Southwest Airlines has quietly announced it will now allow gate agents to offer additional seats at no charge when available, reversing its controversial customers of size policy announced in January 2026. The change drew heavy criticism from plus-size travellers and advocacy groups who called it discriminatory.
Gate agents can now provide free extra seats without requiring the customer to pay upfront, a significant shift from the January policy, which required passengers to pre-purchase additional seats with no automatic refund guarantee.
