Southwest’s Controversial Plus-Size Policy: How It Affects Passengers

Southwest’s controversial plus-size passenger policy kicked in last Tuesday. This policy forces plus-size passengers to pay for an extra seat on their flight. 

On Tuesday, January 27, plus-size passengers who cannot fit between a seat’s armrests will have to purchase an additional ticket in advance. This policy was announced in August 2025 and affects customers who “encroach upon neighboring seats,” according to their website. 

New Plus-Size Policy

Previously, customers could proactively purchase an additional seat in advance and later receive a refund, or even request an extra seat at the airport.

According to the airline, Southwest encourages its customers to “proactively purchase the needed number of seats prior to travel to ensure the additional seat is available.” 

What happens if a plus-size customer has not purchased an extra seat? Plus-size customers without an extra seat will be required to buy an additional seat at the airport. If the flight is already full, or there are no adjacent seats available, the passenger will be rebooked on another flight with available seating. 

Critics aren’t happy with the recent change. Jason Vaughn who is an Orlando-based travel agent says “I think it’s going to make the flying experience worse for everybody.” 

The executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, Tigress Osborn, agrees with Vaughn’s statement. She said, “Southwest was the only beacon of hope for many fat people who otherwise wouldn’t have been flying.” She added, “And now that beacon has gone out.” 

However, despite this change, Osborn still puts Southwest’s overall policy above other US airlines. Airlines like Delta, United, and American Airlines do not offer refund options for booking an extra seat.

Policy Changes

The plus-size seat policy isn’t the only change that Southwest implemented. In May, the airline removed the decades-old “bags-fly-free policy”. Passengers will no longer receive two complimentary checked bags, regardless of their ticket class.

In addition to this, Southwest also removed the open seating privilege that allowed customers to choose their own seats when they board. Here, customers get to choose on a first come, first served basis. 

Instead, customers will now have new fare bundles. This includes tiered perks such as priority boarding, preferred seats, and premium drinks.