An airline has introduced a new rule for plus sized passengers and it has divided everyone. Budget airline Southwest Airlines has recently announced a new measure that may force plus sized passengers to pay more for their ticket.
The rule will start in January, and it means that anybody who thinks they are at risk of “encroaching upon the neighbouring seat” will have to buy two tickets. They will have to fork out for their own seat, plus the one next to them.
In a statement, the company said: “To ensure space, we are communicating to customers who have previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at booking.” Those who don’t buy a ticket beforehand will have to buy one at the airport if needed, which risks the on-the-day price being even higher.
The rule comes into place from January 27th 2026, and is part of a string of new rules from the airline. At the same time, Southwest will start assigning seats to all passengers.
Under the new rule, the second seat is nonrefundable unless the flight isn’t fully booked at the time of departure. The passenger will also need to request the money back within 90 days of the flight. If the flight is fully booked and a passenger requires an extra seat on the day, they will be placed on a different flight.
The full statement from Southwest confirmed: “Customers who encroach upon the neighbouring seat(s) should proactively purchase the needed number of seats prior to travel to ensure the additional seat is available. The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats; you may review information about the width of passenger seats.”
It added: “The purchase of additional seats serves as a notification of a special seating request and helps us ensure we can accommodate you on the flight.”
The rule has been met with some controversy. Tigress Osborn, the executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, said it is “devastating” for plus size people. “Southwest was the only beacon of hope for many fat people who otherwise wouldn’t have been flying,” she told New York Times. “And now that beacon has gone out.”
Jason Vaughn, a travel agent who shares travel tips for plus size tourists on his website Fat Travel Tested, added: “I think it’s going to make the flying experience worse for everybody.” He added: “They have no idea anymore who their customer is. They have no identity left.”
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