Southwest Airlines on Monday unveiled the end of its open seating policy.
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Beginning July 29, customers will be able to choose their seats for flights on or after January 27, 2026, according to a company release.
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This change comes shortly after Southwest in May implemented another update to a popular policy: the end of its two free checked bags allowance for every customer. Now, the airline only lets some higher-paying customers take advantage of the old policy, while others have to pay.
The introduction of both policies — seat selection and changes to checked bags — are in response to the airline’s need to cut costs and up its revenue, especially after a hiring freeze that followed a series of layoffs.
Southwest first announced the possibility of cutting its open seating arrangement last year, shortly after it reported a loss for the first quarter of 2024.
Tony Roach, Southwest executive vice president of customer and brand, called the airline’s new seating policy “an important step in our evolution.”
The airline said customers can choose from four different fare bundles, with some including seat selection during booking and options to upgrade to a seat with up to an additional five inches of extra legroom. Seats with extra legroom will have “earlier access to bin space, enhanced snacks, and complimentary premium beverages,” the company said.
A-List and A-List Preferred flyers will be able to choose their seat during booking. Some Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers will have the same option, plus they’ll be able to select their seat within 48 hours before their flight departure time. The type of fare they purchase doesn’t impact these customers’ ability to choose their seat.
Southwest also is updating its boarding process to align with its new seating policy. Premium fares, Tier Members, and Credit Cardmembers will board first, followed by flyers who choose seats with extra legroom. The company said customers can pay for priority boarding access up to 24 hours before their flight time.
In its old open seating policy, customers were assigned boarding groups and picked any open seat once onboard. Those open seats were all the same and didn’t come with extra legroom or first-class spots.
In an ad campaign called “Are You Sitting Down?” launched before this announcement, Southwest showcased people getting excited about its new assigned seating policy. The video’s description talks about the “secret benefits of assigned seating,” a policy that other airlines have been doing for decades.
—Francisco Velasquez contributed to this article.