Southwest Is Making a Big Change to Its Seating Policy—But Will It Actually Make Your Travel Experience Better?
Sure, travel can be wonderful … once you’re at your destination (ideally with a fruity drink in hand). But getting there? That can be stressful, to say the least. Aside from the potential for delays and cancellations, there are just so many unknowns. Will there be enough space in the overhead compartments for carry-ons? Will your seatmates be armrest hogs? Will the Wi-Fi actually work this time? And for Southwest passengers, there’s often a whole other level of anxiety to contend with: Will boarding feel like a ruthless, high-stakes game of musical chairs that lands you in the dreaded middle seat—or, worse, next to the bathroom?
Southwest has long had a loyal base of fliers who swear by the airline for its open-seating policy, while others—myself included—prefer to dodge the what-ifs and fly with other airlines that eliminate the guesswork. But now, Southwest has announced it’s shaking things up with a major seating change.
Whether you’re a devotee of the airline or a determined avoider, you’ll definitely want to pay attention because this could be good or bad news, depending on how you prefer to fly. Read on for the details.
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What big change is Southwest making?
Southwest passengers will no longer have to jockey for the perfect open seat during boarding since they’ll soon have the ability to select their spots ahead of time. The major change marks what Executive Vice President of Customer & Brand Tony Roach calls “an important step” in the company’s ongoing “evolution.”
“Our customers want more choice and greater control over their travel experience,” Roach said in a press release. “Assigned seating unlocks new opportunities for our customers—including the ability to select Extra Legroom seats—and removes the uncertainty of not knowing where they will sit in the cabin.”
How will this make your travel experience better?
Well, the goal is to reduce stress. And not everyone has the time or energy before a flight to strategize in this way. Add tight connections or kids to the mix, and forget it. Southwest believes that giving customers the power to choose their seats ahead of time will lead to a better overall experience.
Time will tell whether passengers will embrace the seating change or not, however, especially since preselecting seats has historically come with a price tag. A 2024 report from the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations revealed that over a five-year period ending in 2023, five major U.S. carriers—American, Delta, United, Frontier and Spirit—collectively raked in revenue totaling $12.4 billion from seat-selection fees alone.
How will the booking process work now?
Passengers will have multiple ways to choose their seats on a Southwest flight. Here’s how.
Fare bundles
All types of fares, aside from Basic, will now include seat selection. That said, even most Basic fares can still upgrade; for those who are not eligible, seats will be assigned at check-in. Like other major carriers, Southwest will also offer—for a price—tiered seating options: Extra Legroom, Preferred and Standard.
Rapid Rewards Credit Card members
Depending on the card, Rapid Rewards members will be able to select seats either when they book, no matter the fare, or within 48 hours of their scheduled departure.
A-List and A-List Preferred customers
Loyalty will have its perks, and passengers with A-List or A-List Preferred status can choose their desired seats when booking, regardless of their purchased fare.
How do travelers feel about this?
Some travelers can’t wait for Southwest to ditch the open-seating policy. One Reddit user wrote: “With Southwest, I have to show up early and make my boarding group, my friends/wife and I get separated, can’t spend as much time in lounges, and have that ‘what seat will I get’ stress during boarding, which I hate and overall just doesn’t really make sense to me.”
Others are far from thrilled with the new approach. “I can’t be the only one watching Southwest become everything I hate about other airlines,” one critic wrote on X. “Southwest was my preferred airline because there wasn’t a first class, because I didn’t have to pay to choose my seat. No longer a fan.”
Another went even further, griping on the social media platform, “Now that Southwest Airlines has changed everything about their prices, flights, luggage and rules, I will now look at all airlines for flight. They have been my go-to for everything. Not now …”
When will this new policy go into effect?
Those traveling on Southwest can start selecting specific seats during the booking process beginning July 29—but for flights departing on or after Jan. 27, 2026. On that day, Southwest will officially become the last major U.S. carrier to adopt assigned seating.
What other policy changes has Southwest made this year?
Southwest has had a tumultuous year! Its latest policy update is just one of several major changes it has rolled out so far this year. The others include:
A new boarding process
With the end of open seating, Southwest is also changing to a new group-based boarding system. “The boarding process is optimized for assigned seating and will prioritize customers into groups based on seat location, beginning with Extra Legroom seats in boarding Groups 1-2,” the company notes. “Premium fares and Southwest’s most loyal customers—Tier Members and Credit Cardmembers—will board earlier in the process.”
Power bank restrictions
In a push for in-flight safety, all portable power banks, especially those with lithium-ion batteries, must now be used only in plain sight—not while stored in a bag or overhead bin. The change is intended to help flight attendants quickly identify and extinguish any fires the batteries could spark.
Changes to the checked-baggage policy
Following years of touting its generous “checked bags fly free” policy, Southwest nixed the perk in May for most travelers. Now, only those with elite status or those who purchase a Choice Extra premium fare will continue to receive the benefit. Everyone else, including passengers in Choice Preferred, Choice or Basic tiers of service, is hit with baggage fees.
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Sources:
- PR Newswire: “The Choice Is Yours! Satisfaction Is Coming to Southwest Airlines”
- Southwest: “Assigned Seating for Sale”
- U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Report: “The Sky’s the Limit: The Rise of Junk Fees in American Travel”
- Reddit: “What was the benefit of open seating anyway?”
- Business Insider: “Charging Your Device on a Southwest Flight Is About to Get More Complicated”
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