The Texas-based airline carrier is well known for its open seating policy, which allows passengers to choose their own seats as they board the plane.
WASHINGTON — Southwest Airlines is officially selling assigned seats on flights.
Starting Tuesday, July 29, passengers flying on the airline can select their seats in advance for flights beginning Jan. 27, 2026. Open seating has been a hallmark policy for the Texas-based airline, allowing passengers to choose their own seats as they boarded the plane.
Passengers who do not select their seats will be assigned a seat at check-in, according to the new policy. The airline aims to give passengers more options for their fares, including bundles that offer extra legroom, preferred seating and standard seating. The new policy also lets customers purchase seat upgrades.
“Our Customers want more choice and greater control over their travel experience,” Southwest’s Executive Vice President Customer & Brand Tony Roach said in a previous statement. “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. This is an important step in our evolution, and we’re excited to pair these enhancements with our legendary Customer Service.”
Additionally, Southwest will also begin a new group-based boarding system starting on Jan 27. The new boarding process will prioritize passengers based on seat location, though tier members and Rapid Rewards credit card holders will board earlier.
When will Southwest assigned seating start?
While seats are on sale now, the actual policy won’t kick in until Jan. 27. So, for the next several months it’ll still be open seating at Southwest Airlines.
Southwest new boarding process
The overhauled boarding process will eventually replace current boarding groups A-C with Groups 1-8.
Passengers can also pay for priority boarding.
Rapid Rewards credit card holders will also be able to select seats within 48 hours of flight departure, regardless of fare.
“The goal of this shift is to maintain an efficient and orderly boarding approach that is optimized to assigned seating, prioritizing Customers into boarding groups based on seat location, beginning with Extra Legroom seats in boarding groups 1 and 2,” the airline says on its website.
Southwest announced the policy changes in 2024, one of many changes the airline made in the last year. In May, the airline also ditched its longstanding “bags fly free” policy allowed passengers two free checked bags with every ticket.
The airline now charges $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second checked bag.
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