Overview
- Customers who cannot fit between two lowered armrests will have to purchase an additional adjacent seat in advance.
- Refunds for the extra seat will be granted only if the flight departs with at least one open seat, both seats are in the same fare class, and the request is submitted within 90 days.
- Travelers who do not secure the second seat before arriving at the airport may need to buy it at day-of-travel prices or be rebooked if adjacent seats are unavailable.
- The update begins the same day Southwest replaces open seating with assigned seats, allowing seat selection during booking.
- Critics, including Jeff Jenkins and NAAFA’s Tigress Osborn, say the rules add stress and align Southwest with rivals that typically do not refund extra-seat purchases.