Southwest rewinds extra-seat policy for plus-size passengers

Listen to this article

Southwest Airlines, which received backlash from the plus-size community earlier this year when it tightened its extra-seat policy, has loosened restrictions on securing a second adjacent seat.

The amended rule, which goes into effect immediately, allows passengers who require additional space for safety reasons, such as larger customers or people with a disability, to receive a free neighboring seat at the boarding gate. The previous rule required passengers to purchase the additional seat and request a refund within 90 days of travel.

“Southwest is working to create a more consistent and seamless experience for customers who require an additional seat,” the carrier, which operates a regional hub out of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, said in a statement Friday. “On flights where adjacent seats are available, our agents at the airport are empowered to provide an additional seat at no extra cost to customers who require one.”

Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, acknowledged what she called the “tiny adjustment” Southwest made to its policy, which was once considered the most magnanimous in the industry.

“If you ask for a seat at the airport, or if they identify you as somebody they think needs a second seat at the airport and the flight is not full, you can get that second seat at no cost,” she said.

To determine whether a passenger requires an extra seat, the carrier uses arm rests: If the passenger cannot comfortably fit between them, they will need more room.

Alaska Airlines is the only other major U.S. carrier that offers a refund on an extra seat, as long as at least one seat is available on the flight. The official position of other airlines is that they will charge for the pair, regardless of availability.

Though the Southwest change is slight progress, Osborn said, it does not go far enough.

Previously, the carrier guaranteed eligible passengers a complimentary second seat at the boarding gate, a promise that was easier to grant with open seating. Before the switch to assigned seating in January, passengers could choose their own seats, including two together.

With assigned seating, the odds of finding two unoccupied seats together can be more challenging. In a statement, Southwest said that if a pair is not available, the agents will accommodate the passenger by booking them on the next flight with two open seats. That could be one departing hours or even a day later.

“It’s just a tiny little tweak, and one that’s not really generous because then you’re scratching your head, going, ‘Well, when’s the next flight that has two seats and is nonstop?’ ” Osborn said.

Osborn raised another concern, too. If the next available flight has a connection, then the passenger may end up stuck in the layover city, waiting for a second leg with an extra seat.

To guarantee two adjacent seats, Southwest recommends that passengers book the pair in advance. They can book the lowest fare, even if it does not include seat selection, but should contact customer service to reserve adjoining seats.

In this scenario, the passenger must pay for the two tickets and hope the plane is not fully booked so they can receive a refund. Otherwise, they must pay for both seats, a prohibitively high expense for some.

“The flight must have departed with at least one open seat,” Southwest explains on its website.

Southwest said customers can book the lowest ticket category, even if it does not include seat selection. They should then contact the reservations desk to reserve neighboring seats.

Osborn said the carrier, once the preferred airline of the plus-size community, earned the moniker “Southworst” after implementing drastic changes to its extra-seat policy. Even with the tweak, she said, the carrier has not returned to its former glory.

“If they think they’re done and now have won all the fat people back,” Osborn said, “no, absolutely not.”

Andrea Sachs has written for Washington Post Travel since 2000. She has reported from nearby places such as Ellicott City, Md., and the Jersey Shore, and from far-flung locations, including Burma, Namibia and Russia.