Major airline makes key change to booking rules for some travellers

By Lauran O'Toole, Senior Reporter

Some passengers will be forced to pay for two seats (Image: Getty)

A major airline has introduced a controversial rule which will see some travellers forced to pay for two seats. US budget airline Southwest has announced that any passengers who don’t fit within the armrests of their seat will have to pay for an extra one in advance.

The new rule comes into effect on January 27, the same day Southwest starts assigning seats – a sweeping shift from its previous policy that allowed passengers to pick their own seats when boarding. Currently, passengers who cannot fit between two armrests can either pay for an extra seat in advance with the option of getting that money back later, or request a free extra seat at the airport. "To ensure space, we are communicating to Customers who have previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at booking," the statement said, reports AP.

Travellers who don’t fit within the armrests of their seat will have to pay for an extra one in (Image: Getty)

Southwest says it will still refund a second ticket under its new policy for extra seating if the flight isn’t fully booked at the time of departure, and if both of the passenger’s tickets were purchased in the same booking class. 

To secure the refund the passenger also needs to log their refund request within 90 days of the flight.

If a traveller who needs an extra seat doesn’t purchase one ahead of time, they will be required to buy one at the airport, which will be priced as a 'walk-up fare', according to the airlines new policy. This fare is likely different from the cost of their pre-booked seat.

If the flight is full, the passenger will be rebooked onto a new flight.

The move has sparked fury among some passengers will some passengers saying the cost of two seats will price them out of flying.

Writer Corinne Fay said the new policy even made her "feel like crying because it'll make my life a lot harder".

"We’re talking about the difference between spending $400 versus $800 or even more," she added.

Jason Vaughn, a travel agent who posts travel tips for plus-size people on social media and his website Fat Travel Tested, said Southwest's current policy helped create a more comfortable flying experience for plus-size travellers, while also ensuring everyone had adequate space.

"I think it's going to make the flying experience worse for everybody," he said.

"They have no identity left", he added.