Southwest changes ‘plus-size’ policy again

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Remember that new Southwest plus-size passenger policy that ticked off a lot of people?

[00:00:04]>> It feels a little unfair. It seemed kind of fair that the financial responsibility would fall on me.

[00:00:10]>> Well, the airline is already changing course.

[00:00:13]Earlier this year, I told you about Southwest updating its long-running customer of size policy.

[00:00:18]Before that happened, passengers who needed extra room could request an additional seat for free at the airport or buy one ahead of time and usually get that money back later.

[00:00:27]But under the new rule, Southwest said that passengers who couldn't fit within the armrest of one seat should buy a second seat in advance, and refunds were no longer guaranteed. So, of course, that did not go over well. Critics said Southwest was walking away from one of the most inclusive airline policies in the country, and travelers raised concerns about gate agents being put in the uncomfortable position of deciding whether someone fit in a seat.

[00:00:54]So now, Southwest is updating the policy again.

[00:00:58]The airline says, quote, "On flights where adjacent seats were available, our agents at the airport are empowered to provide an additional seat at no extra cost to customers who require one."

[00:01:08]But, there is a catch.

[00:01:10]If the flight is full, you may not get on your original flight. Southwest says it will work to accommodate you on a later one.

[00:01:16]So basically, Southwest is still encouraging passengers who know they need extra space to book that second seat ahead of time, but they are no longer requiring it. That feels like the airline is trying to walk back on this without fully going back.

[00:01:30]So, what do you think? Does this fix the problem or did Southwest get it wrong from the start?