What travelers can expect as Southwest Airlines introduces assigned seats

ABC News • January 26, 2026 • business

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Southwest Airlines ended its open-seating system on Monday, transitioning to assigned seating starting Tuesday, allowing passengers to select or pay for preferred seats closer to the front or with extra legroom.
The airline replaced its open-seat boarding groups (A, B, C) with an eight-group boarding structure based on seat location, fare class, loyalty status, and credit card benefits, aiming to streamline boarding and improve customer experience.
New policies require passengers who need extra room to purchase an additional seat in advance, a change from the previous option to request a free seat at the gate, with refunds now dependent on availability and fare class.
These changes follow Southwest's May 2025 decision to end its "bags fly free" policy