Southwest Airlines Overhauls Boarding

Southwest Airlines is making the biggest change to its flight experience in over 50 years. The airline is officially ending its famous open seating policy. If you fly with children, this upcoming shift to assigned seats will completely change how you plan your next family vacation.

The End of the Open Seating Era

For decades, flying Southwest meant dealing with a highly unique boarding process. Passengers had to check in exactly 24 hours early to secure a coveted “A” boarding group. If you forgot or checked in a few hours late, you risked getting a “C” boarding pass. That usually meant walking past rows of seated passengers to claim a middle seat at the very back of the plane.

That era is officially coming to a close. Southwest recently announced a complete transition to assigned seating. The company conducted extensive research before making this decision. They found that 80 percent of current Southwest customers actually prefer assigned seats. Furthermore, 86 percent of potential customers who choose other airlines do so specifically because they want to know exactly where they will sit before they arrive at the airport.

How This Impacts Your Next Family Flight

The open seating model was notoriously stressful for families traveling together. Under the old system, parents had to figure out how to game the boarding process to ensure they did not get separated from their kids.

Here is how the new assigned seating model will change family travel:

Guaranteed seat assignments: You will be able to select your seats together right when you buy your tickets.
No more check-in alarms: You no longer need to set a frantic alarm to check in exactly 24 hours before your flight just to get a good boarding position.
Easier boarding with kids: You can take your time getting to the gate without the anxiety of scanning the aisles for empty rows while wrangling young children and heavy carry-on bags.

Previously, parents often paid extra for EarlyBird Check-In just to secure an early boarding position. EarlyBird currently costs between $15 and $25 per passenger each way. For a family of four, that adds an extra $120 to $200 to a round trip. While Southwest has not yet announced exactly how much it will charge for standard or premium seat selection, the basic ability to book seats together in advance brings a massive sense of relief to traveling parents.

It is worth noting that Southwest currently offers Family Boarding between the A and B groups for children under six years old. However, families with older kids were always left to the luck of the draw.

New Premium Seating and Extra Legroom

Along with assigned seats, Southwest is introducing premium seating options for the first time in its history. The airline plans to redesign its cabin layouts so that roughly one-third of the seats offer extra legroom.

Currently, Southwest offers a standard 32 inches of pitch (the distance from one seat to the seat directly in front of it) across most of its Boeing 737 fleet. The new premium seats will feature an extended pitch. This allows Southwest to compete directly with the extra legroom options found on legacy carriers like Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines. This change is specifically targeted at business travelers who are willing to pay a premium for comfort and space to work on their laptops, but it will also appeal to tall travelers and families wanting extra space.

Timeline for the Seating Changes

You will not see these seating changes on your upcoming holiday flights this year. The transition requires a massive logistical overhaul behind the scenes.

Southwest expects to begin selling assigned seats in the second half of 2025. The actual flights featuring the new assigned seating and premium legroom will take to the skies in early 2026. The airline needs this extended runway to update its booking software, redesign its mobile app, and physically retrofit the cabins on hundreds of aircraft. Every single plane in their fleet needs to be updated to match the new seating configuration.

Red-Eye Flights Are Arriving Sooner

While the seating changes are over a year away, Southwest is introducing another major network shift much sooner. The airline is adding overnight red-eye flights to its schedule for the very first time.

These overnight flights will launch in February 2025. The initial routes include flights from Las Vegas to Baltimore, Las Vegas to Orlando, Los Angeles to Baltimore, and Los Angeles to Nashville. For families looking to maximize their vacation days, red-eye flights offer a great way to travel while the kids sleep, allowing you to arrive at your destination first thing in the morning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Southwest still let bags fly free? Yes. Despite the massive changes to seating and boarding, Southwest has officially confirmed that its “Bags Fly Free” policy will remain in place. Every passenger will still be allowed two free checked bags.

Will there still be boarding groups? Southwest has not released the exact details of how the physical boarding process will work once assigned seating is implemented. However, airlines with assigned seating typically board by numbered zones or groups based on seat location and frequent flyer status.

Will I have to pay to select a seat? Southwest has not announced its specific pricing structure for seat selection. It is highly likely that premium seats with extra legroom will cost an additional fee, while standard seats may be included in certain fare classes or available for a lower fee.