Southwest Airlines has a new policy starting next year that will require passengers who don’t fit within the armrests of their seats to pay for an extra one ahead of their flight.

In a statement by Southwest provided to the Associated Press, the company said it is updating some of its policies as it prepares for assigned seating next year.

"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.

How does this Southwest seating policy work?

Why you should care:

The Dallas-based airliner’s new rule starts Jan. 27, the same day Southwest starts assigning seats.

Under the current rule, plus-size passengers have the choice to either pay for an additional seat in advance with the optio

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