US EditionSouthwest Tightens Plus-Size Policy, Requiring Second Seat and Limiting Refunds Effective Jan. 27, 2026
- Southwest Airlines will implement assigned seating and end its 'Customer of Size' policy on January 27, 2026, at its Dallas headquarters.
- The changes arise as part of a broader operational update including new baggage fees and stricter rules for plus-size travelers who must purchase additional seats upfront.
- Previously, Southwest allowed plus-size passengers to request extra seats at the gate or receive refunds more leniently, but the new policy requires seat purchase at booking with limited refunds.
- Refunds are only granted when there is at least one available seat remaining on the flight, both seats are bought under the same fare category, and the request for a refund is submitted no later than 90 days after the travel date, according to a Southwest representative.
- Advocates caution that these new policies could heighten stress and expenses for plus-size passengers. The chairperson of a prominent fat acceptance organization remarked that Southwest had served as a rare source of hope for many larger travelers, and now that hope appears to have faded.
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194 Articles
Southwest Announces 'Plus Size' Passengers Will Need to Purchase an Extra Seat, and it's Going Over With the Fats About as Well as You'd Expect
This clip of former fat man Tom Segura and admitted fat man Tim Dillon discussing the issues of plus-size tourism seems as relevant today as it was when they had the conversation two years ago for a c...
Southwest airlines to require plus-size travelers to buy extra seat upfront
Southwest Airlines is changing its long standing “Customer of Size” policy, requiring plus-size travelers to purchase an additional seat when booking instead of waiting until check-in. The new rule takes effect January 27, 2026, the same day the airline begins assigning seats for the first time. According to Southwest, customers who cannot be safely accommodated in a single seat must purchase an extra ticket. If there is at least one open seat a…
Airline changes policy for plus-size travelers: Here’s how
Starting Jan. 27, Southwest travelers who may be unable to fit in their seat will be required to pay for an extra one in advance.Currently, plus-size passengers have the option to pay for an extra seat in advance and receive a refund later, or they can request a free extra seat at the airport.
Southwest Airlines ripped over controversial new plus-size passenger policy: ‘Worse for everybody’
Starting January 27, 2026, Southwest Airlines flyers who “encroach upon the neighboring seat” will be required to purchase an extra seat in advance and potentially without getting their money back.
Airline’s new policy could be costly to plus-sized passengers
By RIO YAMAT, AP Airlines WriterSouthwest Airlines will soon require travelers who don’t fit within the armrests of their seat to pay for an extra one in advance, part of a string of recent changes the carrier is making.
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