How does the assigned seating policy of Southwest Airlines impact the boarding groups for passengers?
47% The Bulkhead Seat
29% Live and Let's Fly
24% PYOK
Southwest’s assigned seating policy redefines boarding groups based on fare type, seat category, and elite status, replacing the old A-B-C system with numbered groups 1 to 8. The Bulkhead Seat +3
Boarding Group Structure
- Groups 1–2: Reserved for Choice Extra fare passengers, Extra Legroom seat holders, A-List Preferred members, and A-List members with upgraded seats.
- Groups 3–5: For Choice Preferred fares, A-List members with Standard or Preferred seats, and Rapid Rewards credit cardholders. 🔗
- Groups 6–8: For Choice and Basic fare passengers, with Basic fares boarding last.🔗
Key Changes
- Families and groups of up to nine travelers are now assigned to the same boarding group, regardless of fare type.
- Priority Boarding is now available for purchase 24 hours before departure, based on flight demand. 🔗
- The legacy EarlyBird Check In and Upgraded Boarding perks have been retired.🔗
Impact on Travelers
- Passengers with premium seats or elite status board earlier, improving access to overhead bins.
- The new system aims to reduce in-cabin seat conflicts and speed up boarding.🔗
The Bulkhead Seat 10%
Southwest Ends Open Seating: Assigned Seats and New Boarding Groups Begin Tomorrow
More than 50 years after it pioneered open seating, Southwest Airlines will officially retire the free-for-all boarding process that became one of its most distinctive traits. Beginning Tuesday, January 27th, every Southwest flight will depart with assigned seating (ending the tradition of picking any open seat after boarding). The shift brings Southwest in line with most major US carriers and introduces a new fare-based seat selection system (along with a full overhaul of the boarding experience). Passengers booking flights departing on or after January 27th have already been able to select seats since July 2025. With assigned seating, passengers
Live and Let's Fly 29%
The End Of An Era: Southwest Ends Open Seating, Launches New Boarding Process
After more than 50 years of the most distinctive boarding process in U.S. aviation, Southwest Airlines is finally ending open seating and rolling out assigned seats and a new boarding structure that looks nothing like the airline most of us grew up flying with. Today marks the end of an era. Southwest Airlines has officially retired its iconic open seating policy, the 50+ year tradition where passengers rushed to check in exactly 24 hours before departure to obtain a preferential boarding number, queued by A, B, or C groups, and then chose any seat on the aircraft. Instead,
The Bulkhead Seat 37%
Southwest Airlines Begins Assigned Seating Today With Eight Boarding Groups
Yesterday was the last day for open seating on Southwest Airlines. Today marks one of the biggest changes in the 50+ years the airline has been in business with the introduction of assigned seating. Southwest has rolled out a redesigned boarding process that aligns with its shift to assigned seating and the introduction of extra legroom options. The update marks a major operational change for an airline long associated with open seating and the familiar A–B–C boarding columns and now has Groups number one through eight. The new system organizes boarding into eight numbered groups. Placement within these groups
PYOK 24%
The Final Countdown: Southwest Airlines Introduces Assigned Seating On Tuesday
The final countdown has begun as Southwest Airlines prepares to ditch its (in)famous open seating policy with the switchover to assigned seating on January 27. The change also means a completely new boarding process and the introduction of new fare products to take advantage of premium seating options that have more legroom or are closer to the front of the plane. On January 27, Southwest Airlines will do something that it has never done before: give passengers assigned seats. And that brings with it the end of the dirty tactics passengers have employed in the past to snag