Southwest’s got another seating policy shift. This one hits heavier passengers

Southwest Airlines, long regarded as having the spirit of a budget carrier without the –– well, Spirit, has been steadily rolling back some of the policies that made it so well-loved in the first place. Most recently, the airline announced a ticketing change that will impact plus-size passengers, despite many of those passengers exclusively flying Southwest thanks to its previous leniency. 

Southwest’s new policy

Beginning Jan. 27, 2026, Southwest will require “Customers who encroach upon the neighboring seat(s)” to purchase two seats ahead of time. The airline specifies that “The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats.”

Those who don’t purchase the ticket ahead of time will either be forced to buy one when they arrive at the airport or, if the flight is sold out, be booked on the next flight with two available seats. 

According to Travel Pulse, the new rules are a far cry from Southwest’s current policies, which made it something of an outlier for plus-size passengers navigating the airline industry. Essentially, heavier passengers were previously able to purchase any additional seat on the plane and easily apply for a refund. In some cases, they would simply be given a second seat for no additional cost at the airport. 

While refunds are still available under the new guidelines, they must be requested within 90 days of the departure date. Likewise, the flight must have at least one open seat, and both of the tickets must be purchased in the same fare class, if they’re to be eligible for a refund.

Policy shift met with mixed reactions

In an interview with the New York Times, Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, described Southwest as “the only beacon of hope for many fat people who otherwise wouldn’t have been flying.” Now, however, Osborn said “that beacon has gone out.”

Other individuals don’t seem to have a problem with the policy shift. “I’m fat and I always buy two seats,” wrote one Reddit user. “I was reading SWA’s website today on how this will work moving forward and I think it’s fair. Some airlines do not offer a refund on the second seat at all.”

Aside from the financial implications, however, Osborn said that Southwest’s history of inclusivity signaled a larger message to the corporate world. “This was not just an industry leader but an example to other industries that accommodating people in the body they have today is an important business practice,” Osborn said.

This is not the first new policy Southwest has implemented or announced recently that ruffled people’s feathers. Back in May, the company finally made good on its promise to do away with its two free checked bags policy. And in July, Southwest announced that on Jan. 27, 2026 –– the same day that the stricter passenger-size policy comes into play –– so too will its open seating policy be no more.