As of 27 January 2026, the booking experience for plus-size travellers with Southwest Airlines will be changing and is likely to become more costly. Passengers requiring two seats (or more) will have to buy an extra ticket in advance without the guarantee of a refund.
Until recently, Southwest Airlines’ policy was generally considered to be one of the most customer-friendly in the airline industry. However, their free checked bag rule came to an end in May 2025, the company announced it would start to charge customers for seats with extra legroom, and red-eye flights were to be introduced. And other changes are coming in January 2026. Not only will the carrier start with assigned seating, but plus-size customers will also have to tackle their booking differently than before.
@readytostare Plus size babes, you better get that extra seat! Did you know about this policy? #plussizetravel #flyingwhilefat #traveltips #southwestairlines ♬ New Home – Frozen Silence
Up until now, plus-size travellers requiring two seats at Southwest Airlines were given two options. Either they booked a second seat beforehand, with the guarantee to be refunded afterwards, or they requested a second seat for free upon arrival at the airport. In any case, plus-size travellers encroaching upon the neighbouring seat did not have to pay extra in the end if they wanted a second seat.
“To ensure space, we are communicating to customers who have previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at booking”, Southwest Airlines said in a statement.
Second seat optional, or not?
As of 27 January 2026, however, this will change. Plus-size passengers are asked to buy a second seat if needed during the booking process or will be required to do so before their departure. Contrary to before, their second seat will not necessarily be refunded afterwards – if the plane is fully booked, a refund will not be provided.
Moreover, there are some other details to the new plus-size policy to keep in mind. Passengers will be required to book their two seats within the same fare class (Choice, Choice Preferred, Choice Extra, or Basic), and all requests must be submitted within 90 days of travel. If their fare type allows for it, travellers will be able to assign their seats at the time of booking. If, however, a suitable adjacent seat is not available, the carrier will rebook customers on the next available flight. Customers who wait until the day of their departure to purchase their second seat will be rebooked onto the next available flight if there is no space left within the aircraft.
In an interview, Jason Vaughn, travel agent at plus-size travel site Fat Tested Travel, told the Associated Press that the new policy was likely to make the travel experience less pleasant for everyone. Not only would it become more costly for plus-size travellers in many cases, but they might also be more likely to try their luck with a single seat, thus reducing everyone’s space.
According to Southwest Airlines, the company might determine in its sole discretion that an additional seat is necessary for safety purposes, but it is unclear how much travellers will have to encroach into their neighbour’s seat in order for a second seat to be necessary.
