Starting January 27, 2026, when Southwest Airlines introduces assigned seating, plus-size passengers will be required to purchase additional seats in advance if needed. The airline said on its website that travelers “should proactively purchase the needed number of seats prior to travel to ensure the additional, adjacent seat is available.”
The new policy marks a shift from Southwest’s longtime approach. Until now, customers of size were encouraged to buy a second seat but had more flexibility with refunds. Under the revised rules, those who purchase an extra seat can request a refund only if the flight departs with at least one open seat—or if passengers are flying on space-available tickets. Refund requests must also be submitted within 90 days, and both seats purchased must be in the same fare class.
Southwest explained the change as part of a broader preparation for assigned seating. “We are updating many policies as we prepare our operation, Employees, and Customers for assigned seating on January 27, 2026,” the airline said in a statement. “To ensure space, we are communicating to Customers who have previously used the extra seat policy they should purchase it at booking.”
For customers trying to gauge whether they need an additional seat, the airline lists seat widths for its Boeing 737 fleet: 15.5 inches at the narrowest, up to 17.8 inches at the widest. The armrest serves as the definitive seat boundary.
Some worry the new approach will add stress to travelers. “I just hope that consumers are aware of this change and I wonder if plus size people will skip out on flying with them at all because of them not knowing if the flight is sold out or not,” said Jeff Jenkins, founder of plus-size travel blog Chubby Diaries, in an interview with USA Today. “It’s just more anxiety to an already high-anxiety experience.”
Southwest also notes that customers flying itineraries involving partner carriers must purchase an additional seat directly through the partner airline. Unlike Southwest’s refund policy, those seats are non-refundable.