Southwest Unveils Details Around Assigned Seating and Boarding Groups

While we’ve known that the airline has planned to add assigned seating for quite some time, Southwest Airlines has officially announced the rollout date and what passengers can expect when stepping on board.

Southwest Airlines Will Begin Assigned Seating on January 27, 2026

For the first time in company history, Southwest will begin assigned seating on all of its flights as of January 27, 2026. Customers will have the option to select their seat at the time of booking starting July 29, 2025 for flights operated on January 27th and beyond.

This is the final, major, overhaul for the Dallas based carrier since an activist investor took a position in the company more than a year ago. Since then, the airline has made many unpopular changes, including eliminating free checked bags on most fares, but this is a change I’m extremely happy about.

Southwest has had open seating since its inception and relies on a “cattle call” boarding process where passengers line up by number and then take whatever seat is available when it is their turn to board. This was great for some but I always have preferred the option to choose my own seat. With Southwest if you were late to the gate or checked-in late, have fun in a middle seat.

Now, the open seating policy is finally going away. Tony Roach, Executive Vice President Customer & Brand at Southwest Airlines, had this to say about the changes:

“Our Customers want more choice and greater control over their travel experience. Assigned seating unlocks new opportunities for our Customers—including the ability to select Extra Legroom seats—and removes the uncertainty of not knowing where they will sit in the cabin. This is an important step in our evolution, and we’re excited to pair these enhancements with our legendary Customer Service.”

The change to assigned seating also coincided with the carrier’s rollout of Extra Legroom and Preferred seats. These new seating options are in addition to Standard seats and, depending on your fare type and status with the airline, can be selected at booking for free or an additional fee.

Passengers with Southwest Rapid Rewards cobranded credit cards will have seating benefits available to them depending on the type of card they have. The highest level cards offer passengers the chance to select Extra Legroom seats within 48 hours of departure on a space available basis.

A-List and A-List preferred members will be able to select a seat at booking, regardless of the fare type. While not explicitly called out, this would imply that other passengers traveling on Basic fares would not be allowed to select a seat for free.

Southwest Introduces Boarding Groups

With the addition of assigned seating, beginning January 27, 2026, Southwest will also roll out new boarding groups. According to the airline, the groups have been “optimized for assigned seating” with customers prioritized based on seating location.

Southwest will have eight boarding groups in total. Groups 1 and 2 are reserved for Extra Legroom passengers, whose seats are located at the front of the aircraft and the overwing exits. All Rapid Rewards cardmembers, regardless of card type, will be able to board with Group 5, even those traveling on Basic fares. Passengers wishing to board sooner, for a chance at more overhead bin space, can purchase priority boarding 24 hours before departure.

Summary

Future Southwest flyers rejoice, the carrier has finally provided a date to transition to assigned seating, ending the cattle-call boarding process that the airline has used for years. The new policy goes into effect on January 27, 2026 in what I believe is a great upgrade for passengers. It should also cut down on the number of preboards as one of the major benefits of getting your preferred seat is gone.