Southwest will change its extra-seat policy effective Jan. 27, 2026. The airline will move from open seating to assigned seating and require customers who need adjacent seats to purchase them at the time of booking. Free gate-issued additional seats will no longer be available. Purchased extra seats may be eligible for refunds in limited cases; refund eligibility requires the flight to depart with at least one open seat and other specified conditions. The armrest is designated as the definitive boundary between seats. Passengers who do not secure adjacent seats in advance risk paying higher day-of fares or being rebooked to a different flight.
For years, Southwest Airlines was praised for their size-inclusive seating policies, which allowed plus-sized passengers to either pay for an extra seat and receive a refund after the flight, or request a free additional seat at the airport. However, that policy is set to change starting Jan. 27, 2026, according to an update on Southwest's website. The change will coincide with the airline's shift to assigned seating, as it moves away from its current open-seating system and starts implementing seat assignments like other airlines.
Under the new policy, some passengers may still qualify for a refund on the additional seat but it will no longer be guaranteed. The updated guidelines state: "Customers who encroach upon the neighboring seat(s) should proactively purchase the needed number of seats prior to travel to ensure the additional, adjacent seat is available. The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats."
While the Southwest does list seat dimensions on its website, beginning Jan. 27, passengers will no longer be able to request a free additional seat at the gate if they require it. Instead, they will need to purchase the extra seat (priced at whatever the day of fare is) or risk being rebooked on another flight where an adjacent seat is available.
Collection
[
|
...
]