In 2024, Southwest Air announced they would be switching from their open seating model to assigned seating. In 2025, they quietly made adjustments to their longtime Customer of Size Policy, moving away from guaranteeing a second seat to anyone who needs more space and eliminating the option to request an extra eat at the airport. On January 27, 2026, assigned seating began on Southwest, and with it, Customers of Size are no longer eligible for refunds on additional seats if the flight is sold out.

NAAFA and many other activists, advocates, and influencers worked to convince Southwest to leave the 2024-era Customer of Size Policy alone...or to improve it! Instead, Southwest has adopted a more restrictive policy.

If you or a loved one has relied on Southwest for size accessibility when traveling by plane, be sure you understand how Southwest’s new policies work so you’re not caught by surprise when you fly.

Here are seven major ways Southwest’s policies have changed:

• Open Seating has been replaced by Assigned Seating.

• Customers of Size need to purchase their extra seat(s) in advance.

• If you arrive for your flight without having purchased an extra seat, and Southwest (at their sole discretion) decides you need one, you will either have to:

  • Purchase a second seat at the current fare plus the cost to upgrade your current seat if needed. This is only an option if two adjacent seats are available .

  • Get rebooked on a later flight that does have two adjacent seats available, regardless of how long that would require you to wait.

• Customers of Size are no longer guaranteed a refund for extra seat(s).

• Customers of Size are no longer allowed to pre-board and are expected to board with their assigned group, which is based on fare tier and seat location. (Disabled passengers may still be permitted to pre-board.)

• The newer planes in Southwest’s fleet (Boeing 737 MAX 8) have front row (bulkhead) seats that have fixed armrests so these front rows cannot be used for Customers of Size who need more than one seat since the armrest doesn’t raise.

• Southwest has also eliminated their popular Bags Fly Free policy. Some fat and/or disabled people may not be able to fit everything they need in a small carry-on, resulting in more expenses that thinner or able-bodied passengers may not incur.

  Find more details on our FAQ page.

At NAAFA, our mission is to change perceptions of fat and end size discrimination. Airline travel is only one of many areas where fat people face social challenges and systemic barriers. Click here to learn more about The Campaign for Size Freedom, which works to outlaw height and weight discrimination.