Writing at The New York Times, Nia Decaille reported that the airline plans to change its policy for what it describes as "customers of size" beginning in January of 2026. The airline's website reveals that the new policy is going into effect on January 27, 2026, and will affect how the airline handles refunding additional seat purchases once a traveler's itinerary is complete.For travelers traveling both before and after January 27, 2026, Southwest's advice is the same: "Customers who encroach upon the neighboring seat(s) should proactively purchase the needed number of seats prior to travel to ensure the additional, adjacent seat is available."