Overview
- Southwest says the armrest defines each seat’s boundary and advises customers who encroach to purchase the needed number of seats during booking.
- Travelers who have not bought an extra seat in advance may be required to purchase one at the airport, with rebooking to a later flight if the original departure is full.
- Refunds for the additional seat are possible only when space remains available, replacing a prior practice that allowed refunds or a complimentary extra seat at the airport.
- The rollout coincides with Southwest’s shift to assigned seating and follows other revenue-focused moves such as extra‑legroom charges and the end of free checked bags.
- Plus-size travel advocate Jason Vaughn cautioned that the change could push more passengers to try flying in a single seat, increasing discomfort for them and nearby travelers.