Overview
- Southwest announced Monday that gate agents may give an adjacent seat at no charge when one is available and will rebook customers when adjacent seating cannot be found.
- The shift reverses a January 2026 policy that let employees require a second paid seat based on a visual assessment and prompted viral complaints from travelers.
- The airline still urges passengers to buy an extra seat in advance, removed preboarding privileges for passengers who need more space, and limits refunds for reserved extra seats when flights are full.
- Southwest’s policy text treats the armrest as a definitive seat boundary and reserves the carrier’s sole discretion to require an extra seat for safety, language advocates say raises dignity and consistency concerns.
- The change comes against a long-term backdrop of shrinking U.S. economy seats and rising passenger-rights pressure, which could push other carriers and regulators to clarify rules on passenger fit and accommodations.