reimbursement for extra seating, Southwest Airlines has modified its long-standing policy. The new rules, effective from January 27, 2026, require passengers who “encroach upon the neighbouring seat” to proactively purchase an additional ticket, which might not be refunded, according to a report in USA Today.
The current policy allowed plus-sized passengers to either pay the cost of an extra seat ahead of time (and receive a refund later) or show up at the airport and request an extra seat at no charge. This policy made Southwest a preferred airline carrier choice for plus-size passengers.
“Customers who encroach upon the neighbouring seat(s) should proactively purchase the needed number of seats prior to travel to ensure the additional, adjacent seat is available,” the airline said in a statement.
Notably, the armrest is considered to be the 'definitive boundary' between the seats. Following are the three conditions that must be met for plus-size passengers to be eligible for a refund:
- The flight(s) must depart with at least one open seat or with passengers travelling on space available passes.
- Both seats should be purchased in the same fare class.
- The refund request must be made within 90 days of your date of travel.
This change replaces the old policy, which only recommended, but did not require, the purchase of an extra seat.
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What happens if an extra seat is not booked?
If a customer has not booked the additional seat, they will have to explain their case to the Customer Service agent at the departure gate. If the case is deemed valid, the passenger will be "accommodated with a complimentary additional seat if space is available on the flight".
"If the flight is full, we will rebook you on an alternate flight with available seats to your destination," the airline added.
However, the airline clarified that if a customer is travelling with a partner carrier (Icelandair, China Airlines) they must buy an extra, non-refundable seat.
The altered policy has not gone down well with advocacy groups, who have described the changes as' devastating' for plus-size passengers.
“Southwest was the only beacon of hope for many fat people who otherwise wouldn't have been flying,” Tigress Osborn, the executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, told The New York Times.
“And now that beacon has gone out," she added.
