Southwest Airlines launches ticket sales for flights with assigned seating in major policy U-turn

For the first time, Southwest Airlines is selling assigned seats to passengers, ending the often chaotic — and unpopular — free-for-all boarding era that has existed since the airline’s inception in 1966.

All tickets purchased for travel starting January 27, 2026, will feature assigned seating, the carrier announced. The open seating system will operate up to that date.

The Dallas-based airline has been refurbishing its Boeing 737 fleet since May 2025 in preparation for the four new fare bundles that will launch simultaneously for flights from this coming January.

Southwest Airlines’ fleet now includes extra legroom seats and passengers will be able to pay more to enjoy them, or less for seats with a standard pitch further back.

The fare tiers — Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra — also include variations for baggage allowance and Wi-Fi. The most expensive fare option might typically be double the price of the cheapest, though route, demand, date of travel, and booking date can all affect prices.

Here’s how they break down.

Choice Extra is the most expensive fare option, which includes an extra legroom seat within the front five rows of the cabin that has up to five extra inches of pitch, depending on the type of Boeing 737 used on the route. Choice Extra also comes with two free checked bags, priority lane boarding, a “premium drink” on select flights of 251 miles or more, and complimentary in-flight internet.

Choice Preferred tickets come with standard legroom seats. However, they’re located further forward in the cabin and Choice Preferred passengers also get priority lane boarding.

A Choice ticket holder has the chance to select a standard seat toward the back of the plane during the booking process and if the passenger has to cancel their flight, they get credit towards another one that’s valid for 12 months.

The cheapest fare is Basic. Passengers opting for this one will have a standard seat assigned to them during the check-in process and they receive flight credit valid for six months if their flight is cancelled.

Choice Preferred, Choice and Basic ticket holders all have to pay for checked luggage, a premium drink and internet access.

Southwest Airlines acknowledged that it has been losing customers to rival airlines because of its open seating policy.

It said in a statement: “The airline has been known for its unique open seating model for more than 50 years, but preferences have evolved with more customers taking longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred.

“[Our] research is clear and indicates that 80 per cent of Southwest customers, and 86 per cent of potential customers, prefer an assigned seat.

“When a customer elects to stop flying with Southwest and chooses a competitor, open seating is cited as the number one reason for the change. By moving to an assigned seating model, Southwest expects to broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future customers.”

Bob Jordan, President, CEO, & Vice Chairman of the Board, said: "Moving to assigned seating and offering premium legroom options will be a transformational change that cuts across almost all aspects of the Company. Although our unique open seating model has been a part of Southwest Airlines since our inception, our thoughtful and extensive research makes it clear this is the right choice.”

The assigned seating system, however, puts Southwest in direct competition with the likes of American Airlines, United and Delta, which have decades of experience operating premium-level domestic flights.

Gilbert Ott, Founder of travel site godsavethepoints.com, told The Independent: “Southwest is now virtually identical to most US domestic airlines. It will really need to deliver a perfect experience 100 per cent of the time.”

He added: “Southwest wasn’t always the cheapest before, but customers loved the sense of value. Shareholders clearly felt differently about lost revenue opportunities. I’m curious to see how it goes.”

Southwest also announced that bookings for new destination St Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, are now open.

The first daily round-trip flight between St. Thomas and Orlando is scheduled for February 5, 2026.