Last Updated on November 4, 2026 by Tyler Morgan
Southwest Airlines now sells assigned seats and four fare bundles: Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra. The names sound alike, but they control very different things, including where you sit, when you board, whether your ticket is refundable and whether your bags fly free. Assigned seating began with flights on January 27, 2026, so a lot of older advice about open seating, A/B/C boarding groups and Business Select no longer applies.
This guide lays out exactly what each fare includes, how Standard, Preferred and Extra Legroom seats differ, which fare boards first, and when Southwest gives you a better seat for free. It also answers the question many travelers ask: does Southwest have first class?
Quick Answer
Choice lets you pick a Standard seat at booking and boards in Groups 3–7. Choice Preferred adds a free Preferred seat near the front, Groups 3–4 boarding, a fully refundable ticket and 10 points per dollar. Choice Extra adds an Extra Legroom seat, Group 1 boarding, two free checked bags and a premium drink on select flights. Preferred seats are not bigger, only closer to the front.
Key Takeaways
- Southwest has three seat types: Standard (back of the cabin), Preferred (standard legroom, near the front) and Extra Legroom (up to five extra inches on the 737-700).
- Choice Preferred is the cheapest refundable fare. Choice is changeable but cancels to a Transferable Flight Credit, not cash.
- Only Choice Extra includes free checked bags. Other fares pay $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second unless you have elite status, a Southwest credit card or military ID.
- Boarding order follows the fare: Choice Extra in Group 1, Extra Legroom seats bought on other fares in Group 2, Choice Preferred in Groups 3–4, Choice in Groups 3–7 and Basic last in Group 8.
- There is no “Choice Preferred Plus” fare and no first class cabin. Choice Extra is the closest thing to a premium product.
Southwest Fare Bundles Compared Side by Side
Southwest’s current fare chart lists four bundles. Here is what each one includes for a standard domestic trip, based on Southwest’s own fare comparison page.
| Feature | Basic | Choice | Choice Preferred | Choice Extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat included | Standard seat assigned at check-in | Choose a Standard seat at booking | Choose a Preferred or Standard seat at booking | Choose any seat, including Extra Legroom |
| Boarding group | Group 8 (last) | Groups 3–7 | Groups 3–4 | Group 1 |
| Checked bags | Fees apply | Fees apply | Fees apply | Two free |
| Changes | Only by upgrading to a Choice fare | Allowed, pay fare difference | Allowed, pay fare difference | Allowed, pay fare difference |
| If you cancel (10+ min before departure) | Flight credit, expires 6 months after booking | Transferable Flight Credit, expires 12 months after booking | Full refund to original payment | Full refund to original payment |
| Same-day change / standby | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rapid Rewards points | 2 per dollar | 6 per dollar | 10 per dollar | 14 per dollar |
| Extras | None | None | Priority and Express Lane access where available | Priority and Express Lanes, one premium drink on select flights of 251+ miles |
Every fare gets free inflight entertainment on select aircraft. Taxes and fees can still apply to same-day changes.
Choice vs Choice Preferred: What the Extra Money Buys
This is the comparison most people get stuck on, because both fares let you pick a seat when you book. The differences are real, though, and only one of them is about the seat.
1. Where you can sit
Choice includes a Standard seat, which is in the back part of the cabin. You can pay extra for a Preferred or Extra Legroom seat if one is available. Choice Preferred includes any Preferred or Standard seat at no extra cost, and you can pay to move into Extra Legroom.
2. When you board
Choice Preferred passengers sitting in Standard or Preferred seats board in Groups 3–4. Choice passengers board anywhere from Group 3 to Group 7. If overhead bin space matters to you, the earlier group is often the bigger benefit than the seat itself.
3. What happens if you cancel
This is the biggest difference. Choice Preferred is refundable: cancel at least 10 minutes before departure and the ticket value goes back to your original form of payment. Choice gives you a Transferable Flight Credit that expires 12 months after booking. If there is any real chance your plans change, Choice Preferred can be worth the price gap on its own.
4. Points
Choice Preferred earns 10 Rapid Rewards points per dollar versus 6 on Choice. On a $300 ticket, that is 3,000 points against 1,800.
What Choice Preferred does not include: free checked bags, extra legroom or a drink. For those you need Choice Extra.
Standard, Preferred and Extra Legroom Seats: How Much Bigger?
Southwest describes its three seat types this way:
- Standard: standard legroom, located in the back of the cabin.
- Preferred: standard legroom, located near the front of the cabin. You get off the plane sooner, but the seat is the same size as a Standard seat.
- Extra Legroom: at the front of the cabin and in the exit rows, with up to five additional inches of legroom compared with Standard and Preferred seats. Southwest says the five-inch figure applies to the 737-700, and pitch varies by aircraft. Extra Legroom seats also come with extra snacks and complimentary premium beverages when available.
So if you searched “how much bigger are preferred seats on Southwest,” the honest answer is that they are not bigger at all. Both Preferred and Standard are economy seats in the same cabin. If you want more knee room, you need an Extra Legroom seat. Our look inside Southwest’s 175-seat planes explains how the cabin is laid out.
Southwest does not publish fixed seat prices, because they vary by flight. When The Points Guy priced a February 2026 Washington Reagan to Fort Lauderdale trip, an Extra Legroom seat on a Basic fare cost $60 more, and the Choice Extra bundle was $140 above Basic. Treat those as one example, not a rule.
Which Southwest Fare Boards Earliest?
Boarding groups now run 1 through 8, and Southwest has removed the old numbered stanchions from gate areas. The order is:
- Preboarding (customers with disabilities who need extra time, and unaccompanied minors)
- Priority Boarding, bought within 24 hours of departure when available, plus active-duty U.S. military with valid ID
- A-List Preferred members
- Group 1: A-List members and Choice Extra fares
- Group 2: Extra Legroom seats bought on a Choice or Choice Preferred fare
- Groups 3–4: Choice Preferred fares in Standard or Preferred seats
- Group 5: Southwest credit cardmembers not already in an earlier group
- Groups 3–7: Choice fares in Standard or Preferred seats
- Group 8: Basic fares
In short, Choice Extra boards earliest of the four fares, followed by anyone who paid for Extra Legroom, then Choice Preferred, then Choice, with Basic last. Families on the same reservation board together in the same group. For a step-by-step on check-in and boarding passes, see our Southwest check-in guide.
Does Southwest Upgrade Choice Seats for Free?
Southwest does not automatically move Choice passengers into Preferred seats. Free seat upgrades come from elite status and certain credit cards, according to Southwest’s seat page:
- A-List: choose a Preferred or Standard seat free at booking, and upgrade free to Extra Legroom within 48 hours of departure when seats are available. Boards in Group 1.
- A-List Preferred: choose any seat free at booking, including Extra Legroom, and board before Group 1.
- Rapid Rewards Plus card: Standard seat selection within 48 hours of departure.
- Rapid Rewards Premier card: Standard or Preferred seat within 48 hours of departure.
- Rapid Rewards Priority and Performance Business cards: Standard or Preferred seat at booking, plus a free move to Extra Legroom within 48 hours of departure.
- Companion Pass: the holder can pick a seat for their companion, and tier seat benefits extend to both.
NerdWallet reports that Southwest will rename its tiers on January 1, 2027, with A-List becoming Silver, A-List Preferred becoming Gold and a new Platinum tier added. Check your benefits again after that date. Our Southwest seat selection guide walks through picking and changing seats in the app.
Checked Bag Fees by Fare
Southwest’s optional charges page lists these one-way fees within the U.S. mainland:
- Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred: $45 for the first checked bag and $55 for the second.
- Choice Extra: first and second bags free.
- A-List Preferred: first and second bags free.
- A-List: first bag free, second bag $35.
- Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers: first bag free, second bag $55.
- Active-duty military with ID: first and second bags free.
A third bag is $150. If you would check two bags anyway, the price gap between Choice Preferred and Choice Extra can shrink to almost nothing once you add $100 in bag fees.
Warning: Some travel sites still say Choice Preferred includes free checked bags. Southwest’s own fare chart says it does not. Only Choice Extra includes two free bags.
Does Southwest Have First Class or Business Class?
No. Southwest has never sold a separate first class or business class cabin, and assigned seating did not change that. Every seat on the plane is the same economy seat. What changed is that you can now pay for a better location (Preferred), more legroom (Extra Legroom) or a bundle of perks (Choice Extra).
The older Business Select fare is being phased out as part of the move to the new bundles. Choice Extra fills a similar role: early boarding, a roomier seat, a premium drink on longer flights and full refundability. Our explainer on Southwest first class and Choice Extra goes deeper.
If you need a true first class seat with a wider chair and meal service, you will have to book a different airline. On American, for example, “Preferred” seats are also regular economy seats in a better location, which our American Airlines Preferred seats guide covers.
Which Southwest Fare Should You Book?
- Book Basic only if your plans are fixed, you do not care where you sit and you have no checked bags or have a free bag through a card or status.
- Book Choice if you want to pick your seat and keep the ability to change, and a flight credit is acceptable if you cancel.
- Book Choice Preferred if there is any chance you will cancel, if you want to board earlier, or if you like sitting near the front for a quick exit.
- Book Choice Extra if you are checking two bags, are tall, or want to board first. Compare it against Choice plus a paid Extra Legroom seat before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Southwest Choice and Choice Preferred seating?
Choice includes a Standard seat in the back of the cabin, boards in Groups 3–7 and cancels to a Transferable Flight Credit. Choice Preferred includes a Preferred seat near the front (or any Standard seat), boards in Groups 3–4, earns 10 points per dollar instead of 6, and is fully refundable to your original payment if you cancel at least 10 minutes before departure.
Is there a Southwest Choice Preferred Plus fare?
No. Southwest sells four fares: Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra. The step above Choice Preferred is Choice Extra, which adds an Extra Legroom seat, Group 1 boarding, two free checked bags, a premium drink on select flights of 251 miles or more, and 14 points per dollar.
Which Choice seat on Southwest boards earlier?
Choice Extra boards in Group 1. Anyone on a Choice or Choice Preferred fare who paid for an Extra Legroom seat boards in Group 2. Choice Preferred passengers in Standard or Preferred seats board in Groups 3–4, Choice passengers board in Groups 3–7, and Basic passengers board last in Group 8.
Does Southwest bump Choice seats to Preferred for free?
Not automatically. Free seat upgrades come from status and cards. A-List members can pick Preferred seats free at booking and move to Extra Legroom within 48 hours of departure when available. Premier cardholders can pick a Preferred seat within 48 hours, and Priority and Performance Business cardholders can pick one at booking.
How much bigger are Preferred seats on Southwest?
They are not bigger. Southwest says Preferred seats have standard legroom and are simply located near the front of the cabin. Only Extra Legroom seats, at the front and in exit rows, offer more space: up to five extra inches on the 737-700, with the exact amount varying by aircraft.
Preferred seat or Standard seat on Southwest: which is economy class?
Both. Southwest has a single economy cabin, so Standard, Preferred and Extra Legroom seats are all economy seats. Preferred only changes your location in the cabin, while Extra Legroom adds knee room. There is no separate premium cabin with wider seats.
Does Southwest Airlines have first class or business class?
No. Southwest does not sell first class or business class. The closest option is Choice Extra, which includes an Extra Legroom seat, Group 1 boarding, two free checked bags, a premium drink on select longer flights and a refundable ticket. If you need a true first class cabin, book another airline.
Sources
- Southwest Airlines – Fare types and benefits – what Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra include, boarding groups, refunds and points.
- Southwest Airlines – Seats – seat type definitions, seat selection by fare, full boarding order and free upgrade rules for A-List and cardmembers.
- Southwest Airlines – Assigned seating – January 27, 2026 start date, Groups 1–8 and family boarding.
- Southwest Airlines – Optional travel charges – checked bag fees by fare and status.
- The Points Guy – Booking a Southwest flight with assigned seats – sample fare and seat pricing, Business Select phase-out.
- NerdWallet – Guide to Southwest baggage and other fees – bag fee details and the January 1, 2027 tier renaming.
