SouthWest Airlines will open booking today, July 29, 2025, for flights through March 4, 2026, and-after five decades of open seating-customers can finally choose their seats. The new policy takes effect on January 27, 2026, pairing seat selection with fare bundles that introduce Extra Legroom, Preferred, and Standard seats. A revamped boarding process will prioritize premium seats and elite status while maintaining Southwest's focus on on-time departures and quick turnarounds. Executive Vice President of Customer & Brand Tony Roach called the change "an important step in our evolution."
Key Points
- Why it matters: Ends 53-year open-seat tradition, aligning Southwest with competitors.
- Assigned seating begins January 27, 2026; tickets bookable now for travel through March 4, 2026.
- Three seat types-Extra Legroom, Preferred, Standard-bundled into four new fares (Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, Choice Extra).
- New eight-group boarding replaces A/B/C letters; Extra Legroom and elite flyers board first.
- Rapid Rewards credit-card members guaranteed Group 5 or earlier.
- Seat upgrades and Priority Boarding available within 24 hours of departure.
Snapshot
Southwest's open-seating model has long set the airline apart, but customer surveys showed growing demand for certainty, extra space, and earlier access to overhead bins. Beginning today, travelers booking flights that depart on or after January 27, 2026, can pick seats during checkout or within 48 hours of departure, depending on fare and status. The carrier's website now displays seat maps, and fare bundles clearly spell out benefits, from legroom to Rapid Rewards multipliers. Southwest has also extended its schedule to early March 2026, adding seasonal routes and the debut of Orlando-St. Thomas service.
Background
Since 1971, Southwest has relied on simple fares, two free checked bags, and an open seating free-for-all that rewarded early check-in or paid EarlyBird. The model kept ground times short but created anxiety for families and business travelers who value seat choice. In 2024 the airline launched "Southwest. Even Better," a three-year initiative to modernize cabins, retire plastic boarding stanchions, and grow ancillary revenue. Assigned seating is the cornerstone of those upgrades. By tying seat choice to fare bundles, Southwest expects higher yields without abandoning its low-cost roots. The shift also simplifies interline itineraries with partners such as Icelandair and China Airlines.
Latest Developments
Seats now bookable for 2026 travel
Customers visiting Southwest.com today will see seat maps on eligible flights. Basic fares receive a Standard seat assigned at check-in, while Choice bundles allow advance selection. Choice Extra automatically includes an Extra Legroom seat near the front or in exit rows, plus enhanced snacks and premium drinks. A-List and A-List Preferred members can select seats at booking-even on Basic tickets-mirroring benefits offered by legacy carriers.
Boarding process revamp
Open seating's familiar A/B/C pylons disappear on January 27, replaced by numbered Groups 1-8. Extra Legroom passengers, A-List Preferred members, and Choice Extra flyers board in Groups 1-2. A-List and Rapid Rewards credit-card members board no later than Group 5, while Basic-fare travelers occupy Groups 6-8. Priority Boarding, purchasable 24 hours before departure, moves any customer to Group 1. Southwest says the redesign will "deliver a smooth and efficient customer experience" without lengthening turn times.
Analysis
Southwest's pivot aligns the carrier with consumer trends toward customization and revenue segmentation. By bucket-pricing seat attributes-as rivals have for years-Southwest gains new income streams while preserving core perks like no-change fees. The eight-group boarding ladder appeases frequent flyers who feared losing priority, and keeping credit-card holders ahead of Group 6 protects lucrative co-branding revenue. Operationally, assigned seats should reduce aisle congestion and improve first-to-last-bag loading times, offsetting any boarding complexity. The risk lies in alienating brand loyalists who prized the egalitarian scramble for seats. Yet rising load factors, scarce overhead space, and competitive market dynamics made change unavoidable. Analysts expect modest fare inflation on Choice bundles but believe Basic will remain price-competitive with ultra-low-cost carriers when bags and seat fees are tallied.
Final Thoughts
Southwest has threaded the needle between tradition and transformation. Travelers gain certainty, extra space options, and clearer loyalty perks, while the airline gains ancillary revenue and a boarding process built for modern cabins. Come January 27, 2026, flying Southwest will feel different at the gate, but-if plans hold-still familiar in the sky, fulfilling customer demand for choice without sacrificing the brand's hallmark friendliness and value around SouthWest Airlines assigned seating.