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Southwest Airlines will soon require travellers who don’t fit within the armrests of their seat to pay for an extra one in advance, part of a string of recent changes the carrier is making.
The new rule goes into effect on 27 January, the same day Southwest starts assigning seats – a sweeping shift from its previous policy that allowed passengers to pick their own seats when boarding.
Currently, plus-size passengers can either pay for an extra seat in advance with the option of getting that money back later, or they can request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the carrier’s new policy, a refund is still possible but no longer guaranteed.
In a statement on Monday, Southwest said it is updating some of its policies as it prepares for assigned seating next year.
“To ensure space, we are communicating to [customers] who have previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at booking,” the statement said.
Southwest shifts away from its old identity
It marks the latest change at Southwest, which had long been known for letting its passengers pick their own seats after boarding the plane, and for letting passengers fly with their bags for free, a policy which ended in May. Those perks were key to differentiating the budget carrier from its rivals.
Southwest says it will still refund a second ticket under its new policy for extra seating if the flight isn’t fully booked at the time of departure, and if both of the passenger’s tickets were purchased in the same booking class. The passenger also needs to request the refund within 90 days of the flight.
If a passenger who needs an extra seat doesn’t purchase one ahead of time, they will be required to buy one at the airport, according to the new policy. If the flight is full, the passenger will be rebooked onto a new flight.
Low-cost carriers under pressure in Europe
Southwest’s move comes as budget airlines worldwide are rethinking – or in some cases being forced to rethink – their models.
In Europe, regulators have zeroed in on transparency and passenger rights. In June, the EU adopted a proposal that would give passengers the right to bring both a personal item and a cabin bag of up to seven kilogrammes free of charge.
Matteo Ricci, vice-president of the EU Committee on Transport and Tourism and the bill’s lead sponsor, called the change a step towards a “fairer and more efficient system”.
The measure forms part of a broader push by Brussels to make flying less confusing, from requiring airlines to show the total cost of a journey earlier in the booking process to strengthening rules on compensation.
But analysts have cautioned that these new protections could lead air carriers to raise fares in other ways as companies look for fresh sources of revenue.
Standing seats, hidden fees and family perks
That pressure has already driven some striking experiments and practices.
Although their imminent arrival was debunked, prototypes of so-called standing seats went viral earlier this year, triggering backlash online.
Hidden fees remain another sore point for travellers, with costs creeping in for everything from card payments to group bookings.
A report by Tradingpedia this year found that while low-cost carriers advertise eye-catching prices, the reality is often more complicated. Fees for seat selection, baggage and even name changes on bookings are disclosed only step by step during booking rather than in the headline fare.
Not all changes disadvantage passengers, though.
UK-based Jet2 recently announced that children under two will fly free, whether booked on package holidays or seat-only flights. The airline also scrapped excess baggage fees for prams, car seats and other infant equipment checked in the hold.
Travellers voice concerns about comfort and cost
As airlines adjust their policies, passengers are also weighing in on what the changes mean for comfort and fairness.
Jason Vaughn, an Orlando-based travel agent who posts theme park reviews and travel tips for plus-size people on social media and his website, Fat Travel Tested, said Southwest’s change will likely impact travellers of all sizes.
Southwest’s current policy helped create a more comfortable flying experience for plus-size travellers, he said, while also ensuring all passengers have adequate space in their seats.
“I think it’s going to make the flying experience worse for everybody,” he said of the new rule.
Vaughn described the change as yet another letdown for Southwest loyalists like himself, likening it to US restaurant Cracker Barrel’s recent logo change that has angered some of the restaurant’s fans.
“They have no idea anymore who their customer is,” he said of the airline. “They have no identity left.”
The airline has struggled recently and is under pressure from activist investors to boost profits and revenue. It also said last year that it would charge customers extra for more legroom and offer red-eye flights.