tl;dr – Some travelers will need to purchase an additional seat.
Southwest’s recently updated its passenger of size policy, and it goes into effect January 26, 2026.
The new policy reads:
“Any Customer traveling on an itinerary that includes a partner carrier and who cannot be safely accommodated in a single seat will be required to purchase an additional, non-refundable seat. You must contact the partner carrier to complete the purchase.”
If you’re wondering what happens in the event that a larger passenger hasn’t reserved the additional space, and is deemed at boarding that they need to, the policy speaks to that as well:
“What happens if I arrive at the airport and haven’t reserved the space I need?
- Discuss your seating needs with the Customer Service Agent at the departure gate. If it’s determined that a second seat is needed, you’ll be accommodated with a complimentary additional seat if space is available on the flight.
- If the flight is full, we will rebook you on an alternate flight with available seats to your destination. To avoid the need for rebooking, we encourage you to purchase your second seat when you make your initial reservation.
- If we determine after boarding that you require a second seat, you will need to deplane so that we may update your reservation to include a second seat. As time is limited after boarding has commenced, you may be rebooked on an alternate flight that has two seats available. To avoid the need for rebooking, we encourage you to purchase your second seat in advance of travel.”
