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Southwest Airlines adds rules when it comes to ‘customers of size’.
From January 27, when flights start with assigned seats, plus-format passengers “proactively must buy the required number of seats before they travel to ensure the extra, adjacent seat that is available,” says the airline on its website.
“I just hope that consumers are aware of this change and I wonder if people with a great size will skip by flying with them because they do not know whether the flight is sold out or not,” said Jeff Jenkins, founder of Plus-Size Travelblog Chubby Diaries, said Vs today. “It’s just more fear of an already high angster experience.”
To advise potential customers to consider whether they need an extra seat, the website of Southwest gives the seat widths on the Boeing 737 models, it flies from 15.5 inches on the narrowest, up to 17.8 inches on the widest. The airline says that the final seat limit is the armrest.
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Check passengers in Southwest Airlines for flights at Midway Airport 27 May 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)
Passengers who buy an extra seat can be eligible for a repayment if the passenger’s flight left while they have at least one open seat in the plane (or with passengers traveling on space-available tickets), both seats purchased are the same rate class and the reimbursement request is made within 90 days after the flight.
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft were set up at Gates on Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on 16 May 2025. (Kevin Carter / Getty images)
The airline previously encouraged plus-size passengers to buy two seats, but had fewer repayment restrictions.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luv | Southwest Airlines Co. | 32.77 | +1.70 |
+5.47% |
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Plus-Size customers who travel on routes with Southwest Partner Carriers must buy an extra, non-residual chair directly through the partner carrier, says the airline’s website.
