Last Updated on July 24, 2026 by Daniel Globe
Southwest Airlines now uses assigned seating on every flight. Instead of choosing an open seat after boarding, you select a seat during booking, purchase a different seat later, or receive an assignment at check-in. Your fare, seat category, Rapid Rewards status, and eligible credit-card benefits determine which seats you can choose and when you board.
Quick Answer
To select a seat on Southwest, choose a flight and fare, enter the passenger details, and pick an available seat from the displayed seat map. Choice or higher includes certain seats at booking. Basic passengers receive a Standard seat at check-in or the gate unless status, card benefits, or a paid upgrade allows earlier selection.
Key Takeaways
- Southwest replaced open seating with assigned seating on January 27, 2026.
- Basic receives a Standard seat at check-in, while Choice and higher fares include some seat selection at booking.
- Standard, Preferred, and Extra Legroom are the three main seat categories.
- The current boarding system uses Groups 1 through 8, plus preboarding and several positions before Group 1.
- Seat-selection and boarding benefits vary by fare, Rapid Rewards tier, and specific Southwest credit card.
At a Glance
| Time Required | About 3 to 10 minutes |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Tools Needed | Southwest website or app, reservation details, and a credit card if purchasing a seat |
| Cost | Included seats depend on your fare or benefits. Separately purchased seats currently range from $4 to $250 per passenger, per flight segment. |
What’s in This Article
- How Southwest Assigned Seating Works
- How to Select a Seat During Booking
- How Your Fare Affects Seat Selection
- Rapid Rewards and Credit-Card Benefits
- How to Change or Purchase a Seat Later
- Checking In for Your Flight
- Southwest’s Current Boarding Process
- Family Seating
- Airport Check-In and Baggage
- Accessibility and Exit-Row Rules
- Tips for Choosing the Best Seat
- Frequently Asked Questions
How Southwest Assigned Seating Works
Southwest ended its open-seating system on January 27, 2026. Passengers now board with a saved seat assignment instead of choosing an empty seat after entering the aircraft. Southwest explains the current system on its official assigned-seating page.
The airline offers three main seat categories:
| Seat Type | Location and Features |
|---|---|
| Standard | Standard-legroom seats in the back portion of the cabin. |
| Preferred | Standard-legroom seats located closer to the front. |
| Extra Legroom | Seats near the front and in exit rows with about three to five additional inches of pitch, depending on the aircraft. Extra snacks and a complimentary premium beverage may be included on eligible flights. |
Your seat is reserved before boarding. Checking in earlier does not move you into a better boarding group, but you still need to check in to receive your boarding pass and confirm the assignment.
How to Select a Seat During Booking
You can select a seat on Southwest.com or in the Southwest app. The available choices depend on your fare, status, credit-card benefits, and whether other passengers have already reserved seats.
- Search for your flight. Enter your departure city, destination, dates, and number of passengers.
- Choose a flight and fare. Compare Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra before continuing.
- Enter the passenger information. Add each traveler’s name, birth date, contact details, and Rapid Rewards number when applicable.
- Open the seat map. Southwest displays the map after you enter the passenger details.
- Review the seat labels and prices. Seats included with your fare or benefits appear as available choices. Other seats may display an added price.
- Select a seat for each passenger. Click or tap an available seat and confirm the passenger assigned to it.
- Review the reservation. Check the seat numbers, fare terms, and any added seat charges before paying.
You may also choose “Skip all seats” and complete the booking without selecting one. You can return to the reservation later or allow Southwest to assign a seat during check-in.
Pro Tip: Compare the total price of a higher fare with the price of buying a seat separately. A Choice fare plus a paid Preferred seat may cost less than Choice Preferred on one flight but more on another.
How Your Fare Affects Seat Selection
Southwest’s four fare bundles include different seating and boarding benefits. All included seats remain subject to availability.
| Fare | Included Seat Choice | Typical Boarding Position |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | A Standard seat is assigned at check-in or at the gate. Available seats can also be purchased separately. | Group 8 unless status, seat purchase, or card benefits provide an earlier group |
| Choice | Choose an available Standard seat at booking. Preferred and Extra Legroom seats may be purchased. | Groups 3 through 7, depending partly on seat location |
| Choice Preferred | Choose an available Preferred or Standard seat at booking. Extra Legroom may be purchased. | Groups 3 or 4 with an included Preferred or Standard seat; Group 2 with an eligible Extra Legroom seat |
| Choice Extra | Choose any available Extra Legroom, Preferred, or Standard seat at booking. | Group 1 |
Review Southwest’s current fare types and benefits before purchasing because fare rules, seat availability, and optional charges can change.
How Rapid Rewards Status and Credit Cards Affect Seat Choice
Rapid Rewards tier members can receive better seat selection and boarding even when their purchased fare does not include those benefits.
- A-List Preferred: Select any available seat, including Extra Legroom, at booking. Members receive dedicated boarding before Group 1.
- A-List: Select an available Preferred or Standard seat at booking. An available Extra Legroom seat may be selected within 48 hours of departure. Members board in Group 1.
These tier benefits can extend to as many as eight additional passengers on the same reservation, subject to Southwest’s terms.
Primary Southwest Rapid Rewards credit-card benefits vary by product:
- Priority and Performance products: Eligible primary cardmembers may select Preferred or Standard seats at booking and may upgrade to an available Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours of departure.
- Premier products: Eligible primary cardmembers may select an available Preferred or Standard seat within 48 hours of departure.
- Plus products: Eligible primary cardmembers may select an available Standard seat within 48 hours of departure.
- Boarding: Eligible primary cardmembers generally receive Group 5 when their fare, seat, or tier status does not provide an earlier group.
Note: Authorized users may not receive the same benefits as the primary cardmember. Add the primary cardmember’s Rapid Rewards number to the reservation and check the current card terms before relying on a seat benefit.
How to Change or Purchase a Seat After Booking
You can change an eligible seat through Southwest’s Manage Reservation area or the mobile app:
- Open Southwest.com or the Southwest app.
- Select Manage Reservation.
- Enter the confirmation number and passenger name.
- Open the seat-selection option.
- Choose an available seat and review any price difference.
- Confirm the seat and save the updated reservation.
Southwest currently ends seat sales and voluntary seat changes 60 minutes before the original scheduled departure of a domestic flight and 90 minutes before an international flight. Paid seats currently range from $4 to $250 per passenger, per flight segment. Availability and prices vary.
Warning: A seat purchased separately cannot normally be canceled by itself. You generally must cancel the flight to receive a seat-related flight credit. Exchanging to a cheaper seat may not produce a refund, while exchanging to a more expensive seat requires a new payment.
If Southwest moves you from a separately purchased Extra Legroom seat to Preferred or Standard, or from Preferred to Standard, its current policy provides a refund of the original seat charge to the original payment method.
Checking In for Your Southwest Flight
Online check-in opens 24 hours before the flight’s original scheduled departure. You can check in through Southwest.com, the Southwest app, a participating airport kiosk, a ticket counter, or a Skycap podium where available.
Checking in promptly remains important even though it does not determine your boarding group. It lets you retrieve your boarding pass, review your seat, and address a missing or incorrect assignment before reaching the gate.
Basic passengers normally receive a Standard seat when they check in. If Southwest cannot assign one at that point, the system may issue a security document instead of a boarding pass. After passing through security, visit the departure-gate agent to receive the seat assignment.
Note: Southwest’s current check-in deadline is 30 minutes before a domestic flight and 60 minutes before most international flights. Aruba requires check-in at least 75 minutes before departure. All passengers should have a boarding pass and be at the gate at least 10 minutes before departure.
Understanding Southwest’s Current Boarding Process
Southwest uses Groups 1 through 8. Boarding groups depend on fare, seat type and location, Rapid Rewards status, and eligible credit-card benefits. The official boarding-process page lists the current order.
| Boarding Position | Who Qualifies |
|---|---|
| Preboarding | Eligible passengers with disabilities and unaccompanied minors |
| Priority Boarding | Customers who purchase Priority Boarding, when available, and active-duty U.S. military members with valid identification |
| A-List Preferred | A-List Preferred members receive dedicated boarding before Group 1 |
| Group 1 | A-List members and Choice Extra passengers |
| Group 2 | Extra Legroom passengers traveling on Choice or Choice Preferred fares |
| Groups 3-4 | Choice Preferred passengers in Preferred or Standard seats |
| Group 5 | Eligible primary Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers without an earlier benefit |
| Groups 3-7 | Choice passengers, based partly on seat location and other benefits |
| Group 8 | Basic passengers without an earlier status, card, or seat benefit |
Priority Boarding becomes available for purchase 24 hours before the original scheduled departure and may remain available until 30 minutes before departure. Current prices range from $10 to $75 per passenger, per flight segment.
Southwest Family Seating
Passengers on the same reservation normally receive the same boarding group, although group-travel reservations can work differently. Receiving the same boarding group does not create adjacent seats, so families should select neighboring seats during booking whenever possible.
Southwest says it will try to seat a child age 12 or younger next to at least one accompanying passenger age 13 or older on the same reservation at no added cost. It does not guarantee that every family member will sit together.
- Choice or higher lets families select included seats while booking.
- Basic seats are assigned at check-in, but paid seat selection may be available earlier.
- Families can continue checking the seat map until the seat-change cutoff.
- If a child is not seated beside an adult in the party, speak with a gate agent or flight attendant.
- If no adjacent seats are available, Southwest may offer another flight with suitable seats.
Pro Tip: Keep children and accompanying adults on one confirmation number. Separate reservations can prevent the system from recognizing the passengers as one family party.
Checking In at the Airport
Travelers who prefer airport check-in can use a Southwest self-service kiosk where available. Enter the confirmation number or follow the identification prompts to retrieve the reservation and print the boarding pass.
Kiosks and ticket-counter staff can also help you check luggage, confirm a Basic seat assignment, or address a reservation problem. Arrive early enough to complete baggage drop and security screening before the applicable check-in deadline.
Note: For most U.S. mainland travel booked, ticketed, or changed on or after April 9, 2026, the standard checked-bag fees are $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second on Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred fares. Choice Extra includes two checked bags. Rapid Rewards status, eligible credit cards, military travel, Hawaii itineraries, and other exceptions can change the fee.
Accessibility and Exit-Row Seating
If you need a particular seat because of a disability, choose the suitable seat during booking when your fare or benefits allow it. If you cannot select the needed seat, Southwest recommends contacting the airline after booking and no later than 24 hours before departure.
Eligible passengers who need additional time or help to board, stow accessibility equipment, or reach a seat may request preboarding from the Operations Agent at the gate. One travel companion may preboard with an eligible passenger.
Warning: Some Extra Legroom seats are in emergency-exit rows. Exit-row passengers must be at least 15, understand and communicate instructions in English, meet physical-assistance requirements, and be willing to help during an evacuation. Passengers traveling with certain assistive devices, pets, service animals, or people who depend on their help may not qualify.
Tips for Choosing the Best Seat on Southwest Airlines
The best seat depends on your comfort, budget, boarding needs, and plans after landing.
Choose Extra Legroom for More Space
Extra Legroom seats provide approximately three to five more inches of pitch, depending on the aircraft. Check whether the seat is in an exit row before selecting it.
Choose Preferred for a Faster Exit
Preferred seats have standard legroom but sit closer to the front. They can help when you have a short connection or want to leave the aircraft sooner.
Choose Standard to Control the Cost
Standard seats sit farther back and are included with Choice fares. They can be suitable when seat location matters less than keeping the fare lower.
Review the Aircraft Seat Map
Southwest operates different Boeing 737 layouts. A seat number, bulkhead position, or exit-row location can vary by aircraft, and operational aircraft changes may affect an earlier assignment.
Book Adjacent Seats Together
Select every passenger’s seat in the same session. Recheck the map before travel if you could not find neighboring seats during the original booking.
Compare the Fare With the Upgrade
Do not assume the highest fare is always the best value. Compare the fare difference with the separate cost of the specific seat you want.
Use Accurate Packing Resources
After selecting your seat, you can compare luggage features in this carry-on suitcase with USB charger guide. Travelers preparing for an outdoor trip may also find the solar-powered camping lantern guide useful while planning their packing list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Southwest Airlines still use open seating?
No. Southwest ended open seating on January 27, 2026. Passengers now select a seat before travel or receive an assigned seat at check-in or the gate.
How do I select a seat on Southwest Airlines?
Choose your flight and fare, enter the passenger information, and select an available seat when the seat map appears. You can also skip seat selection and return through Manage Reservation later.
Can a Basic passenger select a seat?
Basic does not include advance Standard-seat selection. Southwest normally assigns a Standard seat at check-in or the gate. However, the passenger may purchase an available seat or use eligible tier or credit-card benefits.
Can I pay for a specific Southwest seat?
Yes. Available Standard, Preferred, and Extra Legroom seats can be purchased when they are not included with your fare or benefits. Current paid-seat charges range from $4 to $250 per passenger, per flight segment.
What are Southwest’s current boarding groups?
Southwest uses Groups 1 through 8. A-List Preferred boards before Group 1. A-List and Choice Extra board in Group 1, certain Extra Legroom passengers board in Group 2, Choice Preferred generally boards in Groups 3-4, and Basic boards in Group 8 unless another benefit applies.
Will Southwest seat my family together?
Southwest tries to seat a child age 12 or younger beside at least one accompanying passenger age 13 or older on the same reservation. Adjacent seats for every family member are not guaranteed, so selecting seats during booking is safer.
Can I change my Southwest seat after booking?
Yes, if your fare or benefits allow the new seat or you pay the required charge. Use Manage Reservation on Southwest.com or in the app. The current cutoff is 60 minutes before domestic departure and 90 minutes before international departure.
How do I request disability-related seating help?
Select a suitable seat during booking when possible. If you cannot, contact Southwest after booking and preferably more than 24 hours before departure. Speak with the Operations Agent at the gate if you need qualifying preboarding assistance.
Making the Most of Southwest’s Assigned Seating System
Southwest seat selection now happens before boarding rather than after you enter the aircraft. Start by comparing the total fare and seat cost, then choose the seat that matches your space, location, and boarding needs. Review tier and card benefits before paying for an upgrade, and keep families on the same reservation whenever possible.
Check in 24 hours before departure, confirm the saved seat and boarding group, and contact Southwest promptly when you need family or disability-related assistance. Because fees and benefits can change, review the official policy pages again before each trip.
Sources
- Southwest Assigned Seating: seat categories, fares, tier benefits, cardmember benefits, and assigned-seating rules
- Southwest Assigned Seat Selection: booking workflow, Basic assignments, and post-booking selection
- Southwest Boarding Process: current Groups 1 through 8 and priority positions
- Southwest Online Check-In: 24-hour opening time and airport check-in deadlines
- Southwest Optional Travel Charges: paid-seat, Priority Boarding, and checked-bag fees
- Southwest Family Seating Policy: adjacent seating for children and accompanying passengers
