Southwest Airlines forced to alter its plus-size passenger policy again after earlier change sparked backlash from overweight flyers

Published: 18:19, 30 May 2026 | Updated: 18:29, 30 May 2026 Southwest Airlines has once again revised its policy for plus-size passengers after an earlier change sparked backlash, viral complaints and accusations that some travelers were being unfairly singled out. The Dallas-based carrier confirmed this week that airport agents are now authorized to provide an additional seat free of charge to customers who need extra space when adjacent seats are available on a flight. Under the updated policy, agents are 'empowered' to provide an extra seat at no cost if one is available, Southwest told The Dallas Morning News. However, the airline said passengers may be required to take a later flight if no additional seats remain open. 'If another seat is not available, we will work to accommodate the customer on a later flight,' the airline said in a statement. Southwest added that it still encourages customers who anticipate needing extra space to purchase an additional seat in advance to avoid potential complications at the airport. The latest revision comes just months after Southwest quietly overhauled its long-standing 'Customer of Size' policy in January. Under that change, passengers who 'encroach upon the neighboring seat(s)' were instructed to purchase the number of seats they needed before traveling if they wanted to guarantee an empty seat beside them.   Southwest Airlines has revised its plus-size passenger policy for the second time this year after criticism from customers  In addition, Southwest ended a practice that allowed plus-size passengers to preboard flights. Those travelers were instead required to board with their assigned boarding group. Since the policy change took effect, social media has been flooded with complaints from passengers who said they were told to buy additional seats if airline employees determined they needed extra room. One of the most widely publicized complaints came from Nashville woman Ruby Cosby, who claimed she was told she could not fly on a February Southwest flight unless she purchased a second seat because of her size. Cosby said she had flown with the airline before without issue and argued she was never given the opportunity to demonstrate that she could fit in a standard seat. 'So you're just looking at me and telling me I can't fit in the seat,' she said in a social media video. Cosby later told local media that her concern was not the policy itself, but what she viewed as a lack of clear guidelines governing how it was enforced. 'I understand having a policy put into place to make sure others are comfortable,' she said. 'My main worry is that there's nothing put into place to stop discrimination.' Ruby Cosby claimed that a Southwest Airlines employee told her she would have to purchase an extra seat due to her size  At the time, Southwest defended the policy and said customers who may need extra space should notify the airline before traveling.  The carrier noted that its policy required customers to purchase an additional seat if the armrest could not be fully lowered. Southwest's latest adjustment appears to restore some flexibility by allowing airport agents to provide complimentary extra seats when space permits. The airline has not announced any changes to its boarding procedures. The move comes as Southwest continues to overhaul several long-standing practices, including its decision to end open seating and transition to assigned seating for the first time in the company's history. The Daily Mail has reached out to Southwest Airlines for comment.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.