Southwest Airlines Enforces New “Plus-Size” Customer Policy

Southwest Airlines is taking new year, new them to the next level. The popular airline has begun enforcing multiple new rules for passengers. From assigned seating to new plus-size customer rules, a few things are changing.

On Tuesday, January 27, the budget airline officially began enforcing a new "plus-size customer" policy. The change was first announced in August 2025, but did not go into effect until now. Now, there are a few additional rules for "customers of size."

"Customers who encroach upon the neighboring seat(s) should proactively purchase the needed number of seats prior to travel to ensure the additional seat is available," says the company policy. "The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats."

According to the policy, if a passenger arrives and has not reserved the space they need, the passenger will be "required" to purchase an additional seat and pay fees. If the flight is full, passengers will be rebooked on another flight with available seating.

Although they have started implementing the new rule, the airline will still offer refunds. These will only be available for plus-size customers if their trip meets certain requirements.

“We are updating many policies as we prepare our operation, employees, and customers for assigned seating, which launched today,” Southwest shared in a statement, according to People. “To ensure space, we are communicating to customers who have previously used the extra seat policy they should purchase it at booking.”

For more information on the new policy, visit the company's website.