AI-assisted summary Southwest Airlines is changing its refund policy for plus-size passengers who purchase two seats.

The new policy requires open seats on the flight, same-fare-class tickets, and a refund request within 90 days.

This change coincides with Southwest’s switch to assigned seating on all flights starting January 27.

Plus-size passengers on Southwest Airlines may soon find it harder to get reimbursed for their extra space.

The airline long had a policy encouraging “customers of size” to purchase two seats when they book a ticket, and then apply for a refund for the second fare after they travel.

Southwest will still allow customers to apply for the refund, but is restricting the conditions under which it will actually provide the reimbursements.

In a statement, the airline said the following three conditions must be met for plus-size passengers to be eligible for a refund:

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.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

The updated policy goes into effect on Jan. 27, the same day the airline switches to assigned seating on all of its flights.

Plus-size travelers worry that the new policy is going to make their travel more complicated, without really providing any benefit to Southwest in the long-run.

“It seems like a sneaky add on from a policy that had been around for 20+ years without much hitting the bottom line. I just hope that consumers are aware of this change and I wonder if plus size people will skip out on flying with them at all because of them not knowing if the flight is sold out or not.” Jeff Jenkins, founder of Chubby Diaries, told USA TODAY in a written statement. He said it now falls to travelers to know whether or not their flight is sold out to know if they’ll be eligible for a refund.

“It’s just more anxiety to an already high anxiety experience,” he said.

Southwest’s previous policy still encouraged plus-size passengers to purchase two seats, but placed fewer restrictions on when refunds would be provided.

Starting Jan. 27, Southwest will require any customer who cannot be safely accommodated in a single seat, which the airline defines as between two lowered armrests, to purchase an additional ticket. The airline recommends passengers buy the second seat in advance to avoid having to pay a higher fare at the airport. Previously, the purchase of a second seat was recommended but not required on Southwest-operated flights.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.