Southwest Airlines recently announced a major change in their seating policy. Starting on July 29, 2025, passengers will have the option to select a seat during the booking process. Seat assignments will be available for flights departing on and after Jan. 27, 2026. This marks a significant shift from Southwest’s current open seating protocol.
Passengers with Southwest credit cards and Rapid Rewards elite status will have access to early seat selection, seat upgrades, and preferred boarding. However, those without these privileges may end up paying more for these benefits.
The new boarding process will no longer assign a group letter and position number. Instead, passengers will receive a boarding group number between 1 and 8 based on their loyalty status or fare class. This will align Southwest with other airlines’ boarding procedures.
Furthermore, Southwest is introducing different seat types associated with new fare classes. These include Standard seats with standard legroom, Preferred seats with standard legroom located between the middle and front of the plane, and Extra legroom seats with five extra inches of seat pitch near the front of the plane and in exit rows.
Passengers booking flights with Southwest credit cards will receive preferred boarding in Group 5 and a seat-selection benefit, even with Basic fares. The Companion Pass program remains largely unchanged, with companions now booking into the same fare class as the primary ticket.
Overall, these changes position Southwest more in line with other airlines, providing perks for elites and credit card holders. Those without status or a Southwest credit card may see Southwest as just another airline.