Should Plus-Size Queens Expect to Pay for a Second Plane Seat?

You may have seen something about this in recent headlines since Southwest Airlines released a statement that plus-size passengers that require an adjacent seat will no longer have to pay for it. There was a lot of excitement on social media over this, but it should be noted that this new rule only applies if there are empty seats available on the plane. I dug a little deeper into their customer of size policy and wasn’t very surprised at what I found. Southwest still encourages you to purchase your extra seat in advance and then attempt to get a refund after your trip. If you do not purchase a second seat in advance and your flight is full, they will move you to another flight that has seats available. This got me wondering what other airlines state in their customer of size policies so I did some more digging into Delta, United and American airlines.

Before we get into it, note that a passenger requires an extra seat if the armrest cannot go down all the way after the passenger is seated or the passenger encroaches on the adjacent seat. This is one thing that all four airlines agreed on and stated plainly in their policies. With that said, let’s get into it.

Delta

The “Policy of Comfort” with Delta is surprisingly lengthy. It contains who might need to purchase an extra seat, encouragement to purchase it in advance and step-by-step instructions for purchasing said ticket. There is a specific bolded-font note stating that Delta reserves the right to charge for every occupied seat. This is actually rather vague since it would leave the staff assisting you to make the decision as to whether or not you are charged for an extra seat at the gate. If you find yourself requiring an extra seat on a full flight, then Delta follows the same process as Southwest. You will be moved to another flight where seats are available, but you may or may not have to pay for that extra seat. Delta’s website also does not make any mention of getting a refund for your second seat after your trip. It is also worth noting that you cannot book an additional seat under the basic economy fares, which are usually the most affordable.

United

United’s policy, in stark contrast to Delta, is rather short. They define requirements for needing an extra seat and give you a few options as well as instructions for purchasing an extra seat. You are encouraged to buy your extra seat ahead of time (shocking) and say that premium seating is a better option since those seats are already wider. If you opt not to purchase your ticket ahead of time and your flight is full, you will again get moved to another flight with available seating. United’s site makes no mention of whether you will be charged for the second seat or getting a refund after your trip. They do, however; mention that if you are significantly delayed away from home while waiting for your new flight they will provide hotel and meal vouchers for you.

American

Information for this airline was actually very difficult to find. I did finally find it, but I would not call it a policy by any stretch of the imagination. American also encourages you to purchase your extra seat ahead of time, but you have to call their special assistance department to do so. If you wait until arriving at the gate, you may be moved to another flight if there are no extra seats for you to purchase. It is explicitly stated that you will be charged for both seats, including taxes, whether it’s purchased in advance or at the gate. There is no mention of getting a refund after your trip.

What do we think about this?

Should plus-size queens expect to pay for a second plane seat? The answer is an unfortunate yes, for now. Overall, I think we can all agree most of this is bulls**t. After all of this research, Southwest is clearly the best option for plus-size queens to fly with, but it still isn’t a great option. With one airline moving in the right direction, maybe others will follow in the future.

Until Next Time,

Happy Flying