Southwest’s New Era Begins

DALLAS, TX — For 55 years, it was the "Wild West" of the American skies; a quirky, first-come, first-served boarding ritual that defined a brand. But as of this morning, January 27, 2026, the numbered stanchions are coming down, and the scramble for the exit row is officially history.

Starting today, every Southwest Airlines flight taking off across the globe will utilise assigned seating, marking the most significant operational shift in the carrier’s history. The move, first announced in 2024, aims to modernise the airline’s image and capture a larger "share of wallet" from travellers who previously shunned the carrier due to the uncertainty of its boarding process.

“We’ve got our new cabin, new seating, new move into assigned seats. The extra legroom. All to meet our customers' demands and ultimately for our shareholders to be able to gain a larger share of wallet from our customers and offer them things that they want,” said Southwest CEO Bob Jordan.

The New "Group 1-8" Boarding Process

The legendary A, B, and C boarding groups have been retired in favour of a numbered system (1 through 8) that more closely aligns with legacy carriers. Digital screens at gates are replacing the old metal pillars to guide passengers through the new sequence.

Your boarding group is now determined by a combination of your fare class, seat location, and loyalty status.

Groups 1–2: Premium travellers who purchased "Choice Extra" fares, those in Extra Legroom seats, and A-List Preferred members.

Groups 3–5: A-List members, those who purchased "Choice Preferred" fares, and Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers (who will board no later than Group 5).

Groups 6–8: Travellers on "Choice" or "Basic" fares with standard seating, typically located in the middle or rear of the cabin.

“Assigned seating unlocks new opportunities for our customers, including the ability to select Extra Legroom seats, and removes the uncertainty of not knowing where they will sit in the cabin,” stated Tony Roach, Southwest Executive Vice President of Customer and Brand.

Fare Classes

As part of the overhaul, Southwest has rebranded its fare structure to reflect the new seating options. Passengers now choose from four distinct bundles:

Premium Upgrades

For the first time, Southwest is monetising its cabin real estate. Approximately one-third of the cabin has been retrofitted to offer Extra Legroom, providing up to five additional inches of pitch. These seats are located in the forward cabin and exit rows.

Preferred Seats occupy the middle-to-front sections of the aircraft. While they offer standard legroom, they allow for a faster exit upon arrival. Those flying on a "Basic" fare will have a seat assigned automatically at check-in, often in the rear of the plane.

What Happens to Loyalists and Families?

To mitigate the "safety whitewash" concerns from long-time flyers, Southwest has built-in protections for its most frequent travellers:

A-List Preferred: Can select any seat, including Extra Legroom, for free at the time of booking.

A-List: Can select Preferred or Standard seats at booking. They can upgrade to Extra Legroom for free starting 48 hours before departure, if available.

Families: Reservations of up to nine people on the same booking will be assigned the same boarding group to ensure they can stay together.

The "Why" Behind the Change

While the open-seating policy was a point of pride for founder Herb Kelleher, modern data suggested it had become a liability. According to Southwest’s internal research, 80 per cent of its own customers and 86 per cent of passengers who fly other airlines expressed a clear preference for assigned seats.

“You can either be honest with yourself and understand what you need to do... to meet [passengers'] needs, or you can ignore that and get further and further behind your customer,” Bob Jordan noted in a recent interview. “And at some point, your customer has left you because you're not meeting their needs any longer.”