Southwest Airlines to officially launch expensive policy for plus-size customers

Flying might just get a lot more expensive for a certain group of passengers, as Southwest Airlines has revealed plans to bump up the cost of travel for plus-size customers in a controversial move.

Planes aren't typically the most comfortable at the best of times, and flying with a budget airline only decreases the amount of space you have when going from point A to point B.

Some airlines have floated controversial plans to increase the number of tickets that can be sold for any one flight, sharing ideas for standing seats and stacked configurations that have an unintentionally gross consequence, yet a new option from one of America's largest aviation companies could leave you paying more for the same amount of comfort.

As shared by the Independent, Southwest Airlines has just announced a new policy specifically affecting plus-sized passengers, revealing rules that would force certain flyers to buy an extra seat ahead of time.

Southwest Airlines claims that you now need to be able to fit between the armrests to avoid buying an extra ticket (Getty Stock)

There aren't any guidelines that designate a specific weight or size that makes a passenger fall within this category, but simply that you must be able to fit within the seats' armrests.

The policy is set to come into place on January 27 alongside another that sees the airline start assign seats itself, and Southwest advised in a new statement: "To ensure space, we are communicating to Customers who have previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at booking."

With the new rule, the 'advised' method of travel is to book the extra seat ahead of time, and you'll be eligible for a refund if the flight isn't fully sold out at takeoff. Additionally, you can request a free extra seat at the airport, but that depends on there being one in the first place.

Southwest won't let you on the flight if you don't buy an extra ticket and there isn't a free seat available (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

If you're deemed to be 'too big' and haven't purchased yourself a second seat then unfortunately you won't be allowed to travel and will instead be assigned another flight that has two adjacent free spaces.

This move has understandably received criticism from certain travelers, especially those who could be affected by the change, with travel agent Jason Vaughn asserting that it'll "make the flying experience worse for everybody."

Vaughn runs Fat Tested Travel, a website aimed towards plus-size travelers, and has argued that many will try to chance their luck by not buying an extra ticket, leaving the flying experience more uncomfortable for the passenger and those sitting around them.