Southwest Airlines May Walk Back On Customer Of Size Policy Following Backlash

It appears Southwest Airlines may be looking into partially reverting to its old customer of size policy.

To preface the situation, Southwest Airlines implemented an updated seating policy on January 27, 2026 as part of its shift towards assigned seating. One of these changes included requiring customers of size to pre-purchase their second seat, or face paying the day rate (which could be much more expensive) if they buy it at the airport.

Pre-purchases are also were advised as those trying to get a second seat at the airport on a full flight would face the risk of lack of availability, and it would mean being bumped to a later flight (assuming there is space).

If the flight was not deemed to be full, these customers could then claim for a refund for the second seat, but if the aircraft is full when the doors are closed for push back, the customer of size will not be entitled to the refund. Under the old policy, requiring the purchase of a second seat was at the discretion of the check in and/or agent, and done at the airport, and these customers could claim refunds on their second seat even regardless of whether or not the aircraft was full.

However, one TikToker is now suggesting that Southwest may be reverting this part of the policy, and this seems to fall in line with the inconsistent implementation of the new rules being reported across various social media channels. In a video, TikToker @emily_infullbloom said that the Southwest gate agent she spoke to advised her that Southwest is reverting to its older policy following social media backlash regarding the purchase of second seats.

If this is the truly the case, it is still unclear what these new changes will look like, but the agent’s story does have some merit as there have been numerous reports of the airline policy not being enforced as it should. While most were subjected to what was stated in the updated policy, others said they were able to board flights without paying for their second seat.

Credit: Bradley Wint/Gate Checked

According to Newsweek, a Southwest spokesperson said:

“Southwest is working to create a more consistent and seamless experience for customers who require an additional seat. On flights where seats are available, our agents at the airport are empowered to provide an additional seat at no extra cost to customers who require one.”

This is not exactly the same as the previous policy as it simply means they will try to accommodate them free of charge on a later flight (where there is space) if they did not pre-purchase their second seat. It is clear that Southwest is doing a bit of damage control following the number of clips going viral on social media, claiming that the airline was trying to fat-shame customers of size.  

In the meantime, we’ll have to wait to see what Southwest decides to do regarding any updates to its customer of size policy.

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