Southwest ends open seating, starts assigned seats Tuesday
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Southwest Airlines' seating change coincides with widespread winter storm disruptions. Photo: Heather Khalifa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Tuesday marks the start of Southwest Airlines' assigned seating — a change that reshapes how millions of Americans fly.
Why it matters: Southwest is the last major U.S. airline to abandon open seating, closing a long-running chapter that set it apart from competitors.
How will Southwest's new boarding groups work?
Driving the news: Starting Tuesday, Southwest moves to assigned seating and group-based boarding, officially retiring its familiar first-come, first-served A/B/C boarding lineup.
- Boarding groups will shift to Groups 1–8, prioritized by seat location, fare type, loyalty status and credit card benefits.
- Gate areas will phase out numbered stanchions in favor of digital boarding lanes that display which group is boarding.
- New boarding passes will show both seat assignments and boarding groups.
What assigned seating means for Southwest flyers
The big picture: Open seating rewarded fast check-ins and minimized seat hierarchy.
- Assigned seating brings Southwest closer to industry norms — and reintroduces a pain point it largely avoided: the assigned middle seat.
Why did Southwest get rid of open seating?
Flashback: Southwest first announced plans to move away from open seating in 2024, calling it a "transformational" change after research showed most customers preferred assigned seats.
- The move followed other changes to some of the budget airline's long-standing policies, including the removal of its free checked bag offering.
Follow the money: The changes are part of a broader effort by the airline to offer more choice — and increase revenue streams.
- Premium seat options, new fare bundles and expanded loyalty perks are all being offered now under what Southwest calls a "reimagined customer experience."
- That includes free WiFi for Rapid Rewards members, alongside other digital and inflight upgrades.
What we're watching: How customers respond once novelty gives way to pricing tiers and seat scarcity.
- Whether Southwest can preserve its reputation for simplicity as its product grows more complex.
Subway's "Sandwich Seat" promo
Fun fact: Southwest's first day of assigned seating is already creating ripple effects. Subway says it will give $20 gift cards to 737 passengers assigned a middle seat Tuesday, branding it the "Sandwich Seat."
- Travelers must upload a Jan. 27 selfie from a middle seat to SubwayMiddleSeat.com.
- The offer applies to any airline and is first-come, first-served, per the terms and conditions.
The bottom line: Tuesday closes a defining era for Southwest — and opens a new one that travelers (and brands) are reacting to in real time.
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