Southwest Airlines on July 29 will begin to offer seat assignments during the booking process for flights from Jan. 27, 2026, the carrier announced this week.
The airline a year ago announced it would add assigned seating and end its decades-old open-seating policy. It also had announced the addition of cabin segmentation with extra-legroom, preferred and standard seats. The carrier began its extra legroom retrofit in April.
The seating changes prompted the need to revamp Southwest's boarding process, which also will begin on Jan. 27. The carrier will prioritize customers into groups based on seat location, beginning with extra-legroom seats.
Groups 1 and 2 will include passengers who purchased a Choice Extra bundle or an upgrade to an extra-legroom seat with any fare bundle, A-List Preferred members who selected a seat at the time of booking and A-List members who upgrade to an extra-legroom seat. Groups 3 through 5 will include passengers who purchased the Choice Preferred fare bundle, A-List members who are seated in a preferred or standard seat who can make this selection at booking. Groups 6 through 8 will include customers who purchased Choice or Basic fares.
Customers with premium fares as well as loyalty-program tier members and branded credit card program members will board earlier in the process, according to Southwest. In addition, customers will be able to purchase priority boarding beginning 24 hours prior to departure.