Southwest Airlines will begin assigning seats officially for flights departing on or after January 27, 2026. Starting from July 29, 2025, customers booking flights for January 27, 2026, or later will be able to select their seats at the time of booking. This new system ends Southwest's long-standing open seating policy and introduces the option to choose from different seat types, including extra legroom seats. Passengers with certain fare types can select seats in advance, while others will receive seat assignments during check-in. The boarding process will also change to a group-based system rather than the current open seating boarding order. In summary:
- Seat assignments start for flights on January 27, 2026.
- Seat selection opens for bookings on July 29, 2025.
- Different fare bundles will offer options like extra legroom and preferred seating.
- Boarding groups will be numbered 1 through 8 with priority given to premium seats and loyalty members.
