Southwest Airlines is making a significant change to its boarding policy, effective January 27, 2026. The airline announced that it will no longer use an open-boarding policy and instead assign seats to customers.
Customers will have the option to choose between extra legroom seats at the front of the cabin and emergency exits, preferred seating in the middle of the cabin, or standard seating in the back. To select seats during booking, passengers can purchase various fare bundles that include seat options.
The introduction of assigned seating will also bring a new boarding process. Extra legroom seats will receive priority boarding in Groups 1 and 2, while premium fare customers, loyalty program members, and credit cardholders will board earlier.
Additionally, Southwest is changing its bag policy. The airline’s two-free-bag policy for all customers will end, and only Rapid Rewards A-list preferred members and Business Select fare customers will be eligible for this perk. Other customers will have to pay a fee for checked bags.
Source: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/07/22/southwest-airlines-announces-when-assigned-seating-will-begin