A new Southwest Airlines policy may make flying more expensive for plus-sized passengers.
According to Southwest, a new policy will require customers who cannot fit within their seats' armrests to buy an extra seat ticket in advance.
The current policy allows larger passengers to either pay for an extra seat up front with the option of receiving a possible refund on the ticket later, or they can request a free extra seat at the airport, Fox 2 Detroit reports.
The new rule will go into effect on January 27, which is the same day that the airline will begin assigning seats.
"To ensure space, we are communicating to Customers who have previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at booking," the airline said in a statement.
Plus-size passengers may still be able to obtain refunds on their second seats, provided that the plane isn't fully booked.
Under the new policy, if a passenger in need of an extra seat does not purchase one before the flight, they will be required to do so at the airport. If their flight is already full when they are at the airport, Southwest will book them onto a new flight.
Jason Vaughn, a travel agent who runs Fat Tested Travel — a travel site aimed at plus-size travelers — told the Associated Press that he thinks the change will make flying Southwest overall worse for everyone involved.
"I think it’s going to make the flying experience worse for everybody," he said.
Vaughn said that under the current system, there’s no downside to preemptively buying a ticket as larger passengers will be refunded. But without the guaranteed refund and the potential that larger passengers may be forced to buy tickets, he said many passengers will opt just to try their luck with a single seat.
That means not only will larger passengers be uncomfortable, but individuals sitting next to them could be less comfortable as well.
The company said in a statement that "customers who encroach upon the neighboring seat(s) should proactively purchase the needed number of seats prior to travel to ensure the additional seat is available" and that the "armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats,” according to Men's Journal.
But it's unclear exactly how much a person needs to “encroach” into another seat before they'll be forced to buy a new ticket, and Southwest has determined it can be the judge of that on a case-by-case basis.
"Southwest may determine, in its sole discretion, that an additional seat is necessary for safety purposes," the company told Men's Journal.
In addition to its plus-size seating change, Southwest is also introducing other policy changes in an effort to boost its profits.
Southwest said last year that it would begin to charge customers extra for seats with more legroom, and that it would start offering red-eye flights. In May, the company ended its free checked bag policy, and in January will introduce assigned seating, with extra charges for preferred seating or seats with more legroom.
The Independent has requested comment from Southwest.
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