Southwest’s Customer of Size Rules Clarified, Alongside Hidden Insolvency Clauses
Read today's edition of "On The Radar" by Gate Access • August 27, 2025
Happy Thursday. Welcome back to “On The Radar”. A quick round-up of travel updates and stories you should know. It’s a slow travel week, so I’m focusing on these two things.
Southwest Airlines Customer of Size Policy
Earlier, I reported this update from Southwest Airlines because it was quietly changed; however, it appears that Southwest has taken a further step beyond the initial change. Essentially, they eliminated a policy that supported a specific group of people and removed the primary benefit, which confirmed a full reimbursement of the additional seat cost.
Per Southwest
Any Customer traveling on an itinerary that includes a partner carrier and who cannot be safely accommodated in a single seat will be required to purchase an additional, non-refundable seat. You must contact the partner carrier to complete the purchase.
If you’re wondering how Southwest determines if a passenger can be accommodated or not, here’s the criteria.
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. The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats; you may review information about the width of Passenger seats.
Yup, I had to Google what the word encroach meant to…
To intrude on (a person's territory or a thing considered to be a right).
It isn’t very reassuring to see such a progressive policy go. If you’re someone who uses this policy and may be thinking of choosing the exit seat row to give you that extra room, only do so if you don’t need a seatbelt extender.
Some airlines, like Delta, won’t allow the use of seatbelt extenders when seated in that area. Here is the criteria where you will receive a refund for the extra seat:
The flight(s) must depart with at least one open seat (or with Passengers traveling on space available passes).
Both seats should be purchased in the same fare class (i.e., Choice, Choice Preferred, Choice Extra, or Basic).
The refund request must be made within 90 days of your date of travel.
If You Book Travel Far in Advance, You Should Know About “Insolvency”
In the airline industry, insolvency means that an airline is unable to meet its financial obligations, essentially, it doesn’t have enough money or assets to pay its debts when they come due.
With the news that Spirit Airlines may be in financial trouble, discussions have arisen about what will happen regarding refunds for those who booked travel with the airline if it closes down. This applies to any airline, but you won’t get that money back.
This is something we don’t often discuss because it’s not every day that an airline closes down, but it’s always a possibility. You want to ensure that your travel insurance or credit cards directly cover “Insolvency” or you’ll be forced to bear the cost.