Southwest Airlines eliminated free checked bags and is revising its policy for "customers of size" effective January 27, 2026. The revision changes how refunds for purchased additional adjacent seats are handled, restricting refunds to flights that depart with at least one open seat or with passengers traveling on space-available passes. Additional seats must be purchased in the same fare class as the primary seat. Travelers are advised to proactively purchase needed adjacent seats before travel to ensure availability. Advocacy groups have pushed back, while some experts note the policy still allows refund possibilities compared with some competitors, and further changes may come.
Writing at The New York Times, Nia Decaille reported that the airline plans to change its policy for what it describes as "customers of size" beginning in January of 2026. The airline's website reveals that the new policy is going into effect on January 27, 2026, and will affect how the airline handles refunding additional seat purchases once a traveler's itinerary is complete.For travelers traveling both before and after January 27, 2026, Southwest's advice is the same: "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."
Currently, travelers who buy an extra seat can request a refund after their flight lands. The airline's new policy will limit the conditions under which a traveler can request a refund for their extra seat. Notably, Southwest states that "[t]he flight(s) must depart with at least one open seat (or with Passengers traveling on space available passes)." Travelers must also purchase additional seats in the same fare class as their primary seat.
As the Times report, Southwest's policy has seen some pushback from advocacy groups, though one of the experts cited - Tigress Osborn of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance - told the Times that Southwest's new policy still allowed for the possibility of a refund, which put them ahead of several of their competitors.
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