Southwest finally makes changes to its most controversial policy after years of customer backlash

Southwest Airlines updated its “Customer of Size policy” after years of customer backlash. The rule had required plus-size travelers needing an extra seat to buy it in advance starting in January, with refund eligibility limited to cases where the flight was not fully booked and both tickets were in the same fare class, and the refund had to be requested within 90 days. If the flight was fully booked, passengers would be rebooked. After renewed criticism, Southwest changed the policy online so extra seats are no longer automatically purchased or tied to fees, and gate agents can again offer complimentary seats when available. The airline also said that if no adjacent seat is available, seat type may change, and rebooking could be required if the plane is fully booked after boarding.