Southwest Airlines is axing its popular policy that allowed larger travelers to book two seats for the price of one.
Starting in January next year, the airline will slap on new conditions for passengers seeking refunds for extra seats.
Southwest also plans to switch from open seating to assigned seats – a massive departure from its decades-old model.
The ‘customer of size’ policy let passengers buy a second seat for comfort and then get that money back after the flight. But now, that refund won’t come so easily.
According to Southwest, travelers must now meet certain criteria to qualify for a refund.
The flight must have had at least one open seat (or included passengers flying on space-available passes), both tickets must be purchased in the same fare class, and the refund request must be submitted within 90 days.
Critics say the change will make air travel harder – and far more expensive – for passengers who don’t fit into a standard seat.
‘It seems like a sneaky add-on from a policy that had been around for 20+ years without much hitting the bottom line,’ Jeff Jenkins, founder of the plus-size travel community Chubby Diaries, told USA Today.
‘It’s just more anxiety to an already high-anxiety experience.’
Southwest Airlines is axing its popular policy that allowed larger travelers to book two seats for the price of one
The once-celebrated ‘customer of size’ policy let passengers buy a second seat for comfort and then get that money back after the flight. But now, that refund won’t come so easily
Under the new rules, passengers who show up without a second seat pre-booked could be bumped to a later flight – and forced to pay a walk-up fare for the extra space, often hundreds of dollars more than if they had booked in advance.
Southwest now defines a single seat as the space between two lowered armrests. Anyone who can’t comfortably fit in that space will be required to purchase two seats ahead of time.
The airline says fewer than 0.25 percent of passengers request extra seating, and insists the update is part of a broader revamp, but for the plus-size community, the impact is already being felt.
Tigress Osborn, head of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, says many won’t be able to gamble on whether they’ll get their money back.
‘They can’t afford to take that gamble,’ she wrote in an Instagram post. ‘This will literally mean they cannot travel by air anymore.’
Travelers like Corinne Fay, who runs the fashion newsletter Big Undies, say the refund policy was the only thing keeping Southwest affordable.
Now, she’s looking at a 2,400-mile round-trip drive to see her sister – rather than risk paying double for airfare, The Washington Post reported.
According to Southwest, travelers must now jump through three hoops to qualify for a refund
Southwest now defines a single seat as the space between two lowered armrests. Anyone who can’t comfortably fit in that space will be required to purchase two seats ahead of time
Southwest Airlines CEO Robert Jordan
‘I definitely felt like crying because it’ll make my life a lot harder,’ she said. ‘We’re talking about the difference between spending $400 versus $800 or even more.’
Until recently, plus-size flyers could book a second seat at the gate and still get a refund – sometimes with help from agents who’d ask for volunteers to switch flights.
But now, that flexibility is gone. Now, passengers must wait for the next flight with two open seats.
And even if you book two seats in advance, there’s no guarantee you’ll sit next to yourself.
‘Now that people are choosing seats, you need to buy your tickets as early as possible,’ Osborn warned. ‘But even then, there’s no promise they won’t move your seats.’
Southwest hasn’t confirmed whether it will ensure adjoining seats stay together, saying only that it will ‘attempt’ to rebook passengers on a later flight if needed.
Unique Gibson, who has flown with the airline for 25 years, said the new policies strip away everything that once made it special for plus-size travelers: open seating, two free checked bags, and compassion.
‘The things that aligned me with Southwest are gone,’ she said.
She’s now canceling plans to honor the airline at her SuperSize Your Life Expo in October – and shopping around for other carriers for a group trip to Jamaica.
‘It’s a gut punch,’ she said. ‘The little breaks that I thought I could take, I may not be able to, because I can’t afford to buy two tickets.’
Daily Mail has reached out to Southwest for comment.
