Southwest introduces new plus-size passenger policy

Southwest is changing another policy.

Passengers who “encroach upon a neighboring seat” will have to buy an additional ticket before the flight, The New York Times reported. The cost of that extra ticket may not be subject to a refund.

The new policy goes into effect on Jan. 27. The airline will also be assigning seats starting that day, The Associated Press reported.

The extra seat is not to be used by people who want to keep the seat next to them empty, the company said.

Read the new policy here.

Before the change, plus-sized passengers had a choice to buy an extra seat that could be refunded, or go to the airport and ask for an extra seat at no charge, the Times reported.

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

Some travelers do not agree with the policy change.

National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance executive director Tigress Osborn said the change is “devastating” for plus-sized passengers.

“Southwest was the only beacon of hope for many fat people who otherwise wouldn’t have been flying,” Osborn told The New York Times. She said many plus-size people don’t fly because of potential harassment. “And now that beacon has gone out.”

It may also prevent people from flying due to the additional cost.

“I have been exclusively flying Southwest because of their customer size policy,” travel agent Kaycee Bivens told the newspaper. “If you’re already budgeting and now you’ve got to add $300 to $400 to your budget, that may mean less travelers.”

How to book the extra seat

Southwest said to book the extra seat, you use the designation “XS” as the middle name on the second seat.

First, you select the total number of seats needed. For example, two people are flying, but one needs an extra seat, so you would select three adults.

Then, when you select the flight and enter passenger names, you would put the actual name for the first seat, then the second would have XS as the middle name. If a person has no middle name, then they would enter “Tom XS Smith,” for example. If they have a legal middle name, they will enter “Tom James XS Smith” with “James XS” as the middle name.

You only do this for the second seat. The first seat is booked under your legal name.

How to get a refund

To get a refund for the additional seat, the passenger would need to have purchased the same booking class for both seats, the flight would need to not be fully booked and the refund request would need to be made within 90 days of the flight. If a passenger does not pre-purchase an extra seat, and one is needed, they will be required to leave the plane and purchase it at the airport. If the flight is fully booked or if there is not enough time, the passenger will be rebooked onto a new flight.

In addition to doing away with open seating and now having passengers pay for an extra seat, Southwest also removed its long-standing “bags fly free” business model in May, according to the AP.

While some are saying the recent changes to Southwest policies make the carrier not much different from other companies, The New York Times reported that Delta, American Airlines and JetBlue do not offer refunds for the purchase of an extra seat.

© 2025 Cox Media Group