On 27/1, Southwest Airlines, a US low-cost airline, began implementing a mandatory policy requiring passengers to purchase an additional seat from the time of booking if they cannot fit comfortably in a standard economy seat with both armrests lowered.

This regulation sparked controversy due to concerns of discrimination and increased costs for plus-size passengers.

Plus-size passengers will have to buy an extra seat. *Photo: NYP*

"We are notifying customers who have previously used our extra seat policy about the requirement to purchase an additional seat during the booking process," a Southwest representative stated.

The airline's previous policy was very flexible, allowing passengers to purchase an extra seat in advance and receive a refund later (even on full flights), or request a free extra seat at the gate if space was available.

Now, advance purchase is mandatory to guarantee a seat. Refunds are subject to strict conditions: the flight must depart with at least one empty seat, a refund request must be made within 90 days, and both seats must be in the same class. If a flight is full, plus-size passengers will be transferred to another flight.

Southwest has long been considered friendly to plus-size passengers, which is why the new policy has caused controversy.

"I think passengers will have poor flying experiences moving forward. The airline no longer understands who its customers are," said Jason Vaughn, an Orlando travel agent who often shares travel tips for plus-size travelers on the website Fat Tested Travel.

Tigress Osborn, Executive Director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, also agreed with this view.

"Southwest was once the only beacon of hope for many overweight individuals, who might not have flown without this airline. And now that hope is extinguished."

A loyal Southwest fan on the Reddit forum stated they are "considering switching to Frontier Airlines."

Not everyone, however, opposed this new policy after its announcement and feedback last year. In 12/2025, radio host Charlamagne tha God spoke out in support of the change, suggesting that obese passengers should eat less if they do not want to purchase an additional seat.

This new regulation is part of a broader trend as Southwest continuously eliminates popular passenger policies that once differentiated the airline from competitors. In 5/2025, the airline abolished a decades-old rule allowing passengers to check two bags for free, regardless of ticket class. Southwest also abandoned its decades-long open seating model, switching to assigned seating from 27/1.

In the US, major airlines like United Airlines and American Airlines already have similar mandatory policies to Southwest. Passengers must purchase an additional seat if they cannot fasten their seatbelt (even with an extender) or if the armrests cannot be fully lowered. If a flight is full and a passenger has not purchased an extra seat, they will be denied boarding and must wait for another flight.

However, many airlines only encourage such actions. Delta Air Lines passengers who cannot fit in one seat and affect the person next to them will be asked to move to a flight with an empty seat or purchase an additional seat. Similarly, Jetstar and Qantas (Australia) do not publicly mandate extra ticket purchases but reserve the right to deny boarding if a passenger is unsafe (cannot fasten a seatbelt) or affects the comfort of other passengers.

Air France and KLM both offer the option to purchase a second seat with a 25% discount, but will refund the money if there are empty seats on the flight, allowing plus-size passengers to sit more comfortably.

Tam Anh (according to *NYPost*)