Southwest Partially Relents On “Customer Of Size” Policy
A year ago, Southwest changed everything when they stopped giving free checked bags, added basic economy, made their points dynamic, added assigned seats, and added lots of fees.
The airline previously had the most generous “Customer of size” policy in the industry. If you didn’t fit between the armrests of a seat, you had to buy a 2nd seat. However, the airline would refund the cost of the 2nd seat after the flight.
With the switch to assigned seats, the airline changed the refund policy to only allow a refund if the flight departed with at least 1 empty seat.
The airline is now changing things up again, this time for the better. Southwest writes to DansDeals that,
“Southwest is working to create a more consistent and seamless experience for Customers who require an additional seat. On flights where adjacent seats are available, our Agents at the airport are empowered to provide an additional seat at no extra cost to Customers who require one. If another seat is not available, we will work to accommodate the Customer on a later flight. We continue to encourage Customers who need an additional seat to book it in advance to help alleviate any last-minute inconvenience at the airport.”
That means even if a flight is full, a large passenger can get 2 adjacent seats at the gate, if available.
Southwest will continue to give the option to buy a seat in advance and get a refund, but the refund would only be applicable if the flight departed with at least 1 empty seat.
Do you need more than 1 seat when you fly? Which airline do you find has the best “Customer of size” policy?
