A Southwest Airlines plane lands at SFO in February 2025.

As part of the ongoing restructuring of its seating policy, Southwest Airlines is revamping a longstanding policy for larger travelers.

Beginning Jan. 27, 2026, Southwest is changing its “Customer of size” policy, with some travelers not guaranteed a refund on additional seats they book. The program has been in effect for over 30 years and was widely praised by larger travelers for ensuring a second seat when flying. The change begins the same day the airline switches from open seating to assigned........

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