Here's how Southwest's new seating and boarding process will work

27.09.2024 - 15:27 / thepointsguy.com / Ryan Green

For more than 50 years, open seating has been almost synonymous with Southwest Airlines. But that's all set to change in the coming years.

Over the course of several hours Thursday, executives at the Dallas-based carrier walked investors through the finer details of top-to-bottom changes aimed at boosting the company's financial performance.

For customers, those changes will play out, most notably, in the form of the airline's first-ever assigned seats and extra legroom rows.

That seismic shift from Southwest's half-century of open seating will also force the carrier to re-imagine its boarding process — although the new procedures executives laid out Thursday do maintain an aura of familiarity to the airline's current one-of-a-kind process.

Combined with new seats the airline already had planned for its fleet starting in 2025 and an overall facelift for its cabins, it's safe to say the next couple of years will be a time of change for Southwest flyers.

Here's a rundown of what you'll soon see booking, boarding and on board its flights — plus, what changes the airline considered, but ultimately decided against.

Value check: Are airline credit cards worth it anymore?

The biggest change customers will notice when booking a flight on Southwest in the coming years is the ability to select a seat — or, if they choose, to pay extra for an extra legroom seat.

Southwest estimates these changes will go live in its booking channels in late 2025, for flights departing during the first half of 2026.

Details about the exact services included in each of the carrier's four current fare classes are still in the works, leaders said, but here's a few things we do know:

Wanna Get Away fares will not include complimentary seat selection. Passengers on this fare type who don't pay to select a seat will be assigned one prior to departure.

While some travelers may be disappointed by this news, Southwest executives argue the fare will remain a more lenient option than the basic economy products offered by other U.S. carriers, many of which don't allow free cancellations, checked bags or, in the case of United Airlines, full-size carry-ons.

"That's by far the best base fare product in the industry … when it comes to two free bags, no change and cancel [fees] on the base product," argued executive vice president Ryan Green. "Flight credits don't expire, all of that remains. If you don't value the ability to select your seat at booking … nothing changes for you."

Wanna Get Away passengers will also still receive full Rapid Rewards elite qualifying credit, executives added.

Wanna Get Away Plus (and higher) fare classes will come with complimentary seat selection, though customers can opt to purchase higher-priced seats.

Southwe