Southwest Airlines Changes Its Mind on Unpopular New Policy

Over the past several months, Southwest Airlines has undergone some high-profile changes as the carrier looks to boost profits and compete with legacy carriers like Delta, United, and American.

Some of those changes have obviously been less popular than others, but it sounds like Southwest has changed its mind on one of the more unpopular changes following some customer feedback.

Southwest's 'Customer of Size' Policy

Southwest has long had a policy for plus-size passengers, called the Customer of Size policy. The policy helps accommodate larger travelers who may need to use more than one seat on their flight.

Under the previous policy, plus-sized passengers could either pay for an extra seat up front with the option of receiving a possible refund on the ticket later if the flight is not full, or they could request a free extra seat at the airport.

That policy, however, changed back in January as Southwest began forcing all plus-sized customers to buy their extra ticket in advance and "pay any applicable seat fee."

"To ensure space, we are communicating to Customers who have previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at booking," the airline said in a statement.

While refunds could still be obtained after travel, eligibility for those refunds would now depend on whether or not both seats were in the same fare class.

Customers Were Not Happy

Following the change, customers were not happy, with one travel expert warning that the policy was going to negatively impact everyone, from fellow passengers to Southwest employees.

Jason Vaughn, a travel agent who runs Fat Tested Travel - a travel site aimed at plus-size travelers - explained that under the original system, there was no downside to preemptively buying a ticket, as larger passengers would be refunded if their seat was not necessary.

However, that has now changed, which will result in more plus-sized passengers simply trying their luck with a single seat that they may not fit in.

"I think it's going to make the flying experience worse for everybody," he said via the Associated Press.

Obviously, this negatively impacted the other passengers sitting next to the plus-sized passengers and posed extra logistical challenges for flight attendants and gate agents.

Southwest Changes Its Mind

After receiving criticism for the policy change, Southwest has decided to reverse course and will no longer require plus-size passengers to purchase an extra seat in advance.

Under the budget carrier's revised rules, which were announced last week, Southwest gate agents will now arrange a free second seat for passengers who need the extra room on flights where two adjoining seats are available.

In a statement to CBS News, Southwest Airlines said that the change aims to provide "a more consistent and seamless experience for customers who require an additional seat."

Plus-size passengers are still encouraged to book an extra seat in advance, which would then be refunded if it is not necessary.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 8:00 AM.