The policy change comes months after Southwest Airlines tightened its policies for plus-size passengers who may need extra seats.
Washington—— Southwest Airlines Updated policy for plus-size passengers to allow gate agents to provide additional seats to passengers at no charge if needed.
“On flights with adjacent seats, our airport agents reserve the right to provide additional seats free of charge to passengers who require them,” an airline spokesperson confirmed on Friday. “If no other seats are available, we will work to accommodate customers on a later flight. We continue to encourage customers who require additional seats to book in advance to help alleviate last-minute inconveniences at the airport.”
The policy change comes a month after Southwest Airlines tightened its policy that encouraged “large customers” to book multiple seats in advance if they “encroached” on adjacent seats.
“Arrests are considered a clear demarcation between seats,” Southwest says on its website.
Southwest said the policy change is part of an effort to “create a more consistent and seamless experience for customers who require additional seats.”
The policy change comes months after Southwest Airlines tightened its policies for plus-size passengers who may need extra seats. The Texas-based airline has a long-standing policy that encourages “larger customers” to reserve two seats when purchasing a flight and refunds the cost of the additional seats after travel. Changes enacted in January limited the conditions for refunds.
Despite the policy change, Southwest still encourages plus-size travelers to book in advance on its website.
“If you require more than one seat, we strongly recommend that you reserve two seats at the time of your reservation to ensure availability,” Southwest Airlines said on its website. “If you do not reserve adjacent seats before arriving at the airport and the adjacent seats are not available, we will rebook you on another flight with available seats.”
