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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Southwest Airlines’ new policy will affect plus-size travelers.
Here’s how
By Associated Press
Updated:
1:10 AM EDT, Tue August 26, 2025
Source: AP
Southwest Airlines will soon require travelers who don’t fit within
the armrests of their seat to pay for an extra one in advance, part of
a string of recent changes the carrier is making.
The new rule goes into effect January 27, the same day Southwest .
Currently, plus-size passengers can either pay for an extra seat in
advance with the option of getting that money back later, or they can
request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the carrier’s , a
refund is still possible but no longer guaranteed.
In a statement Monday, said it is updating some of its policies as it
prepares for assigned seating next year.
“To ensure space, we are communicating to Customers who have
previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at
booking,” the statement said.
It marks the latest change at Southwest, which had long been known for
letting its passengers pick their own seats after boarding the plane,
and for letting their , which . Those perks were key to differentiating
from its rivals.
Southwest says it will still refund a second ticket under its new
policy for extra seating if the flight isn’t fully booked at the time
of departure, and if both of the passenger’s tickets were purchased
in the same booking class. The passenger also needs to request the
refund within 90 days of the flight.
If a passenger who needs an extra seat doesn’t purchase one ahead of
time, they will be required to buy one at the airport, according to the
new policy. If the flight is full, the passenger will be rebooked onto
a new flight.
Jason Vaughn, an Orlando-based travel agent who posts theme park
reviews and travel tips for plus-size people on social media and his
website, Fat Travel Tested, said the change will likely impact
travelers of all sizes. Southwest’s current policy helped create a
more comfortable flying experience for plus-size travelers, he said,
while also ensuring all passengers have adequate space in their seats.
“I think it’s going to make the flying experience worse for
everybody,” he said of the new rule.
Vaughn described the change as yet another letdown for Southwest
loyalists like himself, likening it to that has .
“They have no idea anymore who their customer is,” he said of the
airline. “They have no identity left.”
The airline has and is under pressure from activist investors to boost
profits and revenue. It also said last year that it would and offer
red-eye flights.
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