Flying Southwest Airlines Is MUCH Different Starting Today

Big changes have officially hit Southwest Airlines. Open seating has been a staple at this airline for years, but now assigned seating has officially arrived. Southwest Airlines has been making big changes recently, including removing the two free checked bags policy, and now, even more changes are hitting the airline.

Passengers flying Southwest Airlines starting today, January 27th, 2026, will now have assigned seats. Gone are the days of open seating and getting to choose from the open seats on the plane. Now, passengers can choose from three different seating options and will receive an assigned seat before boarding the plane.

Seating options include Extra Legroom, Preferred, and Standard. Extra legroom seats are at the front of the cabin and near exit rows, with three to five additional inches of legroom compared to standard legroom seats. Preferred seats are standard legroom seats located near the front of the cabin, and standard seats are standard legroom seats located at the back of the cabin.

When purchasing tickets, passengers will select from four different fares: Choice Extra, Choice Preferred, Choice, and Basic. Choice Extra will be in groups 1-2 for boarding, can choose an extra-legroom seat at booking, and includes two free checked bags and more. With Choice Preferred, you can choose any preferred seat at the time of booking and will board in groups 3-5. Choice fare allows you to select a standard seat at booking, and you will be in general boarding. Basic fare will get an assigned seat at check-in and will be the last to board the plane.

Boarding will still be done in groups, but the boarding process will be split into 8 groups based on seat location, tier status, Rapid Rewards Credit Card status, and fare bundle type.

Southwest is now also requiring passengers who “encroach upon neighboring seats” to proactively purchase an additional ticket before the flight. Southwest states that the armrest is the definitive boundary between seats. A refund of the additional seat is possible if the flight departed with at least one open seat, both seats were purchased in the same fare class, and the refund request is made within 90 days of travel.

This change in seating follows other changes from Southwest Airlines, including the removal of the beloved two free checked bags per passenger policy. continue to offer two free checked bags to their Rapid Rewards A-List Members, and others who book Business Select seats will still be able to get them. Regular A-List Members, Rapid Reward credit card members, and other select passengers will be able to check one bag for free. All other passengers will need to pay for checked bags.

However, Southwest Airlines has announced that free Wi-Fi will be available on all flights as of October 24th, 2025. As well as in-seat power ports and larger overhead bins on some aircraft.

We are always on the lookout for changes and news that might impact your Disney trip. Stay tuned to AllEars for more travel news, and lots of Disney tips, tricks, reviews, and news!

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Are you flying with Southwest Airlines anytime soon? Let us know in the comments!

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