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Here's why Southwest is assigning seats — and what it means for customers

By Megan Cerullo

Edited By Aimee Picchi

Updated on: July 25, 2024 / 5:04 PM EDT / CBS News

Southwest will start selling assigned seats , marking a major shakeup of a signature policy that has set the low-cost carrier apart from airlines for half a century. The new policy, announced Thursday, will make flying Southwest look and feel remarkably different for customers. 

The shift will affect how customers of the discount carrier select seats and board planes. Southwest passengers, including longtime fans of the open seating policy,   will also be able to choose different types of seats for a price, including those offering more legroom. These changes could affect ticket costs across the board, according to experts, although Southwest has not addressed pricing or indicated that regular seat costs will change. 

Some experts are cheering the move, saying it amounts to an improvement for both passengers and the airline. 

" Southwest's decision to start assigning seats and plan to add extra-legroom seats prove an old dog can learn new tricks," Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, told CBS News. "It will make their flights more orderly and comfortable. And it should also improve the airline's bottom line as well."

Southwest will begin selling tickets with assigned seats beginning in 2025. The airline will reveal additional details around changes to the flight boarding process in September. Here are three ways flying Southwest could change. 

Assigned seats

Southwest is ending its open seating policy, in which customers find a cabin seat on a first-come, first-serve basis. When the changes go into effect next year, customers will purchase tickets with assigned seating, eliminating some of the stress associated with the current boarding process. 

"It's a pretty big change for Southwest, which always had an open seating system, and you had to run into the cabin and try to find the seat you want," Clint Henderson, managing editor of The Points Guy, told CBS MoneyWatch. 

Henderson said this turned off some business travelers like himself from choosing to fly Southwest, and he predicted the change could attract a new crop of customers to the airline.

"Many business travelers don't want to fight for a seat and deal with the drama that sometimes entails," Henderson said. 

Tensions can run high on airplanes too, with testy passengers quibbling over limited and sometimes shared real estate.

"Since the pandemic, airline passengers may be less cordial and less amicable," said airline customer experience analyst Marbue Brown. "There are certainly benefits to environments where there is no ambiguity about who owns a seat."

Some seats will have more leg room

In addition to assigned seats, Southwest will introduce premium seating, offering passengers extended legroom on one-third of a cabin's seats. 

Southwest already lets customers pay to be first in line to board aircraft, "but this is a much bigger change now, with premium seats available for purchase," Going.com's Keyes said.  

The airline is likely responding to travelers' penchant for more premium travel experiences following the pandemic, according to Keyes. "The demand is for premium economy, business class and better seats, which Southwest doesn't have to offer," he said. 

Southwest's seats already offer more legroom than traditional carriers', which has been a selling point for the airline. They come with 32 inches of space, versus the industry standard of 30-31 inches. It's possible Southwest's new cabin configuration could shrink its current standard of 32 inches of space, some experts said.

"They haven't announced the new cabin design, but the most likely outcome is we're going to see that 32 inches of legroom to start to shrink for main cabin, and for it to be more like 31 or 30," Scott Keyes, founder of Going.com, told CBS MoneyWatch. "That's normal for people who are used to flying American or United, but cramped for people who fly Southwest." 

Price changes

The new cabin configurations could drive up ticket prices across the board because Southwest's aircraft might contain fewer number of total seats, industry analysts said. On the other hand, the dramatic policy changes could be price-neutral, depending on how Southwest redesigns its plane cabins. 

"Some folks will pay more for extra legroom, and, based on how you reconfigure planes, you might not have to raise prices on other seats," Brown said. 

What remains to be seen is whether Southwest will introduce a bare-bones, basic economy-type offering. 

Currently, all tickets come with free checked bags and free   changes. "But might they start to offer an economy package that includes more restrictions on baggage? That's something we'll have to wait and see," Keyes said. 

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

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Here's why Southwest assigning seats, and what it means for customers

Southwest will start selling assigned seats , marking a major shakeup of a signature policy that has set the low-cost carrier apart from airlines for half a century. The new policy, announced Thursday, will make flying Southwest look and feel remarkably different for customers.

The shift will affect how customers of the discount carrier select seats and board planes. Southwest passengers, including longtime fans of the open seating policy, will also be able to choose different types of seats for a price, including those offering more legroom. These changes could affect ticket costs across the board, according to experts, although Southwest has not addressed pricing or indicated that regular seat costs will change.

Some experts are cheering the move, saying it amounts to an improvement for both passengers and the airline.

"Southwest's decision to start assigning seats and plan to add extra-legroom seats prove an old dog can learn new tricks," Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, told CBS News. "It will make their flights more orderly and comfortable. And it should also improve the airline's bottom line as well."

Southwest will begin selling tickets with assigned seats beginning in 2025. The airline will reveal additional details around changes to the flight boarding process in September. Here are three ways flying Southwest could change.

Assigned seats

Southwest is ending its open seating policy, in which customers find a cabin seat on a first-come, first-serve basis. When the changes go into effect next year, customers will purchase tickets with assigned seating, eliminating some of the stress associated with the current boarding process.

"It's a pretty big change for Southwest, which always had an open seating system, and you had to run into the cabin and try to find the seat you want," Clint Henderson, managing editor of The Points Guy, told CBS MoneyWatch.

Henderson said this turned off some business travelers like himself from choosing to fly Southwest, and he predicted the change could attract a new crop of customers to the airline.

"Many business travelers don't want to fight for a seat and deal with the drama that sometimes entails," Henderson said.

Tensions can run high on airplanes too, with testy passengers quibbling over limited and sometimes shared real estate.

"Since the pandemic, airline passengers may be less cordial and less amicable," said airline customer experience analyst Marbue Brown. "There are certainly benefits to environments where there is no ambiguity about who owns a seat."

Some seats will have more leg room

In addition to assigned seats, Southwest will introduce premium seating, offering passengers extended legroom on one-third of a cabin's seats.

Southwest already lets customers pay to be first in line to board aircraft, "but this is a much bigger change now, with premium seats available for purchase," Going.com's Keyes said.

The airline is likely responding to travelers' penchant for more premium travel experiences following the pandemic, according to Keyes. "The demand is for premium economy, business class and better seats, which Southwest doesn't have to offer," he said.

Southwest's seats already offer more legroom than traditional carriers', which has been a selling point for the airline. They come with 32 inches of space, versus the industry standard of 30-31 inches. It's possible Southwest's new cabin configuration could shrink its current standard of 32 inches of space, some experts said.

"They haven't announced the new cabin design, but the most likely outcome is we're going to see that 32 inches of legroom to start to shrink for main cabin, and for it to be more like 31 or 30," Scott Keyes, founder of Going.com, told CBS MoneyWatch. "That's normal for people who are used to flying American or United, but cramped for people who fly Southwest."

Price changes

The new cabin configurations could drive up ticket prices across the board because Southwest's aircraft might contain fewer number of total seats, industry analysts said. On the other hand, the dramatic policy changes could be price-neutral, depending on how Southwest redesigns its plane cabins.

"Some folks will pay more for extra legroom, and, based on how you reconfigure planes, you might not have to raise prices on other seats," Brown said.

What remains to be seen is whether Southwest will introduce a bare-bones, basic economy-type offering.

Currently, all tickets come with free checked bags and free changes. "But might they start to offer an economy package that includes more restrictions on baggage? That's something we'll have to wait and see," Keyes said.

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When will Southwest start assigning seats? What to know after airline announces big change

Southwest airlines has been known for its unique "open boarding" model for more than 50 years., published july 25, 2024 • updated on july 25, 2024 at 4:12 pm.

One of the most famous features of Southwest Airlines is about to change.

In an announcement Thursday, the company said it will "redesign the boarding model" by eliminating open seating and instead move forward with assigned seats and premium seating options. The airline also plans to add overnight redeye flight routes, the announcement said.

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"After listening carefully to customers and conducting extensive research, Southwest decided it will assign seats and offer premium seating options on all flights," the announcement said. "The airline has been known for its unique open seating model for more than 50 years, but preferences have evolved with more customers taking longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred."

Officials began studying customer preferences and expectations around the onboarding process in April, the announcement said, with the new changes designed to "elevate the customer experience, improve financial performance, and drive Shareholder value."

The airline said it will release more details about the plan, including a timeline, during an investor meeting in September.

Following the announcement, here's what we know right now.

Why is Southwest making this change?

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The decision was based on customer preference, the airline said.

"The research is clear and indicates that 80% of Southwest Customers, and 86% of potential Customers, prefer an assigned seat," the announcement said.

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The announcement went on to say that customers who stopped flying Southwest and instead chose to fly with a competitor citied open seating as the top reason for the change.

"By moving to an assigned seating model, Southwest expects to broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future customers," the announcement added.

The company also said the changes were part of "modernization efforts" part of already implemented improvements, including faster Wi-Fi, in-seat power chargers and larger overhead bins.

Will any Southwest flights have open seating?

According to the announcement, Southwest Airlines will move forward with assigning seats "on all flights."

The airline will also begin offering "premium extended legroom" in some parts of the cabin, the announcement said, though cabin layout details were still in design.

Officials in the announcement said a "refreshed" cabin design was underway, with "new, more comfortable RECARO seats ."

When will Southwest start assigning seats?

More details about the changes regarding product designs, cabin layout, timing and more will be announced in late September, the airline said, adding that the move to assigned seating will be "significant."

"In addition to incorporating new technologies and procedures for a seamless transition, the new cabin layout will require approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration," the airline said.

According to the announcement, Southwest expects to make bookings available on the new layouts in 2025.

When will Southwest start flying redeyes?

Booking on initial routes for overnight flights begins Thursday, the announcement said, with the first overnight flight set to land on Valentine's Day of 2025 in five markets: Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando; Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville; and Phoenix to Baltimore.

The plan is to phase in additional overnight flights in the coming schedule's officials said.

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Southwest Airlines Will End Its Longstanding Open-Seating Policy

The airline said it was scrapping its trademark, 50-year tradition of offering open seating, where passengers choose seats once they have boarded the plane.

By Jenny Gross and Danielle Kaye

Southwest Airlines will start assigning seats to passengers, ending its longstanding policy of allowing passengers to pick their seats once they have boarded, the airline said on Thursday.

The new procedure will be implemented to increase revenue and in response to feedback from customers, 80 percent of whom report preferring an assigned seat, Southwest said.

“This is the right choice — at the right time — for our customers, our people and our shareholders,” said Bob Jordan, the president and chief executive of Southwest.

Even though the airline has been known for its unique seating model for more than 50 years, preferences have evolved, with more customers taking longer flights where they prefer a seat assignment, the statement said. The new policy was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal .

The changes bring Southwest, which for years has distinguished itself by offering low prices and a simple business approach, more in line with conventional airlines like American Airlines and United Airlines.

Southwest makes a little less than $1 billion from fees it charges for the ability to board early and “ancillary” services, Mr. Jordan said Thursday on a conference call with analysts to discuss the company’s second quarter results. The company expects that earnings from the move to assigned seating and offering seats with extra legroom will be “substantially north of that,” he said.

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Southwest Airlines says ‘assigned and premium seating’ will replace open seating plan

Bill Chappell

Southwest Airlines unveiled big shifts in how it does business Thursday, saying it will throw out the open-seating model it has used for decades and introduce redeye flights. Here, an employee and passenger are seen at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport last year in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

An unofficial motto of Southwest Airlines’ open seating process for its people boarding its planes was once , “You can sit anywhere you want — just like at church.”

But after some 50 years, Southwest passengers will soon encounter a different process when they book and board a flight. The airline will offer assigned and premium seats and a revamped boarding model, it announced on Thursday .

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Adopting a system of “assigned and premium seating is part of an ongoing and comprehensive upgrade” for customers, Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan said , adding that research shows passengers “overwhelmingly prefer” an assigned-seat system like that used by other carriers.

In another change, Southwest also said it would introduce redeye flights. It did not say when the new policies would be enacted.

The company unveiled the dramatic shifts in how it does business as it announced financial results for the second quarter, showing net income of $367 million on record operating revenues of $7.4 billion. In the previous quarter, Southwest lost $231 million. The airline has $11 billion in liquid funds, but it also has $8 billion in debt and is affected by the ongoing struggles at Boeing, its longtime partner .

"We are taking urgent and deliberate steps to mitigate near-term revenue challenges and implement longer-term transformational initiatives that are designed to drive meaningful top and bottom-line growth,” Jordan said.

The Southwest CEO said in April that delivery delays of new planes from Boeing, which has been embroiled in regulators’ concerns over safety issues, “presents significant challenges for both 2024 and 2025.”

At the factory that builds the 737 Max, Boeing rethinks how it trains new hires

In its update, Southwest said it received five Boeing 737-8 MAX planes in the second quarter while retiring seven older Boeing planes. Southwest had ordered 58 Boeing 737-8 MAX planes for 2024; it now expects to receive around 20 of the aircraft this year.

Southwest says it’s carrying passengers in record numbers. But it’s also retiring more aging aircraft than it can add this year: With the delivery delays from Boeing, the airline’s fleet will fall from 817 planes at the end of the second quarter to roughly 802 at the end of 2024.

• Southwest Airlines

How to get seats together as a family on Southwest Airlines

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

There's a lot for families to love about Southwest Airlines . Free checked bags can be a lifesaver and knowing you're eligible for free changes and cancellations is also a customer-friendly policy for whenever "life happens." The open-seating policy, though, can be stressful if you're traveling with children since there's no guarantee about where you'll sit.

While some airlines make it challenging to get free seat assignments with your family , Southwest's approach is quite different. In fact, Southwest does not assign seats in advance at all. While Southwest's open-seating policy is unusual compared to other U.S. airlines, it works to the advantage of some young families, especially if you are hoping to score a free open seat for your lap baby .

Get the latest points, miles and travel news by signing up for TPG's free daily newsletter .

How does Southwest boarding work?

Before we get into specific seating strategies, here are some basics on how the Southwest boarding process works.

When you check in for your flight, you are assigned a boarding pass number in one of three groups based on the time you check in: A, B or C. The passes in each group are numbered from 1-60. Someone who checks in relatively early may be assigned A45, potentially the 45th person to board. Someone who doesn't check in until much later may end up with C15, or roughly the 135th person to board. However, the numbers aren't exact because some people get a chance to board early in the process, regardless of their assigned number.

If you have Southwest A-List status , purchase a Business Select fare or buy EarlyBird Check-In , you are automatically reserved a boarding slot before the 24-hour check-in mark. So, you'll board early on in the process. Otherwise, you are assigned your number based on when you check in for your flight. The highest available boarding slot at your time of check-in will go to you.

Related: 9 cool places you didn't know you could fly on Southwest

When it comes time to board, you will line up in order at signs for your respective boarding groups. There will be an A1-A30 line and an A31-A60 line. Once the A group starts boarding, the B group will begin lining up in the spots the A group previously occupied. You do need to (more or less) get in your actual numerical order. For example, if you have B25, you need to be toward the back of the B1-B30 line. It isn't as hard as it sounds, but it is a unique process. And yes, you may feel a bit like cattle.

Southwest offers Family Boarding after the A group but before the B group, for up to two adults traveling with children 6 and younger. This essentially allows families to "skip the line" if they were otherwise assigned a B or C boarding position.

Once you get on board, you can choose any seats that are still unoccupied. The better your boarding group and number, the more seats you will have to select from. This is relevant for everyone, but especially relevant if you are trying to get multiple seats together for your family. However, if the flight has through passengers from a previous flight, some seats will be occupied even when A1 boards.

Related: Best offer we've seen yet: Earn up to 100,000 bonus points with these Southwest cards

How to make sure your family sits together

Now, let's discuss a few things you can do to ensure that your family gets seats together when flying Southwest.

Purchase EarlyBird Check-In

With EarlyBird Check-In, you'll automatically get a spot in the boarding process 36 hours before the flight -- which is 12 hours before you'd otherwise be able to check in. Purchasing EarlyBird doesn't guarantee you'll get an A boarding spot, but you have an excellent chance.

EarlyBird Check-In is the easiest way to secure a good boarding spot, but it comes with an extra cost that ranges from $15-$25 per direction per person. This purchase is nonrefundable, even if you later cancel your reservation. So, you won't want to buy EarlyBird Check-In unless you're sure you'll take the trip.

However, note that several Southwest credit cards , including the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card, reimburse you for up to two EarlyBird Check-Ins that you charge to your card each anniversary year.

Related: Why purchasing Southwest early boarding rarely makes sense for young families

Check in exactly 24 hours before departure

As we have noted, Southwest starts handing out most spots in the boarding process exactly 24 hours before the flight. If your boarding number matters to you, and you don't want to pay extra to secure a good spot, then it is crucial that you are at a computer or in the Southwest app precisely 24 hours before departure to check in your whole party. This will be the difference between you getting in the A group or the C group.

Remember, if you are using your Southwest Companion Pass to have a friend or family member fly with you for free (other than taxes), you'll have to check them in separately. Your companion will have a different confirmation number for their ticket, so make sure to check that person in at the 24-hour mark as well.

Related: Top 9 Southwest international destinations for families

Board during Family Boarding

If you have a child in your party who is 6 or under, you can board during Family Boarding after the A group regardless of your boarding pass position. Your young children and up to two adults can board during this time.

In theory, only 60 folks will have boarded ahead of you and about two-thirds of the plane should be empty if you board during Family Boarding. However, passengers on the flight's previous segment will also occupy some seats unless you're on the first flight of the day. Even so, you'll almost certainly find a few empty rows if you board during Family Boarding.

Related: Your guide to flying with kids of every age

Have A-List status or fly on a Business Select fare

If someone on your reservation has A-List status, Southwest will automatically reserve boarding positions for the entire group 36 hours before departure. Likewise, you can purchase Business Select fares to guarantee A1-A15 boarding positions -- but these fares are often rather pricey.

As such, neither of these solutions are practical for most families traveling on Southwest. However, families that fly Southwest often should consider holding one or more Southwest credit cards to make earning status a little easier. For example, with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card, you'll earn 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $10,000 spent. Plus, those purchases count toward earning a Companion Pass , too.

Related: The ultimate guide to Southwest credit card eligibility

Pay for an Upgraded Boarding slot, if available

If there are unsold A1-A15 boarding slots (ones that typically go to those who pay higher Business Select fares), Southwest may offer them as Upgraded Boarding slots for $30-$50 each before the boarding process gets underway. This is a last-ditch way to board early if all other methods have failed.

Paying for upgraded boarding is an expensive solution unless you have the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card or the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card. After all, both of these cards will reimburse the cardholder for up to four Upgraded Boardings each card membership year. While I'd have to be pretty desperate to pay for this perk, it's a nice bonus when it's available at no cost to the cardholder.

There's no way to buy Upgraded Boarding until you're at the airport, so you'll need to inquire at the ticket counter or departure gate to see if there are options available. If you want to use one or more of your complimentary Upgraded Boardings from the Southwest Priority Card or Southwest Performance Business Card, you'll need to have your card available for the transaction. The charge is processed normally and then later reimbursed on your credit card statement.

Related: Why now is the best time to apply for Southwest Airlines credit cards

Book the first flight of the day

Southwest offers many continuation flights, so passengers from the previous segment may already occupy some seats on board when boarding begins. However, if you are on the first flight of the day for your aircraft, there will be no through passengers already on board.

Related: The difference between direct and nonstop flights

Bottom line

Some passengers love Southwest's open-seating policy, while others strongly dislike it. But love it or hate it, families can work around it. With young children, Family Boarding is a great (free) option. And for families with kids older than 6, checking in exactly 24 hours before departure should be sufficient. But if you don't want to "sweat the small stuff," paying the extra $15-$25 per person per direction for EarlyBird Check-In is an excellent way to ensure your family will sit together.

Finally, if you've had your eye on a new Southwest credit card , now is an excellent time to apply. After all, the following Southwest consumer cards are all offering a sign-up bonus of 50,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and an additional 50,000 points after you spend $12,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card.

Best of all, these bonus points could help you earn the famous Southwest Companion Pass through the end of 2023 if you time your spending carefully . And with the Companion Pass, you'd only need to pay the taxes and fees on your companion's ticket when you fly together on Southwest.

Additional reporting by Becky Pokora.

Forgot password

Southwest Airlines’ Unique Boarding Process Explained

• Ben Schlappig
• Published: December 26, 2022
• Updated: July 25, 2024

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Southwest Airlines does things very differently than other airlines in the United States. Arguably the most distinctive aspect of the Southwest travel experience is how the airline boards planes. Some people love it, while others hate it.

During my recent trip to Austin , I flew Southwest for the first time in years, so I wanted to write a post about the carrier’s boarding process. In the next installment I’ll be reviewing the flight as such .

In this post:

How boarding works on Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is the only major airline in the world that doesn’t assign seats . Rather the airline has a very different boarding process — the order of passenger boarding is determined by the “position” someone is in, and as a result that’s also the order in which people can pick seats once on the plane.

If you ask me, Southwest’s boarding process is quite polarizing. On the one hand, it’s often referred to as a “cattle call,” and at times it can get a bit frantic, especially toward the end of the boarding process. On the other hand, it’s surprisingly orderly, much more so than on many other airlines.

Southwest assigns boarding positions rather than seats

Southwest Airlines passengers are assigned specific boarding positions, consisting of a letter and then a number:

• You’ll either be in group A, B, or C, with A being allowed to board first, B being allowed to board second, and C being allowed to board last
• You’ll be given a specific number within that range, which determines the order in which you can board within each group

In other words, the person with boarding position A1 can board first, while the person with boarding position C60 can board last (if the number gets that high on a particular flight). While other airlines board passengers based on larger zones, on Southwest there’s quite literally a person-by-person priority for boarding.

The logistics of boarding Southwest flights

With most airlines, you kind of just have a mob that storms the gate when boarding is about to start. By comparison, Southwest’s boarding process is quite civilized. Southwest’s gates typically have six big “markers,” each of which lists numbers. On the left side you’ll see numbers 1-30, and on the right side you’ll see numbers 31-60. Each sign indicates where you should stand based on your boarding position, with ranges of five numbers.

As you can tell, at each given point this setup can accommodate up to 60 people, with 30 on each side. There are then monitors at the very front of this line, which indicate whether groups A, B, or C are boarding. In other words, once group C is boarding, the up to 60 people will be able to line up.

You’ll want to line up in the exact area where your number is. In other words, if group C boarding starts, and you’re assigned position C2, you’d want to stand in the 1-5 section. It’s customary to ask those around you what their position is, so you can be sure you’re in the right order (in other words, you’d want to make sure you’re behind C1 and in front of C3).

While everyone does have to line up with this system, there’s not really a rush or panic, unlike on some other airlines. There’s no need to get in line a long time before boarding. Rather you can line up just a couple of minutes before boarding starts, and get in the appropriate line. Just make sure that you don’t line up until your general group is being boarded. In other words, if you’re in group C, don’t get in line until group A and group B are totally boarded.

Southwest Airlines family boarding & more

We’re used to airlines offering to pre-board families, those needing extra time, military, etc. How does that work on Southwest Airlines?

• Southwest allows family boarding between groups A and B; this allows up to two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger to board at this time, assuming they’re not already in group A
• Southwest allows active duty US military (with a valid ID) to board between groups A and B, assuming they’re not already in group A
• Southwest allows those requiring extra time to board between groups A and B, ahead of family boarding, assuming they’re not already in group A

As you can tell, the intent is to provide these passengers the opportunity to sit together, though only after the first set of passengers board, and are able to get the best seats (bulkheads, exit rows, etc.).

Note that the only passengers who can board before group A are those in wheelchairs. On some routes there are quite a few wheelchair passengers, so often many of the best seats will be occupied by those travelers.

How Southwest boarding positions are determined

Southwest Airlines boarding priority is determined based on when you check-in. To secure the best possible boarding position, you’ll want to check-in online exactly 24 hours out. The closer to departure you check-in, the worse your boarding priority will be.

Below I’ll talk about some of the ways to get upgraded boarding, but checking in early is generally going to be your best bet. Now, I’d note that just because you check-in exactly 24 hours out doesn’t mean you’ll have a great boarding position. For example, I checked in 24 hours in advance (to the second), and I was assigned position B16. In other words, 75 people (A1-60 and B1-15) had higher priority for boarding than I did.

Still, if you check in exactly 24 hours out, you’ll almost certainly be able to avoid a middle seat, if that’s your goal.

I should also mention that if you’re traveling with others but don’t have consecutive boarding groups, you can either board separately, or can board with the lower priority. However, you can’t have someone else board with your higher priority. Southwest also doesn’t allow reserving seats for others once onboard.

How to secure early boarding on Southwest

As mentioned above, checking in 24 hours out is the best way to secure a decent boarding position. However, how do you secure the best boarding positions, if the goal is to get a bulkhead seat or an exit row? There are a few things to consider:

• If you purchase a Business Select fare (Southwest’s most premium fares), this automatically comes with A1-15 boarding
• If you have Southwest Rapid Rewards A-List status, you’ll receive a boarding position immediately behind Business Select, so you can expect it to generally be in the A16-A30 range
• You can pay for EarlyBird Check-In, where Southwest will automatically check you in 36 hours before departure; while this should get you a good boarding position (almost always in zone A), note that it doesn’t guarantee a specific boarding priority, as you’re behind Business Select customers and A-List members
• The day of departure you can purchase upgraded boardings in positions A1-15, subject to availability; note that this will only be available if all the Business Select fares weren’t purchased

Having co-branded Southwest Airlines credit cards can potentially help you secure early boarding as well:

• The  Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card ( review ) and  Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card ( review ) each offer four priority boardings per anniversary year, where you can be reimbursed when you purchase upgraded boarding in positions A1-15 on the day of departure
• The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card ( review ), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card ( review ), and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card  ( review ), each offer two EarlyBird Check-Ins per anniversary year, which can get you a better boarding position

Is Southwest’s boarding process awesome or awful?

People seem to either love or hate Southwest Airlines’ boarding process. Let me share my take on that based on a couple of different factors.

Southwest’s boarding is surprisingly orderly

While some people like to refer to Southwest’s boarding process as a “cattle call,” in my experience this offers one of the most organized boarding processes in terms of how people line up in the gate area.

On other airlines, people tend to crowd the gate area even when it isn’t their turn to board. Meanwhile at Southwest, everyone has an exact spot where they’re supposed to be, and that also minimizes the unnecessary crowding.

Personally I’m a bit surprised by how consistently orderly the Southwest boarding process seems to be, since there’s a bit of a learning curve to understanding this, compared to other airlines. I guess it shows you that Southwest has quite a few loyal customers who are used to this system.

I don’t like not having an assigned seat

While the boarding process is pretty organized in the gate area, I find it to be a different story once onboard, at least on a full flight. I know in theory the open seating concept is supposed to speed up boarding, but that doesn’t necessarily match my experience, at least based on the flight that I took.

There were all kinds of people going to the back of the plane trying to sit together, only to later be coming back “upstream” to find seats. Toward the end of the boarding process, the crew was offering free drinks to anyone willing to move, in order to have a mother and daughter sit together. You had several people trying to reserve seats for others, only to be told they couldn’t do that.

So while I can appreciate that being able to sit anywhere is theoretically efficient, it can become a game of musical chairs if a flight is full.

I do think this process is pretty fair, in the sense that everyone has the same chance of getting at least an aisle or a window seat, by just checking in early. I prefer that to how other airlines like to charge even for regular economy seats.

However, as an elite member and frequent flyer, personally I prefer knowing exactly where I’ll be sitting, so that I can plan my flight accordingly. For example, if I’m going to be in a middle seat, I’ll probably just load entertainment on a personal device, while otherwise I might plan on trying to work the entire flight.

Bottom line

Southwest Airlines takes a different approach to boarding than other airlines. Rather than assigning seats, the airline has open seating, and allows passengers to board in a specific order.

Some people love Southwest’s boarding process, as it’s a rather fair way to go about boarding, and it’s also quite organized. However, many don’t like not having an assigned seat, and find it to be kind of chaotic once onboard.

What do you make of Southwest’s boarding process? Do you love it or hate it? Any tips I missed?

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What a bullshit system. I had two passengers on the same ticket, and though I checked in together, they gave us different positions. How is this even justified. Same ticket, same reservation, checked in together and yet separated willfully for some unknown reason. Pretty insensitive and brutal. All I can say is I am shocked and disgusted.

How much is the extra price to get early seating?

$15-$25 depending on the length of the flight,l flew from Pitt-Houston and paid $25 for early board seating.

@Linda: wheelchair users can be ambulatory. That means they may be able to walk short distances. This doesn’t mean they don’t need a wheelchair. Unfortunately we don’t do Angela great job on educating about disabilities in the US.

The wheelchair issue is out of control! People are falsely claiming a need for the wheelchair or they put one disabled family member in the chair and the rest of the family is allowed to board with them. This is so very wrong. I pay extra every trip even though I could legally claim a medical pre-board. To have one wheelchair passenger and the rest of the family group board ahead at no extra cost is WRONG! Southwest must correct this situation immediately!!!

Hate the seating process. We switching to Delta. Too many wheelchairs checking in and abusing the process. And if you get on a bus to the plane, this order is A COMPLETE FAILURE. IE...CABO

It's a trip how people act like WN's boarding process is rocket science. You have a letter and a number. Is your letter or number called? Get up and stand at the clearly-marked posts and signs. It wasn't called? Just stay seated.

Literally the only difference between this and other carriers (and I'm a TOTAL AvGeek) is that there's no assigned seating. Never have I seen a confrontation ensue. But I'm also aware that the general public even can't read maps...

Agree with other commenters: my preference is to select a seat in advance. Don’t have the time to go online 24 hours in advance to get a boarding position. I’ve paid for the position, then have to deal with all the games people play to block seats with their sweaters, saving for friends, etc. For long flights, I go business class, and there’s no similar option on SW.

Other airlines want some SW customers,...

Other airlines want some SW customers, so they created Basic Economy. With my status, I wouldn’t loose much with BE, except I’d get fewer points. The whole “point” of the loyalty point system is to lure you into doing something you wouldn’t do otherwise, such as take one airline over another, use a different credit card, reserve a car or hotel through a certain website, or just fly to top off your status. And, I’ll admit that it works on me, so I don’t fly Southwest or Basic Economy and I stick with preferred airlines to earn status, and occasionally take mileage runs. Perhaps I’m a pawn doing my master’s bidding, but I’m happy and I get the seat that I want. Hey American, you’ve been dangling Concierge Key in front of me for too long, just tell me what to do. Your wish is my command.

Those who have priority boarding (wheelchair etc.) should not be allowed to sit in the 1sr row (bulkhead) thus allowing those traveling business select to sit there if desired.

Are you joking Tom? Do you know how difficult it is for we disabled people to even get dressed, go to and through the airport and hopefully arrive at our destination for medical care? Be happy you have the privilege of having the ability to work and travel freely. We hope this never happens to you. You must be a narcissistic sociopath. We feel sorry for your family to be afflicted with such a selfish person in their lives. Shame on you.

I am not young. I have had to sit on the floor or on my suitcase in line to have a chance of getting a decent seat. I travel alone. It would be even a worse problem if I was traveling with others. Crazy system meant for agressive youngsters.

Ive only flown Southwest once because a company was flying me out for a conference. I absolutely hated the entire experience and will never willingly fly them again, its just not for me.

Happy for those that are loyal and love flying Southwest but its a no from me dawg.

The $30. (one-way) early-bird check-in is a terrible scam by Southwest. It is an all or nothing proposition. What I mean by this is no matter what happens Southwest steals your money even if they do not provide the service you think your buying. Case in point say you've purchased a ticket with automatic check-in if that flight changes for any reason you lose your status for early check-in and must pay again. Under no...

The $30. (one-way) early-bird check-in is a terrible scam by Southwest. It is an all or nothing proposition. What I mean by this is no matter what happens Southwest steals your money even if they do not provide the service you think your buying. Case in point say you've purchased a ticket with automatic check-in if that flight changes for any reason you lose your status for early check-in and must pay again. Under no circumstances will your $30 be refunded or applied to another flight. I said never again fly Southworst when the airline changed my flight and refused to honor my early-bird status on the new flight they had changed. I was told sorry we're keeping that money your welcome to pay us again if you want early-bird check-in. This is nothing short of stealing.

I have tried it and hate it. If it was so great other airlines would have adopted it. I have no issues queueing up in a particular spot but it's always chaos I'm onboard as everyone tries to save seats and bend the rules. It is so much easier when a computer does the assignments for you.

The boarding process is actually to turn around and go back home because your flight is cancelled.

The big problem with this system is that it punishes people who have difficulty checking in online or who have a delayed connecting flight. So if your flight doesn't let you check in online for some reason and you have to wait until you are at the airport, you are at the end of the queue. And if you are connecting, and your connecting flight is delayed, even if you paid for priority boarding, you...

The big problem with this system is that it punishes people who have difficulty checking in online or who have a delayed connecting flight. So if your flight doesn't let you check in online for some reason and you have to wait until you are at the airport, you are at the end of the queue. And if you are connecting, and your connecting flight is delayed, even if you paid for priority boarding, you don't get any benefit because if you aren't there in time, you can't get a decent seat choice.

I don't like it my husband was in B group with a low number and I was in C group last person to board the plane I was lucky that I still got to sit with him other wise I would of been pissed

Perhaps there is a bit of both that could be good. The Southwest boarding procedure with an assigned seat. Regarding the comments about people not really being disabled, why can't they require proof? This reminds me of the service animals where airlines finally had to implement and enforce stricter rules due to people taking advantage of the system.

Am I imagining it, or is Ben's previously fractured bromance with AmericanAirlines now back on the rails, and his ire is now focussed on SouthWest's deficiencies?

The real issue for the unorganized boarding processing is caused by the outdated terminal structure. Meaning is are no waiting area for lines to be formed prior to each boarding to be called. If you look at big hubs in Asia , you will find huge empty space for each class to wait in line. Good examples (from my memories): HKG, HND, NRT.

SW airlines has become the bus station and buses for the U.S. I'd rather drive my own vehicle. I recently flew from Nashville to Heathrow on British Air and almost believed I was flying Southwest.

I would not say "love it or hate it", but Southwest boarding system is better than the mob scene 15 minutes before boarding on any other airline - domestic or international.

The only negative with this process, there are heaps of people that pretend to be disabled and get on before others without paying the extra price to get early boarding. And they get off the plane first as well. I have seen many miracles were people that use canes, fold them up and can walk faster than I can getting to baggage area. I have seen people use wheelchairs to get on the plane that...

The only negative with this process, there are heaps of people that pretend to be disabled and get on before others without paying the extra price to get early boarding. And they get off the plane first as well. I have seen many miracles were people that use canes, fold them up and can walk faster than I can getting to baggage area. I have seen people use wheelchairs to get on the plane that are totally cured and can walk on their own getting off the plane. I have written to Southwest about this situation on several occasions, but of course, they cannot ask you to prove you are disabled, and can't force you to stay on the plane until others disembark.

Linda, wheelchairs are used largely for the airline's convenience. I hope you do nor begrude the truly disabled that facility. There are also many who need assistance as they are unable to walk long distances through terminals with luggage who are eligible for assistance. The airlines one-size-fits-all solution is to put all these passengers into a wheelchair and deliver them to the boarging gate, or perhaps to the door of the aircraft. After that...

Linda, wheelchairs are used largely for the airline's convenience. I hope you do nor begrude the truly disabled that facility. There are also many who need assistance as they are unable to walk long distances through terminals with luggage who are eligible for assistance. The airlines one-size-fits-all solution is to put all these passengers into a wheelchair and deliver them to the boarging gate, or perhaps to the door of the aircraft. After that 99% are on their own. Crew (except in the US) will help with stowage of hand luggage. So the idea is to minimise the time it takes an employee to get a passenger from point A to B to fulfil their legal obligation; nothing more. Oh, and consider that that person in the wheelchair would give anything to be ablebodied enough to be able to breeze through without anyone's help. I think something like 99% need the assistance, contrary to what you seem to think.

Also some people have clotting issues and need specific aisle seats so they can move their legs while being seated. After the flight they need to stand and move to keep from getting blood clots. You can’t see all disabilities from the outside.

Couple of new thoughts to add to this thread. (Full disclosure -- I'm one of those who luv the Southwest boarding process). First SW has many continuing flights where the plane arrives, many but not all passengers disembark, and others stay on to a following stop. If you've flown Southwest and continuing on, you know the routine. Stay in your seat until the crew completes the count of through passengers, then you are free...

Couple of new thoughts to add to this thread. (Full disclosure -- I'm one of those who luv the Southwest boarding process). First SW has many continuing flights where the plane arrives, many but not all passengers disembark, and others stay on to a following stop. If you've flown Southwest and continuing on, you know the routine. Stay in your seat until the crew completes the count of through passengers, then you are free to change seats. Guess which seats become the favorites at that point. So if you are boarding a through flight, the A1-A15 passengers may not find their preferred seats up front. Something else that SW does to make the boarding process more efficient is to offer two free checked bags. That really reduces the blockages in the aisle as passengers as less likely to be stuffing oversize luggage into the overhead.

I totally agree with southwest's boarding progress to a point more and more people are using wheelchairs and hopefully rightfully to get pre-boarding so even if you upgrade to A1, you could still be in row 5 which is no big deal but when you sit back and watch you see abuse of the system that's what aggravates me. Anyhow it's still my airline been flying on them for 30 years and still here to talk about it!

What happens if you are late to the gate and boarding has already started? if you are A20 and they are lining up people for group B already ? Do you just go and stand in front of passenger B1?

Yes. You get to cut the line if your boarding group has already gone just like the other airlines.

Boarding Process?? With over 1700 cancellations today alone , boarding isnt anyone's focus if they are flying southwest!

It’s very annoying for a tall person to find a short person sitting in the exit seats, knowing that the tall person needs legroom. I blame the airlines for this.

I stopped reading Skytrax reviews because of non-stop comments about like "my husband is 6'5 and the economy seat was very cramped. We were not offered an exit row or an upgrade at check-in. Disgusting."

If you want the seats with leg room, you gotta pay the money to board first.

But on the clown car with wings that is WN, you don’t have that option.

I blame your parents.

I know someone that doesn't want to board first. He wants to choose his seatmate, choosing someone who is not obese.

The boarding process is consistently orderly because there's such a focus on exactly where you are in line. With the other airlines you just have a general boarding group, and the gate agents are hit or miss if they actually enforce someone trying to sneak through with an earlier group. Because everyone knows exactly where they need to be, it puts the onus on the gate agent AND the passengers to call out cheaters.

Personally, I love this system, and would like to see a variant implemented with assigned seats. Ideally this would be with front and back boarding, where Group A1-16 would be First Class, and then A17-A60 would be the seats immediately behind First and would board through the back of the plane which allows people to board quickly (because the line isn't halting every time someone is putting their bag up because the person in front of you in line is in front of you on the plane).

In my opinion, I feel that Southwest’s new boarding policy for families is discriminatory and unfair to all of us. Why are elderly or those without children being punished or treated as less important? If families want to sit together, they can book on an airline with assigned seats. I am offended by this discriminatory plan.

Same goes for you Carol, if you want an assigned seat, you can book another airline. Families are the bread and butter of Southwest. This is one of the main reasons (along with the companion pass, and free checked baggage) that my family flies southwest. When it is just me, I just check in 24 hours early, and I have never had to worry about not getting an Aisle seat or Window.

I think the previous versions of their boarding process were much more cattle call. Previously you didn't have an exact number just a letter and it got pretty chaotic. I don't hate the new process, don't love it. With all airlines not having change fees I don't fly Southwest much (ever) because they are generally quite a bit more expensive, at least out of Seattle) and I can't use their program for aspirational flights...

I thought that Southwest tried very hard to avoid taking any sort of official position on whether saving seats was permissible. Did that change at some point?

They don't have an official position on it. Flight attendants are basically left to enforce or not as they see fit. Most stay out of it. I've found it frustrating when boarding with a high A boarding card and find somebody planted in the exit row saying the other seats are reserved (for people who got on with C positions). Flight attendant just stood there and shrugged his shoulders.

That's the real issue. The flight attendants not enforcing the rules. So people get away with doing what they are not supposed to do and then will continue to do so.

That sounds annoying as hell. I'd rather find a different carrier and pick where I wanted to be.

Trust me - it is as annoying as hell. And this - and the lack of assigned seats - are two of the main reasons why I avoid WN like the plague.

Southwest's Boarding is wonderful except for the pre boards at times. Many need a wheelchair to get on the plane. They then take the front preferred seats. However, by some miracle their maladies are cured by the time the plane lands. Many often run off the plane. Southwest has tried to control this issue, but to no avail. It is maddening to see people game the system, yet that is the price for "cheap" flights.

I had A1 once and got on board and tried to take the bulkhead window to be told by the flight attendant that they were reserving the first 4 rows for those needing assistance and I needed to sit further aft.

I think Southwest is well intentioned with the boarding process and it is actually relatively organized and works quickly... from the gate perspective. The Ops agent boarding the flights tends to be more...

I think Southwest is well intentioned with the boarding process and it is actually relatively organized and works quickly... from the gate perspective. The Ops agent boarding the flights tends to be more apt to toe the line as far as rules go and doesn't seem to have an issue saying No from my observations. But they leave way too much open to interpretation after that point. The crews have free reign to handle it however they want once on board.

I will say I do really like the Southwest ground experience but I generally dislike the onboard experience. Airplanes that aren't really clean, crews making up their own rules, the annoying drink service process, etc.

Just don’t expect to get a front seat on a wintertime flight to Florida, even if you are A1. The 20+ wheelchair passengers plus their spouse and entourage all board before you.

Leff gets on the plane and throws his coat, briefcase, and shoes on seats around him to save them. He has no problem with it.

Anyone remember AirCal? (Founded in 1967 and bought by AA in 1987.) It had no seat assignments. There was no formalized boarding process. Just come on up. Southwest gave organization to the model . . . and monetized it.

I do and here’s a piece of trivia for you. Haven’t tested it recently but a few years ago I tried calling 800-4-AIRCAL and it was still a working number at AA. Somebody from group reservations answered.

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The big problem with this system is that it punishes people who have difficulty checking in online or who have a delayed connecting flight. So if your flight doesn't let you check in online for some reason and you have to wait until you are at the airport, you are at the end of the queue. And if you are connecting, and your connecting flight is delayed, even if you paid for priority boarding, you don't get any benefit because if you aren't there in time, you can't get a decent seat choice.

The only negative with this process, there are heaps of people that pretend to be disabled and get on before others without paying the extra price to get early boarding. And they get off the plane first as well. I have seen many miracles were people that use canes, fold them up and can walk faster than I can getting to baggage area. I have seen people use wheelchairs to get on the plane that are totally cured and can walk on their own getting off the plane. I have written to Southwest about this situation on several occasions, but of course, they cannot ask you to prove you are disabled, and can't force you to stay on the plane until others disembark.

Ive only flown Southwest once because a company was flying me out for a conference. I absolutely hated the entire experience and will never willingly fly them again, its just not for me. Happy for those that are loyal and love flying Southwest but its a no from me dawg.

• February 2, 2024

• March 6, 2023

• June 23, 2021

Is Southwest going to start assigning seats? CEO says the airline is weighing changes.

Southwest Airlines is considering doing away with open, single-class seating on its aircraft.

In an interview with CNBC , ahead of the airline’s first-quarter earnings call on Thursday, CEO Bob Jordan said the company is weighing options for cabin reconfiguration to address its recent revenue shortfall.

“We’re looking into new initiatives, things like the way we seat and board our aircraft,” Jordan told the network.

Southwest has long differentiated itself from other airlines with one class of seating and little variability – no extra legroom seats or first class on its 737 fleet. But now, Jordan said it may be time to change the strategy.

Cruising Altitude: Another Boeing plane issue? Don't fall for the headlines.

“Customer preferences do change over time,” he told CNBC. He acknowledged the airline hasn’t made any decisions on implementing a new strategy but said studies about what they could do have yielded “interesting” results. 

For now, the only reliable way for Southwest customers can get their seating preference is to pay extra for an earlier boarding position. Southwest Airlines does not currently assign seats and passengers claim their real estate as they board the plane in an assigned order. 

During Thursday's earnings call, Jordan confirmed the airline was exploring updates to its seating and boarding processes. He also announced Southwest would be ending service to Syracuse, New York; George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (the airline will still serve William P. Hobby Airport); Cozumel, Mexico and Bellingham, Washington. Jordan cited underperformance in those markets as the reason for their closure.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].

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SOUTHWEST AIRLINES LAUNCHES ENHANCEMENTS TO TRANSFORM CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND IMPROVE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

July 25, 2024

• Decides to assign seats and offer premium seating options to meet evolving Customer preferences and increase revenue opportunities
• Introduces redeye flights for sale to further optimize the network and increase aircraft utilization
• Dedicates Southwest Officer Ryan Green to lead new efforts as Executive Vice President Commercial Transformation

DALLAS , July 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As the next step in a continuing strategic transformation, Southwest Airlines Co.  (NYSE: LUV) (the "Company") is announcing several new initiatives designed to elevate the Customer experience, improve financial performance, and drive Shareholder value. As part of its ongoing focus on product evolution, the airline is moving forward with plans to assign seats, offer premium seating options, redesign the boarding model, and introduce redeye flying.

Southwest continually reviews Customer expectations. During its quarterly financial results in April, the airline shared that it was studying product preferences and expectations, including onboard seating. In addition to meeting Customer demand, the new amenities are expected to produce additional revenue and strengthen financial performance. Southwest will provide more details on its comprehensive plan to deliver transformational commercial initiatives, improved operational efficiency and capital allocation discipline during its Investor Day in late September. 

Assigned and Premium Seating

After listening carefully to Customers and conducting extensive research, Southwest decided it will assign seats and offer premium seating options on all flights. The airline has been known for its unique open seating model for more than 50 years, but preferences have evolved with more Customers taking longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred. Additionally, Southwest conducted robust operational testing that included live and over 8 million simulation-based boarding trials. The airline is confident that these Customer enhancements will meet expectations and not compromise the airline's operational efficiency. 

The research is clear and indicates that 80% of Southwest Customers, and 86% of potential Customers, prefer an assigned seat. When a Customer elects to stop flying with Southwest and chooses a competitor, open seating is cited as the number one reason for the change. By moving to an assigned seating model, Southwest expects to broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future Customers.

In addition to assigning seats, Southwest will offer a premium, extended legroom portion of the cabin that research shows many Customers strongly prefer. While specific cabin layout details are still in design, Southwest expects roughly one-third of seats across the fleet to offer extended legroom, in line with that offered by industry peers on narrowbody aircraft.

The decision to update the seating and boarding model is part of Southwest's ongoing modernization efforts. During the past two years, Southwest has enhanced its onboard offerings with improvements such as faster WiFi, in-seat power, and larger overhead bins. Work is well underway on a refreshed cabin design, including new, more comfortable RECARO seats. The addition of assigned and premium seating will give Customers more choice and is expected to further enhance the all-in value Southwest Airlines is known for. 

"Moving to assigned seating and offering premium legroom options will be a transformational change that cuts across almost all aspects of the Company," said Bob Jordan, President, CEO, & Vice Chairman of the Board. "Although our unique open seating model has been a part of Southwest Airlines since our inception, our thoughtful and extensive research makes it clear this is the right choice—at the right time—for our Customers, our People, and our Shareholders. We are excited to incorporate Customer and Employee feedback to design a unique experience that only Southwest can deliver. We have been building purposefully to this change as part of a comprehensive upgrade to the Southwest experience as we focus on Customer expectations – and it will unlock new sources of revenue consistent with our laser focus on delivering improved financial performance."

Redeye Flights Now for Sale

Southwest also announced it is adding 24-hour operation capabilities with the introduction of overnight, redeye flights. Booking on initial routes is available today through Southwest.com , with the first overnight flights landing on Valentine's Day 2025 in five initial nonstop markets: Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando ; Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville ; and Phoenix to Baltimore . Southwest plans to phase in additional redeye flying in the carrier's coming schedules as part of its multi-year transformation to a 24-hour operation. Redeye flying, coupled with continued reductions in turn-time through new technologies and procedures, is expected to provide incremental revenue and cost savings, enabling Southwest to fund nearly all new capacity over the next three years without incremental aircraft capital deployment.

New EVP Commercial Transformation

Given the significance of the changes, Ryan Green , previously Executive Vice President, & Chief Commercial Officer, will take on the new role of Executive Vice President Commercial Transformation, leading development and rollout of these and other commercial initiatives already underway. Green has deep knowledge of Customer trends and currently leads the work on cabin transformation. He previously directed efforts to transform Southwest Airlines' Rapid Rewards ® loyalty program and the digital Customer experience. He reports to President, CEO, & Vice Chairman of the Board Bob Jordan in this new role.

"I'm eager to lead this next step in our transformation to serve our Customers with an even better Southwest. In addition to meeting the evolving needs of Customers and fostering more loyalty, these changes are expected to generate additional revenue as we capitalize on greater demand for Southwest Airlines and offer Customers the ability to purchase premium seating options," Green said. "Together, these strategic initiatives play an integral role in the airline's comprehensive strategy to meet Customer needs and enhance Shareholder value, while maintaining the unique Culture, Hospitality, and flexibility that make Southwest – Southwest." 

The Company will share further details about product designs, cabin layout, timing, and incremental financial value at its Investor Day in late September. The move to assigned and premium seating will be significant. In addition to incorporating new technologies and procedures for a seamless transition, the new cabin layout will require approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration. Southwest expects to make bookings available in 2025.

Gary Kelly, Executive Chairman of the Board, said, "The Board fully supports these efforts to usher in a new era for Southwest Airlines, and we have the ultimate confidence in Bob and our Leadership Team to design and deliver an experience that is unique and true to our Southwest Legacy."

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Specific forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements related to (i) the Company's plans and expectations with respect to its initiatives, strategic priorities and focus areas, goals, and opportunities, including with respect to enhancing the Customer experience and Customer value, improving financial performance and operating efficiency, driving shareholder value, and new and increased revenue opportunities; (ii) the Company's plans and expectations with respect to assigned and premium seating, including expected benefits, Customer demand, timing of implementation and bookings,  cabin layout, and expectations that intended benefits will be achieved without compromising operational resiliency; (iii) the Company's network plans and expectations, including its plans and expectations with respect to redeye flying and 24-hour operation capabilities; (iv) the Company's fleet plans and expectations, including with respect to aircraft utilization and its plans to increase operating efficiency; (v) the Company's plans and expectations with respect to the redesigned boarding model; (vi) the Company's plans and expectations with respect to its refreshed cabin design and new RECARO seats; and (vii) the Company's plans and expectations with respect to aircraft turn-time and capacity. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current estimates, intentions, beliefs, expectations, goals, strategies, and projections for the future and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Factors include, among others, (i) the impact of fears or actual outbreaks of diseases, extreme or severe weather and natural disasters, actions of competitors (including, without limitation, pricing, scheduling, capacity, and network decisions, and consolidation and alliance activities), consumer perception, economic conditions, banking conditions, fears or actual acts of terrorism or war, sociodemographic trends, and other factors beyond the Company's control, on consumer behavior and the Company's results of operations and business decisions, plans, strategies, and results; (ii) the Company's ability to timely and effectively implement, transition, operate, and maintain the necessary information technology systems and infrastructure to support its operations and initiatives, including with respect to revenue management; (iii) the cost and effects of the actions of activist shareholders; (iv) the Company's ability to obtain and maintain adequate infrastructure and equipment to support its operations and initiatives; (v) the impact of fuel price changes, fuel price volatility, volatility of commodities used by the Company for hedging jet fuel, and any changes to the Company's fuel hedging strategies and positions, on the Company's business plans and results of operations; (vi) the Company's dependence on The Boeing Company ("Boeing") and Boeing suppliers with respect to the Company's aircraft deliveries, Boeing MAX 7 aircraft certifications, fleet and capacity plans, operations, maintenance, strategies, and goals; (vii) the Company's dependence on the Federal Aviation Administration with respect to safety approvals for the new cabin layout and the certification of the Boeing MAX 7 aircraft; (viii) the Company's dependence on other third parties, in particular with respect to its technology plans, its plans and expectations related to revenue management, operational reliability, fuel supply, maintenance, Global Distribution Systems, and the impact on the Company's operations and results of operations of any third party delays or non-performance; (ix) the Company's ability to timely and effectively prioritize its initiatives and focus areas and related expenditures; (x) the impact of labor matters on the Company's business decisions, plans, strategies, and results; (xi) the impact of governmental regulations and other governmental actions on the Company's business plans, results, and operations; (xii) the Company's dependence on its workforce, including its ability to employ and retain sufficient numbers of qualified Employees with appropriate skills and expertise to effectively and efficiently maintain its operations and execute the Company's plans, strategies, and initiatives; (xiii) the emergence of additional costs or effects associated with the cancelled flights in December 2022, including litigation, government investigation and actions, and internal actions; and (xiv) other factors, as described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the detailed factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

About Southwest Airlines Co.

Southwest Airlines Co.  operates one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports 1 across 11 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline 2 . Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its more than 74,000 3 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 137 million Customers carried in 2023. That formula for success has brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years 4 of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV ). Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship . As the airline with Heart, Southwest has set a goal to work toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 5 . Southwest has also set near-term targets and a three-pillar strategy to achieve its environmental goals. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/planet .

1 Effective Aug. 5, 2024, the airline will serve 117 airports. 2 Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey since Q1 2021 3   Fulltime-equivalent active Employees 4   1973-2019 annual profitability 5   Southwest's net zero by 2050 goal includes Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 Category 3 emissions only and excludes any emissions associated with non-fuel products and services, such as inflight service items.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.

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How to Hack Southwest’s Boarding Groups

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Table of Contents

How does Southwest boarding work?

What is the southwest boarding order, how to get a better southwest boarding position, southwest family boarding: how to sit together, how to get the best seat on southwest airlines (group a), other ways to get a good seat on southwest, southwest seating chart, when you're not happy with your southwest boarding number, southwest boarding groups, recapped.

Update: Southwest Airlines announced in July several upcoming changes to its boarding system, seat assignments and cabin configuration. Red-eye flights are also now bookable on certain routes. Read more of the news here .

The Southwest Airlines boarding process is perhaps more polarizing than whether pineapple belongs on pizza. But one thing’s for sure: The Southwest boarding process is certainly unique.

So how does Southwest boarding work? For starters, there are no assigned seats. There’s no guarantee you’ll get that coveted window seat behind the exit row (which means no seat directly in front of you). There’s no guarantee you’ll end up seated next to your travel buddy.

Yet it also means you get to pick your seat from whatever is available once you board the plane. If the guy in Row 3 has already whipped out his tuna sandwich, maybe you opt for a seat at least a few rows back.

The Southwest boarding process is also theoretically more efficient (at least according to MythBusters ) than most boarding systems with assigned seats.

For some, Southwest's open seating and boarding process creates a thrilling race for the best seats. For others, it can feel chaotic. So with that, let's unpack Southwest’s boarding method to help you get the best seat on your flight.

SOUTHWEST CREDIT CARDS WITH BOARDING BENEFITS

Unlike some credit cards offered by other major airlines, Southwest cards don't automatically get you priority boarding. But they do cover some of your costs when you pay to get a better boarding position:

on Chase's website

Reimbursement for 4 upgraded boardings, when available, each anniversary year.

Reimbursement for 2 EarlyBird check-ins each anniversary year.

To receive reimbursement for an upgraded boarding or EarlyBird Check-In, you must pay for it with the card . Reimbursement will appear as a credit on your statement within one to two billing cycles.

» Learn more: Best Southwest Airlines credit cards

Rather than assigning seats to passengers, Southwest has an open seating style. Here's how Southwest determines who gets to pick their seats in which order:

Know your Southwest boarding position

There are typically three Southwest boarding groups (plus a few in-between groups of sorts, like family boarding).

The standard boarding groups are either: A, B, or C.

With that, there are typically positions 1-60.

Your boarding group is printed on your boarding pass. Group A boards first, then group B, and afterwards group C.

Positions are assigned at check-in, which opens exactly 24 hours before departure. Though, you can hack the system and check-in earlier than that (but more on how to get a better Southwest boarding position later).

If you get A1, then it’s your lucky day — you’ll likely be the plane's first passenger. (Though there may be some exceptions for people with certain disabilities, pre-boarders or people connecting from an earlier flight.) If you get C60, well, hopefully, you’re fine with the middle seat near the bathroom.

Here’s what a paper Southwest boarding pass with the boarding position looks like. This boarding pass indicates Group A and boarding position 40.​​ This means the passenger can board the aircraft after Group A positions 1-39 have boarded.

Listen up for your boarding group to be called

As the gate agent prepares the plane for boarding, they’ll call boarding groups (e.g., Group A, 1-30). From there, you’ll head to one of the numbered posts at the gate area, broken up into smaller blocks (e.g., position 1-5). Stand between the corresponding posts based on your boarding position.

Embrace the Southwest open seating policy

Once onboard, pick any open seat, stow your stuff in the overhead bin or under the seat and get ready for takeoff.

Everyone has their favorite seat, but of course the benefits of a good boarding position mean increased likelihood that you'll nab your seat of choice. That could include getting that coveted window seat, having more overhead bin space, or simply deplaning faster.

Here’s the order of how early Southwest's boarding groups get to enter the plane, from first to last:

1. Preboarding

Southwest allows people who need boarding help or extra time, or folks with specific seating needs to accommodate their disability, to board first. To join that group, request preboarding from a Southwest customer service agent at the ticket desk or departure gate.

Southwest employees will ask "fact-finding questions" to decide if you meet the pre-boarding qualifications. If you do, you’ll receive a boarding pass with a specific preboarding designation, allowing you to preboard with one companion. If you’re traveling with more than one other person, they’ll typically have to board with their original group.

People who are preboarding are not allowed to occupy an exit row seat.

Next up? People with seats in A1-A15 — which is typically filled with Southwest elite flyers, people who purchased Southwest Business Select fares and those who paid extra for their tickets before boarding.

Southwest sells any leftover A1-A15 boarding positions either online through Southwest's upgraded boarding portal within 24 hours of departure, or at the gate.

The rest of Group A follows with A16-60.

3. Other people with disabilities

If you don’t qualify for preboarding but need extra boarding time, you can board after the A group but before Family Boarding and B groups. You’ll still need to speak to a Southwest customer service agent, who will print you a new boarding pass with an extra time designation, indicating that you can board with this group.

4. Families and active-duty military in uniform

If you’re traveling with a child 6 years old or younger, you and up to one other adult can board during Family Boarding, which occurs before the B group. Active military traveling in uniform may also board during this time.

» Learn more: Bookmark these military travel discounts

5. Groups B and C

Next up is B group. For large and full flights, there’s also C group. Both groups board in numerical order from position 1 to position 60.

There are a few ways to get an early (which means better) Southwest boarding position. But many of them come at an extra cost.

If you don’t want to pay anything more than what the Wanna Get Away, Wanna Get Away Plus or Anytime fares already cost, your boarding position is decided based on your check-in order.

Check in online at Southwest.com or on the app beginning 24 hours before your flight's scheduled departure time. Or, check in at the airport.

But, the longer you wait, the worse the boarding position you’ll have.

Set an alarm for that 24-hour mark (maybe even a few minutes early to get logged in) to make sure you get the best Southwest boarding position possible.

Families (two adults traveling with a child 6 years of age or younger) can board after Group A but before Group B. If the child and adult both have Group A assigned on their boarding pass, they can board along with Group A in their allocated boarding position.

However, this still doesn’t guarantee you’ll sit together, especially if your boarding position is A50. The best way to ensure you sit together (and where you want) is to buy a Business Select fare, upgrade your boarding pass or have the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card .

Everyone has a different favorite seat on an airplane, but the easiest way to get the best seat on Southwest is via an A1-15 boarding group position. Since this is the first boarding group, you’ll have your pick of nearly any seat.

Here are three ways to guarantee an A1-15 group position on Southwest, but it’s going to cost you:

1. Buy a Business Select fare

Business Select fares come with many perks including Fly By priority lane access, a complimentary premium drink, and yes, guaranteed receipt of an A1-15 boarding position.

Business Select fares are not cheap. They can often be multiple times more expensive than Wanna Get Away fares, but they tend to be a better deal than Southwest’s middle tier called Anytime fares.

If you’re willing to pay for a seat upgrade, it’s almost always better to opt for Business Select over Anytime fares because you’ll get benefits like elevated points earning and the guarantee of a good seat.

2. Buy upgraded boarding (when available)

While not a guarantee, Southwest sells the remaining A1-A15 boarding positions for an extra fee. You can purchase that either on the day of travel at the ticket desk or gate, or within 24 hours of takeoff on Southwest's website .

It’s $30 to $80 per segment depending on your itinerary. These positions are not assigned to regular ticket customers once the 24-hour check-in window begins, so if the flight is low on elite flyers or Business Select passengers, there may be some available for purchase.

Some cards, such as the The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express , can offset the cost of upgraded boarding by offering a $200 airline incidental credit . These annual statement credits cover incidental air travel fees with one qualifying airline of your choice.

3. Use a Southwest credit card to get complimentary upgraded boarding (when available)

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card , reimburse cardholders for up to four upgraded boardings to positions A1-A15 every anniversary year.

The process is the same as anyone else purchasing upgraded boarding. You’ll have to buy it on the day of travel at the ticket desk or gate, and it’s only for sale if seats are available. But no matter the cost — whether $30 or $50 — you’ll get that four times a year in the form of a credit reimbursement.

Those boardings can be purchased all at once or for different flights, so you could opt to upgrade your posse once or give yourself the VIP treatment a few times throughout the year.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards

These two options won’t guarantee an A boarding position, but they’ll still put you ahead of others who try to check in online 24 hours out or at the airport ahead of their flight:

1. Have Southwest elite status

Customers with Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred or A-List Member status get their boarding position automatically reserved 36 hours before departure. That's before normal check-in begins, putting them ahead of everyone else who has to wait for that 24-hour window. The benefit also applies to other travelers on the same reservation as A-List Preferred or A-List Members.

While holding Southwest status doesn't guarantee an A position (e.g., if everyone else on the flight also had A-List Preferred or A-List status), it will get you the earliest position available (and sometimes lands you in the A1-A15 positions).

2. Buy EarlyBird Check-In

EarlyBird Check-In is an add-on to your ticket that automatically checks you in 36 hours before the flight's scheduled departure time. That puts you in the running for the best boarding position next to folks with Southwest status, Anytime and Business Select fares, and ahead of everyone else who has to wait for the 24-hour window.

EarlyBird Check-In typically costs $15-$25 one-way per passenger on top of your fare price.

How is EarlyBird Check-In order decided? Boarding positions are assigned based on the time that EarlyBird Check-In was bought relative to passengers within the same fare class. So Wanna Get Away Plus passengers will be checked in ahead of Wanna Get Away passengers with EarlyBird.

EarlyBird does not guarantee a boarding position, but it does increase your odds of getting in a better boarding position. EarlyBird check-in generally means Southwest A group.

What’s a good seat on your Southwest flight? Head over to Seatguru. Once there, type in your travel date and flight number to choose your flight.

Oftentimes, Seatguru shows several aircraft configurations for a specific flight. For Southwest, Seatguru features three aircraft seating charts: Boeing 737 MAX 8, Boeing 737-700 and Boeing 737-800. Make sure your aircraft matches the Seatguru result.

From there, read the seat reviews. The plane seats will either be green, yellow, red or white. Green means it's a great seat (usually with extra legroom) and yellow means there is some drawback (like limited recline). Red means several drawbacks (such as a misaligned window and near the bathroom).

White seats are just regular cabin seats

If you’re cool with checking your luggage if the overhead bins run out of space or don't mind the middle seat for a few hours, then getting assigned Group C will be manageable.

But if you want to be among the first to board and accidentally ended up with a bad boarding position, your best bet to jump the line is to pay the $30-$50 for an A1-15 boarding position. You can do this either in-person at the airport or online.

If Business Select is sold out, you’re probably out of luck on purchasing upgraded boarding. Next time, consider purchasing EarlyBird Check-In or booking a higher fare class to begin with.

» Learn more: Is there a right way to exit an airplane?

Southwest offers three boarding groups (A, B or C), and a position 1-60+, which get assigned at check-in. While the Southwest boarding process can be confusing, remember this: Check in exactly 24 hours before your flight, and you'll generally be OK.

Otherwise, you can pony up extra cash for expensive tickets or upgraded boarding passes. Know which of your credit cards may offer airline credits to offset these fees, as they can get you out of a jam when you miss the check-in deadline.

If you’re traveling with a larger group with multiple reservation numbers, everyone needs to handle their business and check in separately if you want any shot at getting boarding positions near each other.

Southwest follows an open seating style, meaning there are no assigned seats. You’ll be assigned a boarding group (either A, B, or C) and position (1-60+) upon check-in, which determines your boarding order. Once on board, you choose your seat. If you’re last to board, you likely won’t get to sit with your family.

However, Southwest has a solution to better ensure families can sit together. If you’re traveling with a child 6 years old or younger, up to two adults may board during Southwest’s Family Boarding period, between Group A and Group B boarding (unless both the child and adults have A boarding passes and can board in that earlier group).

For an additional fee, EarlyBird Check-In automatically checks you in 12 hours ahead of the traditional 24-hour check-in window. While it’s not a guarantee of the coveted A boarding group, you’ll end up in an earlier boarding position than if you had not paid for it.

Families with children 6 and under can board before Group B free of charge, so for these travelers, paying for EarlyBird Check-In is usually not worth it.

However, if you have children older than 6 and don’t want to risk sitting apart on the plane, it can make sense to pay for EarlyBird Check-In.

Your Southwest boarding group is determined upon check-in. The earlier you check in, the earlier your boarding group.

Typically, you’ll check in for your flight online beginning 24 hours before the scheduled departure time or anytime thereafter. If you don’t, you can check in and get your boarding pass at the airport through the Southwest ticket counter or, if available, a self-service kiosk.

However, you can secure an earlier boarding position by purchasing a Business Select fare, purchasing EarlyBird Check-In or by purchasing an upgraded boarding pass from the counter on the day of travel (when available).

Generally, yes, you can sit anywhere on Southwest. Since the airline's flights have open seating, you simply choose any available seat once on board.

There are a few exceptions. For example, passengers who preboard may not occupy an exit seat.

Seniors do not get priority boarding on Southwest.

There is priority boarding for customers who have a specific seating need to accommodate their disability, who need assistance in boarding the aircraft or who need help stowing an assistive device. These passengers board before Family Boarding, between the A and B groups.

No, Southwest does not have assigned seats. Instead, passengers can select their seat upon boarding. Passengers board in alpha-numerical order, and your boarding position is determined by your fare, if you purchased EarlyBird Check-In, whether you're part of certain preboarding groups and how quickly you check in for the flight 24 hours ahead of departure.

If you are assigned to boarding group C on Southwest, expect to have fewer window and aisle seat options, and less overhead bin space. You may, however, secure a middle seat towards the front of the plane, which can mean earlier disembarkation. Though boarding Group C on Southwest isn't great, there are some possible upsides.

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Southwest Airlines Boarding Process & Groups – Everything You Need To Know

Katie Seemann

Senior Content Contributor and News Editor

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Table of Contents

What makes the southwest boarding process different, the southwest airlines boarding process [detailed], southwest boarding positions, family boarding, boarding for passengers with disabilities, how to get a better boarding position, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Key Takeaways

• Southwest Airlines uses an open seating policy with three boarding groups (A, B, C). You will receive a number determined by check-in time, with passengers boarding in numerical order within their group.
• EarlyBird Check-In, Business Select, and A-List members can help secure a better boarding position.
• Families with children under six and passengers needing special assistance can board after the A group.

Southwest Airlines has gained a lot of popularity over the years in part because they do things a little differently. They don’t charge change fees, they don’t charge for checked baggage, and they don’t assign seats.

If you have never flown Southwest before, this last one can throw you for a loop! But have no fear — Upgraded Points has got you covered!

In this post, we’ll detail what makes the Southwest boarding process different and what you need to know to navigate it like a pro. We’ll also show you some ways to help boost your chances of getting the seat you want plus answer some common FAQs.

The Southwest Airlines boarding process is different because they don’t assign seats. However, it’s not a free for all — there is a specific system that you’ll need to follow to board the plane. Then once you are on board, you can choose any available seat that you want.

Why Checking in for Your Flight Is so Important

When you check in for your Southwest Airlines flight, you’ll receive a boarding position. This boarding position will consist of a letter (A, B, or C) and a number (1-60).

The number you’re assigned is based (mostly) on when you check in for your flight — the earlier you check in, the better your boarding position will be.

Southwest opens check-in 24 hours before your plane departs, so you’ll want to check in as soon as it opens. Seasoned Southwest passengers will set an alarm to remind themselves to check in exactly 24 hours ahead of time.

Checking in 24 hours before your flight will usually land you somewhere in the B boarding group — which is generally adequate to find either a window or aisle seat or 2 seats together if you are flying with a companion.

At the Gate

When it’s time to board the plane, the gate agent will first call the A group to get in position. You’ll notice 2 lines of people lining up in rows that are labeled A 1-30 and A 31-60 (note the photo below is showing C 1-30 and C 31+). In each row, there will be a marker for every 5 numbers showing exactly where you should be standing in line.

Once boarding begins, the gate agent will start with pre-board passengers and those with boarding positions A 1-15 (usually reserved for Business Select passengers). Then they will continue with A 15-30 then A 31-60. Once A 1-30 have boarded the plane, the monitor at the front of the line will change to B 1-30. Then the B group can start lining up while the rest of the A group finishes getting on the plane.

When your number is called, you’ll walk in line to the gate agent to scan your boarding pass and proceed on to the plane. Once you are on the plane, you can choose any open seat.

Hot Tip: If you’re flying on Southwest Airlines, be sure to familiarize yourself with the Rapid Rewards program. This frequent flyer program includes lots of ways to earn points (even without flying ) and offers easy points redemptions with no blackout dates. Southwest flies to lots of international destinations plus Hawaii (finally), so their Rapid Rewards program is one you won’t want to miss.

If you aren’t familiar with Southwest’s boarding positions, they may be a little confusing. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect.

Pre-Board: Pre-boarding is reserved for those passengers with situations that require them to have a specific seat on the plane due to a disability or those who need assistance in boarding or stowing an assistive device. A pre-boarding designation needs to be arranged prior to boarding.

A1-15: These positions are usually reserved for Business Select passengers (the most expensive type of ticket you can purchase on Southwest). If not all of the Business Select tickets were sold, other passengers can upgrade their position to the A1-A15 section for $30 to $50 (the upgraded boarding applies to just that flight, not your whole itinerary). If A1-A15 boarding positions are available, they will be available to purchase beginning 24 hours before departure.

A16-30: This group is usually assigned to A-List Preferred or A-List members and anyone who purchased EarlyBird Check-In . However, an A boarding position is not guaranteed even if you have A-List, A-List Preferred, or EarlyBird Check-In.

Family Boarding/Active Duty Military/Passengers Needing Extra Time: Families traveling with a child who is 6 years old or younger can board after the A group regardless of their assigned boarding position. This does not need to be arranged ahead of time. You’ll just line up to the side and board when they call for families with young children.

Any active-duty military passengers are allowed to board at this time as well.

Any customers with a disability who just need a little extra time to board can go in this group. This needs to be pre-arranged by speaking to a ticket counter agent or a gate agent prior to boarding.

B 1-60: This middle-of-the-road group can vary depending on how full the plane is and how many people purchased EarlyBird Check-In. You can still end up in the B group when you purchase EarlyBird Check-In, however, you’ll probably be at the front of the pack if you do.

If you check in exactly 24 hours ahead of time, you’ll usually end up somewhere in the B group. If you have a B group boarding position, the chances are good that you’ll still be able to get a window or aisle seat or find 2 seats together if you’re traveling with a companion.

Hot Tip: If you are in the B group (or even one of the first numbers in the C group), head to the back of the plane. People tend to fill in the front of the plane first, leaving open seating in the back. While this doesn’t always work, you’ll have better chances of avoiding a middle seat if you head to the rear of the aircraft.

C 1-60: This is the group you will most likely get if you don’t check in right on time. While the C group isn’t a guaranteed middle seat, the chances are pretty high that you won’t be sitting in the ideal spot.

If you’re traveling alone, it’s worth it to go to the back of the plane in search of a window or aisle seat. If there are only middle seats left, the flight attendants will announce it so you’ll know when to give up and take the first seat you see.

Tips for Finding an Open Seat

• The flight attendants will usually be standing in a row of seats near the middle of the plane (often in the exit row) during boarding. They are usually more than happy to move if you’d like to sit where they are standing.
• You’ll see people with their bags on the seat in an effort to save them for traveling companions with a later boarding number. While you are technically allowed to ask them to move their items so you can sit there, you’ll have a grumpy seatmate for the whole trip. It’s probably best to move on.
• Often you’ll see 2 people in a row who are traveling together but sitting in the window and aisle, leaving the middle seat empty. If you ask to sit there, more often than not one of them will move over, giving you a window or an aisle seat.
• Don’t pass up a prime empty seat in the front of the plane. I see this all the time! You’ll often see a decent empty seat in the front of the plane that people are passing up. Unlike other airlines, these are not reserved for anyone, so feel free to take a great seat in the front if it’s available (I’ve used this trick to score a second-row aisle seat with overhead bin space even though I had a C boarding position!).

Flying on Southwest with young children is one instance when bringing the kids makes your trip easier. That’s because parents traveling with a child that’s 6 years old or younger get to board after the A group regardless of what boarding position is listed on your boarding pass.

That means you don’t have to worry about checking in exactly 24 hours ahead of time — which is a luxury when flying on Southwest.

Boarding right after the A group also guarantees you’ll be able to find a group of seats together, which is essential when traveling with little ones.

Family boarding is limited to 2 parents and their children as long as one is 6 years old or younger. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, or anyone else traveling with you will still need to board in their assigned position.

If you are traveling with a child and you both have A boarding positions, you’re more than welcome to go ahead and board with the A group — you don’t have to wait for family boarding.

Bottom Line: If you’re traveling with a child who is 6 years old or younger, you’ll be able to board during family boarding. This takes place between the A and B groups which will ensure you can find seats together. This courtesy only extends to children and 2 parents — any other traveling companions will still need to board based on their boarding position.

Customers with disabilities who require pre-boarding due to a specific seating need or those who need assistance with a medical device need to speak to a ticket agent or gate agent before boarding begins. If the passenger qualifies, a new boarding pass with a pre-boarding designation will be issued. Anyone who pre-boards may not sit in an exit row.

If a customer with a disability just needs a little extra time, they will be permitted to board before family boarding between the A and B groups.

This courtesy extends to 1 travel companion as well — any additional family or friends will need to board with their assigned groups.

If you want a great boarding position but don’t want to worry about checking in at the right time (or paying for a Business Select fare), there are other options to help you secure a coveted higher boarding position.

• Earn Southwest elite status
• Purchase EarlyBird Check-In
• Purchase an upgraded boarding position beginning 24 hours before departure (subject to availability).
• Get a credit card that comes with upgraded boarding passes or a travel credit to cover the fees.

Earn Southwest Elite Status

You can earn elite status on Southwest Airlines through the number of one-way flights you take or through the number of elite qualifying points you earn in 1 calendar year. Southwest also allows other passengers on the same reservation as the elite member to board at the same time as the elite member.

Southwest will occasionally run promotions to help you fast-track your status, or you can try a status match .

Hot Tip: While having a Southwest Companion Pass is a fantastic perk, it does not make you eligible for any type of priority boarding.

EarlyBird Check-In

Adding EarlyBird Check-In to your reservation will automatically check you in up to 36 hours ahead of your flight, giving you a higher boarding position. However, it doesn’t guarantee an A group position. You could still get a B boarding position even if you pay for EarlyBird Check-In.

You can add EarlyBird Check-In when you purchase your ticket, or you can add it to an existing flight. It costs between $15 to $25 one-way per person.

Purchase Upgraded Boarding

If there are open boarding positions available in the A1-A15 group, you’ll be able to pay to upgrade to one of these positions on the Southwest mobile app beginning 24 hours before departure.

The cost is $30 to $50 per person per flight segment (it doesn’t cover your whole itinerary).

Bottom Line: Your best bets to get a higher boarding position without having to earn elite status are EarlyBird Check-In and upgraded boarding. However, both options will cost you. EarlyBird Check-In costs $15 to $25 one-way per person and doesn’t guarantee you’ll get an A boarding number. Upgraded boarding is subject to availability and costs $30 to $50 per flight per person, but it gets you an A1-15 boarding position.

The Best Credit Cards for Upgraded Boarding

Of course, perks like upgraded boarding or EarlyBird Check-In are even better when you don’t have to pay for them. The good news is that some credit cards will cover these costs for you.

Southwest Credit Cards:

An A1-15 boarding position sounds great, but paying up to $50 per person isn’t great. Thankfully, there are credit cards that can help you cover this cost.

The following Southwest credit cards each come with 4 upgraded boarding passes per year:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards ® Priority Credit Card
• Southwest ® Rapid Rewards ® Performance Business Credit Card

Other Credit Cards:

Some credit cards offer credits for travel purchases. You can use these credits to upgrade your boarding position or to purchase EarlyBird Check-In on Southwest Airlines.

The airline fee credit on these American Express cards will only be reimbursed if the charge comes from your selected airline (so be sure to choose Southwest!). These credits don’t apply to airfare, so if you want to use your credit for EarlyBird Check-In, be sure to purchase it separately from your flight.

Amex credit cards that offer airline fee reimbursements include:

• The Platinum Card ® from American Express : up to $200 airline fee credit
• The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express : up to $200 airline fee credit

Chase and Citi also offer cards that come with a generous travel reimbursement. Using the travel credits on these cards is easier than those on Amex cards. You don’t have to designate a specific airline or worry about making sure you pay for EarlyBird Check-In separate from your flight.

• Chase Sapphire Reserve ®
• Citi Prestige ® Card

Southwest is an airline that does things a little differently. This includes their boarding process — because they don’t assign seats! While the idea of not having an assigned seat can be a little confusing at first, once you get the hang of it, it’s easy peasy.

We hope this guide gives you the confidence to board your next Southwest flight like a pro.

The information for the Citi Prestige ® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here . For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

Is southwest earlybird check-in worth it.

Whether or not Southwest EarlyBird Check-In is worth it is a personal decision. If having a middle seat will absolutely ruin your trip, it might be a good idea. It can also be a good idea on longer flights where you’ll be more comfortable in a window or aisle seat.

If you’re on a short flight or you’re pretty confident that you can remember to check in exactly 24 hours before your departure, you’ll probably be fine without EarlyBird Check-In.

Does Southwest board military first?

Southwest gives special consideration to active duty military personnel. Any active-duty military passenger will be able to board after the A group regardless of their assigned boarding position.

Can I upgrade my boarding position on Southwest?

Yes, if you would like to upgrade your boarding position you can do so starting 24 hours before departure. If there are any A1-15 positions available you’ll be able to upgrade for $30 to $50 per person.

Do Southwest A-List customers automatically get checked in?

Yes, if you’re an A-List or A-List Preferred member, Southwest will automatically check you in 36 hours prior to your departure.

How does EarlyBird Check-In work on Southwest Airlines?

When you purchase Southwest EarlyBird Check-In you’ll automatically get checked in for your flight 36 hours before departure (that’s 12 hours ahead of general check-in). It ensures you’ll have a decent boarding position, but it does not guarantee an A boarding position.

What if I have a different boarding position than my traveling companion?

If you have a different boarding position than your traveling companion you’re able to board together if you go by the person with the lowest position. For example, if you are assigned boarding position A48 and your companion is assigned B31 you may both board at B31, but not at A48.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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Why has southwest airlines persisted with unallocated seating.

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• Southwest Airlines' unallocated seat assignments, or "open seating," have been a part of the airline since its beginnings.
• The unique seating model not only aligns with Southwest's egalitarian ticketing model but also improves boarding times.
• Southwest monetizes its boarding groups by offering passengers the option to purchase upgraded boarding status or an EarlyBird Check-In option.

It is common for passengers to have their seats assigned either in advance or during check-in at the airport. That way, passengers know exactly where they are sitting, and they board according to their assigned boarding zones. Is it not the case with one major airline in the US.

Large-scale low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines is known for several unorthodox offerings as a budget operator. These include free baggage, its point-to-point route network, and its tendency to only sell tickets directly through its own channels. Another of these classic Southwest features is the airline's policy of unallocated seat assignments, which it calls 'open seating.'

Elsewhere in the US, other airlines utilize assigned seating as a way to generate huge amounts of revenue . Still, despite the fact that certain American carriers have openly poked fun at Southwest's model, the blue-liveried airline has stuck with unallocated seating since its beginnings. But what exactly is in it for Southwest?

A time-tested and egalitarian seating model

This feature has been with the airline since its beginnings in the 1970s, and the concept was pretty unorthodox even back then. According to Southwest , its flight attendants would sometimes tell passengers that "just like at church," they could sit wherever they wanted to. The idea fit well with Southwest's relatively egalitarian ticketing model, which was also rather unusual when it launched.

Love aviation history ? Discover more of our stories here!

With no first class or business class cabins onboard its aircraft, all of Southwest's passengers sat (and still do sit) in the same sort of seats, ate the same snacks, and received the same in-flight experience. Seats were 'assigned' merely in the order passengers showed up to the gate and picked a seat to sit down in.

Faster boarding times

Over time, according to the airline, multiple studies have proven that its unallocated seating model has also improved boarding times. Faster boarding, in turn, generally contributes to more on-time departures and, ultimately, cost savings. The airline claims this translates into cheaper prices for passengers' tickets.

After half a century of operations, the boarding process understandably looks somewhat different today compared to when the company started. Nonetheless, the fundamental concept has remained in place. However, the airline seriously considered switching to assigned seating in 2006, when it tested the idea on 200 flights from San Diego and, later, from San Antonio.

Interestingly, the tests revealed that boarding times increased by between one and four minutes when assigned seating was utilized. However, they still led to some changes that are now standard parts of the boarding experience for Southwest Airlines passengers. These included getting rid of a first-come-first-serve approach in favor of a group boarding method.

Monetization opportunities

Today, boarding groups are generally assigned based on when passengers check in for their flight, which can be done online up to 24 hours in advance. However, the existence of boarding groups also provides additional revenue opportunities. Passengers have the option of purchasing upgraded boarding status, which allows them to board in group A1-A15, giving them the best pick of the seats.

Aside from upgraded boarding, passengers can also purchase an EarlyBird Check-In option that automatically checks passengers in before the standard 24-hour check-in available to all other passengers. While this does not guarantee those passengers group A1-A15 boarding status, it will bump them as far to the front of the line as possible, behind any upgraded boarding passengers.

Branded credit cards are another way passengers can take advantage of boarding upgrades, such as those who hold a Southwest Priority Card or a Southwest Performance Card. Despite the decision to keep unassigned seating following the 2006 trials, CEO Robert Jordan said during a virtual town hall in 2022 that the airline might still eventually switch to an assigned seating model , stating:

“Could we one day need to take back up the assigned-seating question? I think we may have to do that. Just know this. We are committed to continuing to look at our product, making sure it's relevant.”

How To Use Southwest's Low Fare Calendar For Bargain Flights

The Low Fare Calendar helps travelers to find a bargain by showing the cheapest fare on each day of the month.

During the first quarter of 2024, Southwest Airlines reported a net loss of $231 million. Bob Jordan, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated during the press release ,

"To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network optimization efforts to address underperforming markets."

The airline may also be considering a change in their unallocated seating policies, as hinted by the Jordan.

"Additionally, we are evaluating options to enhance our Customer Experience as we study product preferences and expectations, including onboard seating and our cabin."

easyJet also used to have unallocated seating

Southwest is far from the only low-cost carrier to have used unallocated seating over the years. Indeed, a similar model was also in place in the UK at easyJet until as recently as November 2012 . However, the orange-clad airline switched to an allocated model after running tests in the summer of 2012. Conversely to Southwest's research, these found that such seating didn't delay flights.

What do you make of Southwest's unallocated seating model? Have you ever flown with the airline? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments section!

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How Southwest’s Extra Legroom and Assigned Seating Might Work

Southwest was a news machine last week. After posting a bad quarter with an even worse outlook , it announced redeyes and most importantly, the introduction of assigned seating along with an extra legroom section. This is all good — well, except for the current results and outlook — but we still don’t know much about how this is going to be implemented. Let’s talk about that.

What we know so far is that Southwest will introduce assigned seating, but we don’t know how seats will be assigned. It will also create an extra legroom section that will make up a third of the seats onboard, roughly. Further, we know that Southwest still likes its boarding process even with assigned seating. We also know this isn’t happening tomorrow. It takes time to put all the pieces together, and it’s such a big task that the former Chief Commercial Officer is now focused on the changes exclusively .

There are presumably many decisions that are still to be made, but I’m happy to guess on some things here. First, the boarding process. CEO Bob Jordan said this on the earnings call:

We’re also designing a boarding process that retains the organized calm our customers enjoy today, but also complements an assigned seating model.

It is true that there is nothing better than orderly boarding that avoids gate lice stepping all over each other to jockey for position. If a third of the plane will be extra legroom, I can see a world where the A group becomes extra legroom section followed by two groups of regular seating. The boading poles are already there in every airport, so they might as well use them. It also gives an opportunity to retain some sort of early boarding product. I don’t know why people would pay for it if seats are assigned, but some people are nutty. Might as well take their money.

When it comes to money, it remains to be seen exactly how Southwest will charge for this. Will it charge for regular seat assignments, letting everyone who doesn’t pay get them at check-in just like an ultra low-cost carrier? Will it have a basic economy-style bundle that doesn’t include a seat assignment while everything else does? Will it have the garbage “preferred” seating section which is no different than everywhere else but usually sits further forward? I tend to think most of those are unlikely.

Southwest is an airline that tries to stay true to its customer service orientation. I would be surprised if we saw Southwest taking things away from people. More likely is that regular seat assignments would be included, but if people want to sit in the extra legroom section, they’d obviously have to pay for that separately or buy a higher fare bundle. Presumably A-Listers would get it for free, helping to improve the value of the loyalty program.

And what about that legroom? How will it be configured? I geeked out a little too much on this. I know that they will be outfitting the whole fleet, but I ignored the 737-700s and -7 MAX aircraft since those are harder to figure out and will probably require losing a row anyway. Instead, let’s take a look at the current configuration of the 737-800 and -8 MAX.

There are 175 seats with a minimum of 32 inches of seat pitch (the distance from one point on a seat to the same point on the seat in the row ahead). That is pretty generous considering American has a full first class cabin and extra legroom section and still fits 172 seats on the same airplane.

The ones I’ve market in blue are the ones I believe have extra legroom. The exit rows I know are right, but I’m not completely sure about the bulkhead.

Because Southwest has a generous 32 inches of pitch, it can afford to give up an inch. That’s probably even more likely true since it is installing new seats on the airplane that will presumably provide better legroom than the seats that are on the airplane today.

I’m assuming that Southwest goes down to 31 inches and then comes up to 34 inches for extra legroom. Below you’ll see one possible scenario for how this could work.

If Southwest takes out one inch of pitch on eight rows in front of the exits, then it can make four rows with 34 inches. I got a little murky with the bulkhead since I’m still not completely sure what has extra legroom and what doesn’t there.

To get this many extra legroom seats, however, it does have to put some behind the wing. Back there, if they take 1 inch from 10 rows and then have 2 inches from 1 row in the way back, that’s enough to create six more rows with 34 inches.

We don’t even know if it will be 34 inches, but the point is, Southwest can keep the same number of seats onboard and create a lot of extra legroom seating that it can sell. At the same time, it can continue giving above average legroom to everyone else onboard. (Well, maybe except that last row which would be just average….)

This has the ability to generate a lot of revenue using the same number of seats, which is exactly the point.

It sounds like we’ll learn a lot more in September when the airline has its investor day, but despite Elliott’s best efforts to shame the airline , I would assume this management team will do things in a more customer-friendly way that will help bolster the company’s reputation instead of harm it.

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54 comments on “ How Southwest’s Extra Legroom and Assigned Seating Might Work ”

Sounds like Southwest is FINALLY learning how to be a budget-focussed airline / LCC in the 2020s and leaving the 1980s. They have a lot more to learn from the budget airline / LCC with the largest market cap in the world though. Unbundling needs to go further. “No bag fees” should eventually be dropped, even for the first checked bag – some people will scream in the press, but pax will pay and profits will rise significantly.

Most airline credit cards give you a free checked bag. SWA would deepen its relationship with Chase as a result of charging for bags and create a more robust ancillary revenue stream.

Hey, if you want to donate money for checked bags feel free. Some of us like the perk

Yup. Treat customers as badly as other airlines is guaranteed to enhance your revenue, and make you unique in a marketplace of bad service. American airlines generally stink, with Southwest slightly less stinky. New business slogan, “We stink just like all the rest!” Hurrah!!!

Cranky check the label on your second graphic between blue and red. Assuming Blue is extra legroom since it is exit rows but appears to be labeled backwards.

I saw the same problem.

Yup! Exactly!

Oh yeah, whoops, fixed

I know the article here attempted to frame Southwest as customer friendly, but when renderings were released with the new slim looking seats the airline got an absolute wrecking. Surprisingly it even became a popular subject on TikTok.

As misleading as seat pitch is, the news of legroom being cut will not go down well.

Personally I don’t mind slimmer seats. If i am only going to get so much space, I’d rather it be space that i can stretch my legs with, instead of space that goes behind my back. I suppose the exception to that is if the person behind you keeps bumping into or kicking your seat, but that feels more like a passenger courtesy issue.

How long until 31″ of legroom becomes 28″? Gott a pack them in for profitability… right? And I’m not necessarily speaking about WN here.

To be fair, the other large carriers in the US (United, Delta, American) have seat pitch in the 30-31″ range for basic economy (at least based on SeatGuru’s short-haul economy class comparison; not sure when it was last updated). Even going down the list to the next larger airlines, Alaska, Allegiant, Hawaiian and JetBlue are in that range as well. Among the top 12ish pax airlines in the US, it’s really only Spirit, Sun Country, and Frontier that are listed with short-haul economy seats <30" of pitch. Internationally, even Ryanair is listed at 30" and up.

Hot take: I personally don't see non-ULCCs dropping seat pitch below 30". Seat pitch is a very imperfect measure of comfort/space (to me personally, hip & shoulder space is almost equally important), but a row of seats with 28" seat pitch is MUCH more cramped & uncomfortable for many pax than one with 30" or 31". That difference is one travelers can really feel, even if they don't know the exact number, and enough to drive many business travelers away unless they have no other option.

“…I don’t know why people would pay for it if seats are assigned, but some people are nutty.” Because they’ll want overhead space near their seat.

Exactly. With assigned seating fewer people will see a need to pay for early boarding. But those worried about overhead bin space will still pay for it.

“Organized calm” is now how I would describe the Southwest boarding process.

Is there a possibility of WN bringing in a second type of plane scubas the A220? If the 737 MAX ran into problems (again) they would be up s*%*s creek.

Such as not scuba. Damn spellcheck

Bringing in a second aircraft type would wreck the benefit of a single aircraft type that they enjoy now. If they did that they would start to look even more like one of the other majors (AA/DL/UA)

But the other majors seem to be doing okay with multiple aircraft types. Even “proudly all Boeing” AS isn’t flying 737s into smaller markets.

I think a single aircraft type is useful to some extend, but not really the best approach once your airline reaches a certain size.

Operating more than one aircraft type is a huge driver of costs. There is a vast amount of non-productive flight crew time every time someone moves to a different aircraft type which may be promotional or shift bidding, not to mention the additional aircraft parts inventory and mechanic training.

Plus training for all aircraft touching employees, union pushback (which all just got new contracts), etc. I actually see this assigned seating failing them as they have to spend more refitting the planes for this config (which will take the planes out for a week to 2 weeks) and they’re already taking a loss as it is. Tread very lightly

But it works for the other large airlines….

Yes, it comes with costs. But also opens up new opportunities.

Angry Bob – There’s always been a chance of that, but time and time again the airline has decided not to bother. I think at this point, it would take too long to get any other aircraft (except maybe an Embraer) to make it worth bothering. That’s a decision that should have been made long ago if they wanted to make it.

“More likely is that regular seat assignments would be included, but if people want to sit in the extra legroom section, they’d obviously have to pay for that separately or buy a higher fare bundle.” I also think this is how they are going to do it. I’ve been reading in some other forums and a lot of people think they are going to charge just for having a seat assignment. I just don’t see that. I also hope they keep at least one free checked bag going into the future. I travel with kids and not having the hassle to pay for a checked bag or add carry-ons with kids would be nice. Plus, I think it sets WN apart from everyone else.

All the sources are saying WN Will charge higher for the LUV seats and Exit Row each in separate categories . And the Economy seats will not have the Upsell if you want a window or isle since WN doesn’t want to push families away from flying WN . But there gonna need to buy WGA+ to get seats together. Because that guarantee will not come with the WAG price point.

There a lot of talk that WN going to eliminate 6 seats/ one row give every aircraft 36 extra legroom seats catering towards the Business Select passengers they have lost recently. The Exit rows seats will be available for seat selection geared towards the Loyal A list preferred customers separate from the new LUV seating. Then the remaining economy will remain the same without diluting the normal industry economy seats pitch the Wanna get plus passenger enjoy today. This will bring the 700 back down to 137 seats and reduce the NG8/Max8 to 169 seats. WN plan to keep 36 seats standard will help WN protect its prime customers should they need to downgrade the aircraft in an unscheduled Swap no LUV seating customer will be bumped down to normal economy. WN also HAS TOO MANY seats in the market so this will help them reduce the inventory within their own markets and simultaneously increase the price point since it will limit the available seats. Less dirt cheap seats dragging down revenue. Lastly WN has a HUGE over weight problem on its ETOPS flight out of LAS and PHX requiring Flag stops for fuel at LAX almost daily during the summer months. 6 less seats reduced the weight problem on the MAX8. The NG800 has even greater over weight problems at MDW,DEN,PHX,LAS and BUR during the summer months also so again reducing 6 seats of weight helps WN combat this ongoing issue. Now when it comes to seat selection Business select will be limited to the 36 LUV seats. While A list customers/ Anytime fares will get first choice at the highly sought after Exit row seats. This gives those passengers the perks of extra space seats without taking away prime LUV seats from the highest fare bucket. When those LUV seats aren’t booked they will most likely offered to A list preferred customers as a reward upgrade based on status and availability on the day of departure. The remaining seat selection at time of booking will go to Wanna Get away PLUS passengers. The Remaining seats not bought by WGA+ will be sold and seats assigned the Day of departure when the passengers checkin at the airport. Rumors have it these passengers will still be given 2 free checked bags but reduced to just One small personal item. This reduces the end boarding gate checked baggage and allows WN to assign these seats throughout the aircraft to fix its weight and balance issues on lightly booked flights. It also give them the flexibility to move people around last minute to accommodate specific needs ahead of time to avoid delays at the gate at push time. While Many will miss the Open seating at WN the “Fake pre Boarding problem” and Seat Saving with paying for Business select or Early Bird finally reached its breaking point and WN had to make the change.

Runway30 – There’s no way. The airline said itself that a third of its seats would be extra legroom, so it’s going to be much more than that.

Well i stand corrected. Also your assessment of how the layout gonna look has seemed hit the nail On the head and cause frustration from top brass at WN . “Who Leaked This to the Cranky flyer.” This morning seems like the Business select as we know it is being canned and merged with the Alist rewards flyers to not dilute them from being a loyal longtime Customers. Sounds like A boarding group will be LUV seating 61 seats total. And 114 Wanna get away +/ Wanna get away seats. Sounds like the difference between the two products will be: WGA+ you can self assign your seat at time of purchase plus your gonna still be allowed 2 free checked bags plus one carry on and one small personal item, plus your allowed to go on any flight on the Same day stand program. WAG you get 2 FREE checked and just one Small personal item, Seats will be assigned the day of departure up to one Hour before when you check your luggage at the airport. No same day stand by flexibly. One Hour prior to departure at the ticket counter check in will be cut off and seats will be released to Standbys and upgrades at the Gate. Baggage check will be 1:30 minutes before departure on international flight’s. Also sounds like WN will be bringing back a plethora of Thru flight itineraries they recently eliminated to help curb seat switching and reduce turn times. To keep the gate area organised and not full of gate lice. The boarding process will be sorted something like this: WN will still use the pillars to line people up for boarding. Dead Heading crew or jumper seaters Preboarding. Active military personnel Group A zone 1. Exit row & Aft LUV seating. Group A Zone 2 forward LUV seating. Group B WGA+ Zone 1 Aft seats Group B WGA+Zone 2 forward seating. With the elimination of having a One plus one carryon allowance WN will finally be able to police their policies and Board the remaining WGA passengers. Group C WGA Zone 1 aft seating. Group C WGA Zone 2 foward seating. Followed by last minute standbys if any are available. Now we just need to see your assessment on how the seating gonna look on the 700 and MAX7 . Will they keep it at 61 seats on every aircraft so the Higher passengers aren’t forced down a section during an unplanned Aircraft down grade aka swap. See ya at cranky fest !

Exit rows aren’t that valuable IMO, especially for long haul flights. The inability to recline the seat, plus the inability to keep a personal bag with you, make exit rows a pretty difficult sell for many people. I surely hope that’s not the default offering for A Listers.

My guess is A listers and business select get early access to select seats, and everybody else gets seat selection once check-in opens up. This doesn’t really solve the issue of letting families sit together tho, not guaranteed at least.

> WN also HAS TOO MANY seats in the market so this will help them reduce the inventory within their own markets and simultaneously increase the price point since it will limit the available seats. Less dirt cheap seats dragging down revenue.

Reducing seats on the same plane doesn’t help with inventory issues, does it? I mean, if you want to sell fewer seats, you can always just not sell six seats on a given flight. But having fewer seats on a plane doesn’t save much of anything in cost (except for the weight of the seats you remove).

If you have too many seats in a market and want to drive up profit in the market, you need to have fewer flights or actually smaller planes to reduce your costs while driving revenue per seat up.

Comments about a potentially slower fleet growth are far more interesting esp. when combined with what JetBlue just announced.

Low cost carriers are having to figure out how to be low-growth and still low cost, something no other low cost carrier has managed to do.

and Southwest will have to operate two fleet types at some point in the transition even if they operate a single fleet.

It is not out of the realm of possibility that WN has convinced Airbus to build a whole lot more A220s including a stretch.

Boeing latest estimates the Anti Ice fix will be approved and both the MAX7 and MAX10 should clear All remaining certifications for both aircraft to begin delivers in the first quarter of 2025. For WN if the estimated time frame holds true WN will use the 37 already built ETOPS MAX7 to replace the ETOPS MAX8 in the Hawaii markets by June or Aug 2025. 7 of those aircraft will be used to connect DEN its biggest Hub to the Hawaiian Islands. But they will also accelerate some of the Oldest 700 due for heavy maintenance checks into retirement given the a smaller manageable Growth and this overpass situation the industry is gone through now. And once the MAX7 get certified WN will redo its entire order book and mostly likely eliminate anymore planned MAX8 deliveries until after 2030.

Given that WN’s MO has been “always be at the bottom of Boeing’s order book and in return get a sweet deal on airframes”, and given that Airbus can’t make enough 220s, particularly with the P&W GTF issues affecting *those* aircraft, I wouldn’t expect WN to move away from being 737-only this decade. This will limit expansion opportunities, but the capacity discipline is probably just as well in the current environment.

> It is not out of the realm of possibility that WN has convinced Airbus to build a whole lot more A220s including a stretch.

Or just buy Breeze, if regulators will let you.

To that end, if the A220s really are that coveted, someone may try to buy Breeze “just for the planes”, especially if Breeze falters and looks to be available fairly cheaply.

Another jetline (sorry, “airline”) with Blue colors tried to do something similar recently, after all. :-)

I’d rather fly on a A220 than a 1960’s Frankensteined Boeing-built plane.

I’m a huge fan of smaller planes with 2-2 or 2-3 economy layouts (really miss the Mad Dogs and Dash-8s) and have been trying to fly on an A220 for the past few years. Unfortunately, I have never been able to find a flight on it that meets my needs, and I’m not going to pay an extra $100+ just to try a new airliner (or airline, as I’d also like to fly Breeze).

I’m a window seat person, and while I can tolerate the 737s, the curvature of the fuselage in them seems worse than many other planes in terms of how it affect the space for pax in window seats.

I had DL’s A220s in June for an ORD-LGA roundtrip – a 300 eastbound and 100 westbound.

And I loved them.

Reminiscent of DC-9s, with 2-3 seating but with a wider cabin. That leads to wider seats (18.5″-19.0″ depending on which online source you check, vs 17″ on a 737 and 17.5″ on MD-80s). The 300 is roughly the same length and capacity as the DC-9-50, and the 100 roughly the same as the DC-9-30. And a helluva lot quieter.

I’m an aisle-sitter, but my perception is that the windows are both larger and higher in the fuselage than in a 737, making them more useful for looking out.

I can’t WAIT to see how many people attempt to get preboard access once assigned seating is in place!

So open seating would work if it’s only for premium seating with the pre board issue..

12 premium seats for upgrade purchase and they are assigned if you upgrade or buy business select. The rest is open seating. Making pre borders 7+ rows back still.

I have flown SWA for 22 years, business and pleasure, frequently 3-4 times weekly. I have NEVER had any issues with seating, 99% always able to pick the seat i WANTED. Their open seating was a huge reason I always flew with them. Bring back Herb, he knew how to design and run an airline, giving the customers what they desired along with great value, and happy, enthused and motivated employees. Even from the grave, he could operate SWA far better than the woke, weak willed bozos who are currently destroying it by listening to the typical shrill minority. Once open seating is implemented, SWA will cease being my automatic designated airline of choice. Very sad how a once great innovative and maverick airline is being destroyed from within due to incompetent, short sighted officers and board members.

lol. Southwest’s own research shows that most of its passengers don’t like the open boarding system.

Southwest can’t go back to the 1980s, it has to fly in 2024. Things that don’t change die.

remember flying back when you had a comfortable seat, a free checked bag, and even a meal on long flights? Those days are over as investors want blood from a stone. If it weren’t for FAA rules, next they’d charge you extra to use the slide closest to you seat in the even of an emergency, extra to use the O2 if the cabin was depressurized, and a fee to use the bathroom.

Amen. True, so true. Has anyone seen the “survey” that SWA management claims they did? Except your mentioned the woke part. Not sure what that means here.

I’ll bet things get real fun when flying out of Denver now…seems the last 3 times I’ve been through there they’ve been concerned about load balancing the passengers (so many in front….so many in mid….and so many in back. But oh well…. I’m sure reason will prevail in those situations

Going to assigned seating may not be a deal breaker but starting to charge for first or second checked bag or large carry on sure will. Then I will have no reason to choose Southwest over other airlines as Southwest would have lost its attributes that set it apart from all the other airlines in North America.

I’m curious to see how they handle this. Talking to family, most of them seem to think that open seating is a big differentiator. Not the free checked bags, not the lack of change fees,, not the diverse route networks from secondary cities, but the open seating. They’re largely unaware of the preboarding problem and don’t understand that SWA is not always the cheapest in the market.

Frankly, I think this will be a change that will immensely improve SWA. Having an extra legroom section will also be a significant benefit.

They ought to remain wise about bag and change fees, though. People will cry shrilly if they can’t check bags for free. I could see them going down to 1 bag, but that’s as far as SWA should go. After that SWA is no different than any other carrier.

Keep it simple do like the others don’t try to be different

“ability to generate a lot of revenue using the same number of seats” Do you think people are going to pay a substantial premium to go from 31 to 33 inches (essentially getting 1 more inch of legroom verse the current layout) ? JetBlue gives you up to 38 inches of legroom in their Even More Space seats. AA has 33 inches of legroom on their main cabin extra seats on the Max 8, but how many of those seats are sold verse people with any status taking them for free? If Southwest blocked the middle seat like Frontier is doing with its first two rows, I can see that generating interest in a significant upsell.

Brian – The way I have it, and there’s no way to know for sure if this is the plan, it would be 34 inches vs 31 inches. And yes I think people will pay for that. I also think that it will help to make A Listers much happier with free upgrades, assuming that’s how it works. So there is value even if not a single person paid for extra legroom.

remember flying back when you had a comfortable seat, a free checked bag, and even a meal on long flights? Those days are over as investors want blood from a stone. If it weren’t for FAA rules, next they’d charge you extra to use the slide closest to you seat in the even of an emergency, extra to use the O2 if the cabin was depressurized, and a fee to use the bathroom

WN is making a mistake. They will become just another airline and perhaps in the long run not survive as their FF program is not up there like the big three. Southwest has kept things simple and they have done well doing it that way. They need operational people running the company not the finance guys. The most successful fast food restaurant is In & Out. Why because they keep it simple. Southwest, you start down this road and it will not work

Well this sucks I only fly with them cause bags are free and no assigned seating. Ig I can look at other prices now and go with the better deal. I always fly southwest but ig that’s going to change now.

Help me with this: how will they earn more with the premium seating if they are giving it all away to reward members?

I’m dreading having less space when booking last minute flights, and I certainly don’t want to pay more now to be comfortable.

The bottom line is most A-listers will be stuck in smaller seats. :(

As Southwest allows free bags to check, I propose to create more space they airline reallocate the overhead bin area into ‘sleeper berths’ for those who aren’t claustrophobic. This will gain room to offset the lost rows if they are indeed eliminated for longer pitch for some. The chaos of carryons would be eliminated. I have every confidence that the larger legroom seating will come as the expense of those who won’t pay the tariff for that benefit, so even a shorter person can have knees planted in the seat back of the row forward then . We’ll continue to favor SW as I believe they pay the highest pilot salaries for this sort of airplane and safety is surely paramount over seating pettiness. Also, being able to change without annoying penalties, and the free checked bag. All the staff I have dealt with over a long time have been super friendly.

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Cranky on the web (january 18 – 22), talking to southwest ceo gary kelly about new airplanes, international flying, more, privacy overview.

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Southwest Airlines Is Getting Rid of Open Seating. Here's What That Means for Your Credit Cards

Published on Aug. 1, 2024

By: Ben Gran

• Southwest Airlines is getting rid of its famous open seating policy, starting in 2025.
• Now that some Southwest Airlines seats will have extra legroom, there could be new opportunities to redeem credit card points for seat upgrades.
• Chase Sapphire customers can transfer points to Southwest Rapid Rewards® -- so the end of Southwest open seating might be good news for Chase Sapphire cardholders.

Southwest Airlines has long been known for its quirky, egalitarian charm, where there are no assigned seats on the plane. The feeling of a Southwest Airlines flight is more like riding a bus, where there is no first class, every seat is the same, and passengers grab whatever seat is available -- window, aisle, or middle.

But Southwest Airlines recently announced that it is ending its open seating policy. Starting in 2025, Southwest flights will offer assigned seats, and some premium seats with extra legroom. This change had been rumored for a few weeks in airline industry news, but it's still kind of a shock to see it happen. Let's look at what the end of open seating means for Southwest Airlines customers -- and credit card holders.

Southwest Airlines: Becoming more like other airlines

But Southwest is not a colorful, regional "low budget" airline anymore. It's become one of America's four largest airlines, and it even offers some service to international destinations. As part of its growth, Southwest has been under pressure from investors and Wall Street analysts to improve profitability -- and the company seems to believe that assigning seats is a good way to accomplish that goal.

Southwest shared research data saying that 80% of Southwest customers wanted assigned seats. Especially since customers are flying longer distances, more airline passengers want the reassurance of knowing that they have an assigned seat. No more open seating on Southwest is a huge change.

But along with changes to the inflight experience, there are a few possible changes for Southwest Airlines credit cards.

Southwest Airlines credit cards might offer new deals

Before the end of open seating, I personally didn't see the appeal of having a Southwest Airlines credit card -- because I don't fly frequently enough on Southwest, and also because this airline didn't offer any upgrades. Is it worth having a credit card for an airline where all the seats are the same?

But now that Southwest Airlines is eliminating open seating, having a Southwest Rewards® credit card might make more sense. If Southwest Airlines starts to offer extra value for seat upgrades, the best Southwest Airlines credit cards could become a better deal -- beyond just buying cheaper flights.

For example, back before the end of open seating, maybe you didn't see enough value from using Rapid Rewards® points to get into the "A" Boarding Group. But now that all Southwest Airline seats will be assigned, you might want to use those points for upgrades to a seat with better legroom.

Chase Sapphire credit cards might offer added value

Along with Southwest Airlines credit cards, another way to get cheaper flights with credit card points is to transfer points from a Chase Sapphire credit card. Chase has a partnership with Southwest Rapid Rewards® that lets you transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest on a 1:1 basis.

Now that all Southwest Airlines seats are being assigned, there might be new ways to use Chase Sapphire points for upgrades and more legroom on Southwest flights. This could be a new flexible way to get extra value for Chase Sapphire credit cards.

Bottom line

Southwest Airlines still has open seating through the end of 2024, and it hasn't announced any big changes yet to the Rapid Rewards® frequent flyer program. But with the end of open seating on Southwest, it's reasonable to expect that Southwest Airlines might begin offering upgrade deals for premium seats, like other airlines. And that means there could be new ways for travel credit card customers to get extra value with seat upgrades.

Keep an eye on future announcements from Southwest Airlines as it gets ready to start assigning seats in 2025.

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Ben Gran is a freelance writer based in Des Moines, Iowa. He has written for regional banks, fintechs, and major financial services companies. Ben is a graduate of Rice University.

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The Travel Sisters

Tips on how to get a good seat on southwest airlines.

by Matilda | Mar 24, 2021 | Family Travel , Southwest , Tips | 103 comments

Learn how the Southwest Airlines seating process works.

Southwest Airlines has a unique open seating policy – basically, seats are not assigned. When you check in for your Southwest flight, you are assigned a boarding group. Your boarding group and position determine the order in which you will be allowed to board the flight. Upon boarding the flight, you may choose any open seat.

Learn about Southwest Airlines boarding groups.

When you check in for your Southwest flight, you are assigned a boarding group (A, B, or C) and a boarding position (1-60). During the Southwest boarding process , passengers are instructed to line up in order based on their boarding group and position.  So, passengers holding A group boarding passes board first, then B, then C. Within each group, passengers will line up based on their numbers.  For example, A1 will board before A20.

The key to getting a good seat on Southwest is, obviously, to board early.

I’ve found that an A group or early B group (B1-B30) is always sufficient to provide me with several good open seats and plenty of overhead bin space. B31-B60 can be okay too but it depends on how many people you are traveling with, how full the flight is and whether the flight is connecting from somewhere else. The C group usually means “center seat” and may require you to also gate check overhead bags.

Check in EXACTLY 24 hours before your flight.

If you would like to get a good seat on your next Southwest Airlines flight, follow this rule. Check in opens 24 hours before your flight’s scheduled departure time. The earlier you check in, the earlier your spot in line will be. Many passengers will also be checking in 24 hours before the flight so a few minutes or seconds can make a big difference in your boarding group or position.  This is especially true on weekdays.  My strategy is to set an alarm or calendar entry five minutes before check in opens.  I pull up my reservation, enter all the necessary details (name, confirmation number) and wait.  As soon as the clock hits the time check-in opens, I hit that check in now button.

If you are unsure whether you will be able to check-in 24 hours prior to your flight, purchase Southwest EarlyBird Check-In.

I prefer not to spend any more money than I have to but found Southwest EarlyBird Check-In useful for those occasions I know I will not be able to manually check in.  The cost for Southwest Early Bird Check In is $15 – $25 one-way per passenger depending on the length of flight and popularity. When you purchase EarlyBird Check-In, Southwest automatically checks you in and assigns your boarding position within 36 hours of your flight’s departure. Southwest Early Bird Check In does not guarantee an A boarding position, but you most likely will be in the A or early B group. (See related post :  Is Southwest Early Bird Check In Worth It? ).

Pay even more money or fly more often to guarantee early boarding.

The only way to absolutely guarantee an A1-A15 boarding position on Southwest is to purchase a Business Select fare. This isn’t the most attractive option for leisure passengers though as the fare is more expensive.

If you still want a crack at that A1-A15 spot but don’t want to purchase a Business Select fare, you can try Upgraded Boarding .  Warning: this is not a guaranteed option as it may not be available.  On the day of travel, inquire at the gate or ticket counter before the boarding process begins.  If Upgraded Boarding is available, you can secure a boarding position in the A1-A15 group for $30, $40 or $50 per flight, depending on your itinerary.

Note: If you have a Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority or Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business credit card (our referral links), you will be reimbursed for the purchase of up to 4 Upgraded Boardings each anniversary year .

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards members with A-List and A-List Preferred elite status get priority boarding ahead of general boarding.

Traveling with a child? Familiarize yourself with Southwest family boarding.

Children age six years or younger and a guardian may board during Southwest Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. If you have an A group boarding pass, go ahead and board with the A group instead of waiting for family boarding.

Don’t arrive late to the gate for your flight.

I repeat, don’t arrive late to the gate for your Southwest flight. There is no point in having an A or B boarding group if you will show up to your flight right before the airplane door closes. Sometimes that can’t be helped if your connecting flight was delayed so I guess at that point, just sit in your middle seat and be thankful you caught your flight.

If you have an early boarding group but by the time you arrive at your gate they are boarding a later group, don’t be shy. Immediately step to the front of the line to scan your boarding pass.  No one will think you are line cutting.

What is a best seat on Southwest?

The best seat on Southwest depends on your own personal needs.  Passengers with a connecting flight might need to sit in the front so they can deplane quicker.  Taller passengers might have an eye on snagging an exit row seat. Larger groups and families traveling with small children might want to make sure they can sit together. Personally, when traveling solo I like an aisle seat – especially one with an empty middle seat next to it. When traveling with my kids, I prefer sitting towards the back.

Find out how full the flight is before you board.

Sometimes Southwest gate agents make an announcement whether the flight is full. If not, I will ask. This is helpful in knowing whether I have a chance at my coveted aisle plus empty middle seat scenario.  On a completely full Southwest flight, I would choose an aisle seat with the middle seat already occupied by someone I wouldn’t mind sitting next to. Similarly, it would be helpful for someone traveling with a lap child to know whether an empty middle seat might be available.

Choose wisely what section of the plane you pick a seat.

Obviously not an exact science but often, older travelers and those with connecting flights seem to choose the front of the plane.  Families typically head towards the back, where they hope to find seats together and maybe an empty middle seat for a lap child.  My sweet spot on Southwest flights is from the middle of the plane to two-thirds of the way back.  The reasoning is that the front middle seats will fill up quickly with people resigned to their middle seat predicament or eager to disembark.  Also, people tend to pass up the middle section of the plane in hopes a random aisle or window seat can be found at the back.  Once they are at the back, they will likely just grab any seat there since it is so difficult to turn around.

Saving seats on Southwest Airlines is controversial and murky.

No one likes to spend any more money than they have to.  For some passengers, this means resorting to “seat saving”.  It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what Southwest’s policy is on saving seats as it is not uniformly enforced. Many people won’t necessarily mind if someone is saving a middle seat next to them for a traveling companion that is close behind but some passengers take it to the extreme.  I’ve witnessed one man board early and attempt to block off a number of seats (on a full flight) for multiple travel companions with a C group. The flight attendant intervened but that is not always the case.

Recognize sneaky and dishonest tactics.

Much like the extreme seat-savers, some people think getting a seat on a plane is a no-holds barred type of thing.  I’ve heard of passengers attempting to keep seats empty by pretending a nonexistent/imaginary travel companion is simply in the bathroom.  Not only is this dishonest but also silly- what happens if they sit nearby and clearly no one returns from the bathroom? Conflict with fellow passengers is never a good thing.

On the less extreme end, sometimes two people traveling together try to block off a middle seat.  This is great for late boarders.  If you spot one of these twosomes, make a beeline for their row and ask to sit in the middle. Most likely, they will offer up either their aisle or window seat.

103 Comments

Or you can sit in the middle of a couple and have them talk over you and pass things back and forth for four hours…my recent experience! But I guess sometimes you just get unlucky. But some of your other tips seem worth a try!

Ick, that sounds like a pretty bad flight!

Did you offer to switch seats with one of them?

My friend and I take an isle and a window, our personal preferences. If you take the middle we will not be moving which seems to surprise some passengers. If you are fun, join in our conversations

S Jumps I would join in on the conversation by asking why the two of you think you are worth three seats.

Best response ever

Did he say they’re worth two seats? Do they somehow make the third seat unavailable? NO! He said they both sit where they like and if someone comes to sit in the middle, that’s cool. They don’t swap seats just to be near their friends. Good God some people!

I would smack the shit out of your hands if you passed anything over me. I don’t mind getting apple juice all over me as long as it gets my point across.

You would then get your face smashed in and be on a breathing tube for the rest of your life… and yes, the jail time would be worth it

Internet warriors.

Are you and your friend portly people? You require that extra middle seat to share your snacks and arm rolls?

And I’d do a Taliban on your ass if you touched me

Yeah… That’s called “self-importance” and fits perfectly into how modern day people think of themselves and others. In a world of common decency, the person with the aisle seat would offer to switch with the person in the middle. It’s called “courtesy” but I’m guessing that doesn’t fit into your worldview, moron.

My girlfriend and I do this. Take the isle and window and hope no one comes. But if they do, the above is correct, we’ll offer them window. As I like Isle and my girlfriend will just move over.

Nobody is worth two seats. We just want to sit together. And we just try to pick who we’d prefer to sit with by offering them a seat. It’s no different than picking what middle seat you want to sit in by who’s already there.

Hey, you do what you have to do to be comfortable for a long flight.

You would think that because the passengers are doing all the work here, the tickets would be dirt cheap. Passengers also should be able to get their round trip tickets once and for all. This 24 hour nonsence is horrible, especially if you are away on vacation and 24 hours before you leave you have to remember to get your boarding pass arrangements done. Think about it,we go online, book our flight, go through the 24 hour process and get back online to arrange your own boarding passes. I have tried paying the extra $15 and ended up in Group C! What a ripoff! I did a lot of flying with Southwest, but have not because they do not try to improve any of this. It is a shame because they are a convenient airline for me with very little delays, free baggage, however, their prices have escalated which probably include baggage fees unknown to the passenger.

I guess you only fly SW and think the grass in greener, but SW often runs $100+ less than the competition Basic Economy. This is a new fare that is below economy. This doesn’t even included access to the overhead bin.

One more tips. Before you board, ask if flight is oversold. In lots of cases, the gate agent would let you preboard and sit in the first row so he/she could easily locate you if the flight is actually oversold and a volunteer is needed.

That’s a good one- thanks for sharing!

Unfortunately, I have seen many instances where one passenger purchases early-bird boarding and saves a seat for a traveling companion who boards later. The flight attendants do nothing.

Yeah, I’ve seen flight attendants let it slide too a few times but usually in those cases the second person wasn’t too far behind.

You should just tell them, “Oh, well where are they?” They should have been here if they wanted it.” That easy, seriously. If that is the case, tell them you had that seat they are in already saved before you got on the plane. If they complain or say I sat here first though, say, “Exactly” and just sit down. People are just too submissive.

Nice write up. One thing I’ve noticed is that the FA’S will keep preboarders from sitting in exit rows for obvious reasons. If the flight is super light just wait until everyone has boarded and then go toward the back. Most people want to sit up front. I’ve been on planes where it is totally full in the first 15 rows and nearly empty in the back. People are funny like that.

Thanks! You’re right, people are sometimes in a hurry just to get settled anywhere they grab the first open seat they find.

Thank – you so much for taking the time to write this excellent and complete guide. I’m sure many people, like me, have found very helpful

Who benefits from this idiotic seating policy? Wish Southwest would change this system. Boarding doesn’t move any faster.

Just fly elsewhere, this seating policy sucks.

I just wish southwest would make people with the those huge overstuffed over head bags sit in the back of the plane.I missed a connecting flight because I was seated further back and had to wait almost 30 minutes for families and people trying to maneuver those big bags.I never take extra bags.just a tote that fits under the seat.

I always just have one regulation size bag that goes in the overhead and is really easy to manage. If it takes that long to maneuver a bag it probably should just be checked in- bummer missing a connection.

I agree. Also one time I decided to put my computer bag up top and people kept trying to push their oversize baggage into it and when I got it out I found it was ripped from some idiot.

I also note the number of wheelchairs (all are pre-boarded along with family members traveling with the wheelchair passenger). These passengers take front seats. If a passenger requiring a wheelchair is traveling alone, however, I’ve noticed that the seats next to them are often open and available.

That’s a good one- especially if you need to be up front to catch a connection.

Some people don’t like the bulkhead seats because there are no trays so you have to hold drinks and or food. What i dont like is that those seats are not kept open for handicapped people who board when that flight was a continuing flight and those passengers are allowed to move to different seats. I had this happen when my handicapped mom and i were on a continuing flight and 2 other bigger guys moved to the bulkhead seats. Then there were handicapped passengers boarding who had to take further seats back. I think southwest needs to change that procedure. Another situation in which i voiced my opion mightily was when our flight was delayed and my mom, which they knew she was handicapped, didnt keep an open seat up front for her and i. We ended up way in the back with her in a middle seat and me in a middle seat further back. She is very hard of hearing so she kept looking at me everytime an announcement came over the pa. If the flight had had difficulty i would not b near her to help her. Its time southwest starts doing seat assignments. It takes just about the same amount of time or longer to board a southwest flight as other airlines. It would b so much easier particularly with all the stupid people who bring big duffles etc on board.

Southwest is Southwest. You really need to fly with someone else. Why would you want to change the only airline with unassigned seating? So many of us love their procedures. I’m partially handicapped. I don’t expect people to wait on me, just give me a little more time. As long as I can get on that plane and get a seat…I’m happy to be going. I love Southwest.

I agree. Southwest is southwest. Overall their my airline of choice domestically for short to mid-range flights. Each airline has different boarding procedures so it sounds like individuals that need customized travel options should go with another carrier. I sometimes do this when I travel. For example when I’m flying to coast to coast or a two to three convection I go with another carrier.

From these comments I think I will stick with United and know I have the seat I want

My son is handicapped and we usually take the first seats. Why? because he cannot walk very far and its easier. We don’t mind waiting to be the last off, as its much easier because they have the wheelchair waiting for us it lets all the others go ahead so there is no waiting. Yes we stay on the plane and do not change but we also stay in the same seats I cannot move to another seat as he is unable to communicate People have difference reasons for staying with the person that is handicapped. besides not able to walk very far he is also mentally chanallanged

I am handicapped and endured the same situation where people were already seated in the first row. I was confused cause there was no handicap first row. I asked the flight attendant where the handicap seating was and she flippantly gestured to the entire plane. I had to tell her that according to the law you must provide accomodations to the handicapped. She immediately changed her tune and asked for volunteers to move. I felt so empowered after that.

Great tips. I have seen many with an imaginary friend, some with two. They simply put all of their things on every seat in a row. Once an FA told somebody like that that they know all the tricks and made her move her stuff. Also encountered somebody with a high B ticket who said that she could stand at the very front of the B line. Even though several of us pointed out that she needs to find her number, she insisted on being in the front. I like Southwest because of their free luggage policy and the ability to bank money when changes are made.

It’s pretty funny when someone gets called out for sketchy behavior. Agree, Southwest’s change policy has come in handy more than a few times for me.

I could have really used these tips when I was selling travel! Great post!

Thanks glad you found them helpful!

The seating policy is the main reason I choose to not fly Southwest. Only time it’s beneficial for me is if I’m traveling with my toddler and get to take advantage of family boarding. Plus, I hate Midway.

I am kinda neutral on the seating policy but it does seem like most people either love or hate it.

I agree! Midway is a drag. I live close to ORD and I’m dreading that I had to book with Southwest out of Midway. Way cheaper and with my trip being in January I needed the flexibility to change if the weather was bad (cruise) and other airlines had little to no nonstop to Houston Hobby. Oh love the not nickel and dining you tho (bags,seats etc) that other airlines do.

its not so much the seating policy for me as it is the 3×3. Why not a 4 and a 2? id pay extra for the 2. would you?

Would love a 4 by 2 as well. I don’t particularly like sitting next to strangers as I require a lot of personal space.

Only fly 2-3 times per year; 3×3 ? Or 4×2 ? Hate the seating policy, love to sit with my wife. I must have an isle sit; I am extreame Claus-tro-pho-bic. The anxiety starts the day before the flight, and gets worse until the flight is over & then the return home!!! Most times the flight booking is done by someone else. When I am in control, I fly with other carriers. BTW, the horrible Clause -Tro-Pho-Bic Anxiety began 50 yrs ago by being pinned down in fire fights in war

Explain this; I check in to a flight the second it’s available and get B15. My friend checks in to the same flight hours later and gets A25. What’s up with that?

I am guessing your friend might have paid for EarlyBird check-in or maybe has A-List status.

I’m traveling for first time on Southwest with 5 family members (adults) and now worried this was bad decision. Nothing like getting stressed the first day of vacation! Suprised there haven’t been numerous altercations.

I don’t think it was necessarily a bad decision as there are a lot of positives about flying Southwest. You should be able to sit together as long as you can board early (in As or low Bs). I recommend putting an alarm and checking in exactly 24 hours before the flight time OR purchasing EarlyBird check-in. If you want to save money, 3 of you can pay for EarlyBird check-in and save the middle seats. I think seat saving is more an issue when 1 person is saving a lot of seats especially those in the aisle or window. On a positive note, I find that Southwest has more legroom than other airlines so you should have a more comfortable flight. Plus they don’t charge for checked bags.

Southwest planes are the DIRTIEST in the industry. Be sure to take disinfecting wipes with you and DON’T use the lavatory

Maybe that’s why the SW planes are so dirty. People aren’t using the bathrooms!

You should carry wipes no matter what plane you’re on. Some people are just nasty and the flight turn arounds aren’t enough time to clean up properly. This or they just don’t care enough.

I’ve written a guide (for myself) with assorted info for the first-time LUV flyer (again me). There’s lots of good tips here that I can add to my cheat-sheet. It’s helpful to be aware of all protocols before flying with them. By flying Southwest, I’m willing to relinquish an assigned seat (United) as long as I know how to get the best seat for me. Thanks!

How do you get on the A list or preferred list

A-list is for frequent flyers. You need to fly 25 qualifying one-way flights or earn 35,000 Tier Qualifying Points in a calendar year.

I will be flying Southwest from Milwaukee to Los Angels – then American Airlines to Hawaii and return to CA. In your opinion, how important is the TSA pre-check program for this type of flight?

Hi Freeman, Sorry for the delay in responding. While it is always nice to have TSA Precheck its value depends on how often you fly. I would not sign up for it only to use it on one trip. How often do you think you will be flying in the next 5 years? Do you knave any children under 13?

Thanks for your reply. We have no children under 13 nor any under 30. And we are in the 75 to 80 plus range, so I don’t know how many more years we might be traveling our selves. So even though we might get caught in a long line this time, based on the dollars, it likely won’t pay off to have the TSA Pre-check?

Probably not worth it to pay for TSA Precheck if will only use it once or twice in 5 years. It is hard to predict the future but I would suggest that each person should divide the cost of TSA by your estimate of how many flights you think you will take in the next 5 years to see how much you would pay for each use.

If you have a credit card that gives you free TSA Precheck then you might as well sign up.

You might also get TSA Precheck randomly on your boarding pass. In the past, seniors were likely to get TSA Precheck without even signing up.

Even if you do not have TSA Precheck, the line might not necessarily be long-it depends on many factors including what time and day you are flying. I would recommend going to the airport early to be on the safe side. You would have to take off shoes, jackets and belts which some people find annoying.

Thanks for the information and your help.

Now I’m worried – I just purchased 8 tickets – for me and my husband and our 8 children. The youngest one is 10, and it would be HORRIBLE if she couldn’t sit with one of us! The others are older and would love not sit with us, but I’m worried about the 10 year old! Is it possible that she would get a boarding number not by mine????

If you are all on the same reservation I think you would get nearby boarding positions.

Even if your boarding groups were not next to each other you can still board together – but you would have to board with the family member that had the last boarding position. (For example, if two people were traveling together and one had A40 while the other had B12, they would both have to board at B12 to be able to walk on the plane together.)

The key to all sit together is to board early (A group or early B group). I would recommend setting an alarm and checking in exactly 24 hours before your flight’s departure time.

We just had this happen on a full flight to Florida. I explained that my 10 year old could not sit alone and the crew asked if anyone could make room. No one responded so crew upped their game and offered free movie or drinks if someone would move to allow 2 free seats. If this happens to anyone speak up. Crew will work with uou

That is great advice. The crew does not want young children sitting alone and will usually help you sit together.

will be traveling with granddaughter and lap baby will I be allowed to board with her during family boarding in order to help with baby? This will also be first time for granddaughter to fly.

I think you would be allowed to board during family boarding. According to southwest: “An adult traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding.”

Traveing southeest airline with a 88 year old individual, that uses a non electric wheel chair and has difficulty walking. Will this person be given pre boardimg seat assignment,early boarding and/or any other preferential treatment. Thanks for your assistance.

My first time flying southwest:

I checked in exactly 24 hours before the flight. Got boarding pass b17

Second time completely forgot, and checked in about 3- 4hr before the flight. Got A17.

So, The “early you check in the better” theory is down the drain. What I did noticed was: My first B position I paid 64 bucks for that flight. My second A17 boarding position I paid over $100 for that flights. So I guess that’s what really matters. Not how early you checked in.

We have flown on many Southwest flights and do find that, in general, the earlier you check in the better boarding position you get. One factor that affects your position is how many other people are also checking in early for that flight. For example, I have noticed that on weekday flights, I have to check in right at 24 hours because most of the people on those flights are experienced business travelers that also check in at 24 hours. On the other hand, I have checked in later for Sunday morning flights and still got a good boarding position. I have noticed that most people on Sunday flights are traveling for leisure for the weekend, are less experienced and too busy on Saturday to check in at the 24 hour mark. I wonder if that was a factor on your flights?

People may have bought early bird with a reservation. And were automatically checked-in by SW, then less than 24 hours before (even up to 10 minutes before flight) the flight if they cancel their reservation – their ‘A’ boarding position gets put back into the system and whoever checks in next gets that boarding position.

Here is a step by step guide I put together to setup automatic check-in on your own computer at the 24 hr mark – http://www.theartoftravelhacking.com/automatic-check-southwest-flights/

If you sign up for early bird check in, do you still need to check in as well to make sure you have a good boarding position? Or will it automatically show you when you log in what your boarding position is?

early bird checks you in automatically to get a good boarding position – but you will still have to print a boarding pass, get one at the airport kiosk, or pull it up on your phone before you head through security.

We signed up for the Early Bird check in. Does anybody know when I will be able to see what boarding position we received? If I log in 24 hours before the flight to check, will it be there already? Thank you for all of the other great information in this post and in the comments!

I see it when I log in 24 hours before my flight to print my boarding pass.

You’ll be able to see your boarding position right away at the 24 hour mark before you depart. Get the southwest App and they’ll send ya a push alert of your boarding position with early bird.

If you have a connecting flight, and have paid for early bird seating on the first flight, does it also apply to the second flight? We will have to change planes too!

This is one of these rules that often can vary. It should check you in but I’ve had times when I’ve had early bird that it checks in a B assignment.

This might already be mentioned by exit rows also have language, age and mobility requirements. Plus if your on a B737-700 series the window exit seat is removed on some of the aircraft. When in doubt check seat guru!

My husband and I are traveling with 5 children, the youngest being 5 years old. Does that mean that we can all board during family boarding?

In my experience, you will probably be fine. The issue Southwest tries to eliminate in Family Boarding is the opposite…4 adults trying to board with one child/toddler. Just check with the gate agent and be friendly.

Are seniors (85 years old) permitted to board a flight early, and if so, are there certain restrictions as to where they sit?

Recent experience would indicate that most people are paying for the early check in and/or that there are many A+ travelers that automatically get higher boarding numbers. Bottom line if you are an occasional SW flyer be prepared to be at the back of the bus. Checking in early will do you little good. I just checked in and got B51. Started hitting the check in button 2 minutes before my phone showed the exact 24 hour before wheels up time.

I fly SWA exclusively and am A+Preferred meaning I usually board from A16-A21. Not sure I’d pay extra to board A1-A15 as sometimes the flight is a non-originating flight and still contains many passengers flying to the next destination so you don’t get the seat you really want, hence you may have wasted your money unless the goal is to just be able to get an aisle seat or room for your bag. If I don’t get the emergency aisle I’ll sit in row 9 or multiples of 9 as they receive drinks first. I’ve only had a couple bad experiences with miserable flight crews but the exceptional experiences far outweigh those. Great airline and once you learn the boarding process and use the aforementioned tips you’ll never want to fly other airlines. Did I mention free drinks for A+ and above and the Companion Pass Program?

I will protest to the flight attendant when an early boarder puts his personal items in the seat next to him and claims he is saving a seat. I have talked to the airline and this is against their policy. I feel someone doing this is more rude then my complaint!

Travel often with Southwest, and I get really steamed when I see” wheelchair’ passengers get to board early, but on the other end of the flight,often see these same passengers sprinting around the baggage carousels lugging big suitcases.

Southwest needs a better system to identify truly deserving pre-boarders who abuse the system and laugh at the rest of us.

Perhaps its time to require medical certificates signed by doctors?

The second paragraph heading, “The key to getting a good seat…,” made me ask myself, “what’s a good seat?” I appreciate that you addressed that later in the article. As with you, I do prefer an aisle seat if just for the sake of the feeling of extra room on one side of me (briefly tucking in when the service carts come thru), though if I intend to nap on a longer flight I prefer having a window to lean up against, which is also good when a very broad passenger takes the center seat. Despite where you pick to sit, a good seat is ultimately one with overhead storage! I know overhead bin space isn’t earmarked per seat, but there is a common sense factor that makes it somewhat of an unspoken guideline. I despise when a person puts their stuff in the first open bin spot then goes to the back of the plane. The later groups board and someone filling a hole near the front of the plane has no overhead storage and has to make their way to the back to find room in a bin, then make their way back to their seat. If that isn’t bad enough, now they have to get their stuff from the back when the plane deboards, all on the account of a jerk that puts their stuff in a bin space that would typically be for a passenger in that row, rather than putting in close to the seat they chose.

Seat savers are simply violating my right to sit in a seat I’ve paid for. After a trip to Aruba last year we will never, not for all the tea on China ever, fly SWA again. Paid for business Select, arrived very early (this scenario played out identically both inbound and out) and wat in rows 7 and 13 respectively. Outbout a group of 5 children preboarded with 1 adult, each kid took a middle seat and held the entire row for others in their group in later boarding groups. FA’s were useless. Disinterested and unresponsive. I am 6’1”+, 275 and thought that paying for BS (appreciate) seats we’d have options. The seat saving kid brigade took the bulkheads and wing exit rows…how can a child hold a wing exit seat? Bonus, one of the FA’s I had asked to assist us took the opportunity to be discourteous and unprofessional the entire AUA-ISP with stop in MCO trip. Written complaints (email) followed the flights with zero SWA response. I opened 2 Chase Visa cards and purchased BS to maximize points, now I’ve got 150,000 points I will not use. Oh, almost neglected to include that through the credit card spend bonuses I had achieved my Companion Pass. SWA did not honor it for the AUA trip…! Paid full fare for both wife and I, still have a never used Companion Pass. Yikes, SWA will never see another thin dime of my hard earned dollars.

I am concerned after reading everyone’s comments. I am traveling from New York to California with my elderly mom who will be using airport wheelchair assistance to/from the gate, but she cannot sit alone and must be with me as she is non-verbal due to aphasia from a stroke and needs assistance in other areas. It’s also hard for her to get up and down. I was hoping to get the bulkhead seat with her. I’m also nervous because we have a connecting flight changing planes and we need to disembark quickly, which is going to be very difficult. What are your recommendations. She’s already stressed and I feel terrible for her.

I have come to the conclusion that Southwest is the least predictable airline there is both from comments and from my own miserable experience with them. If you haven’t already traveled, can you get a refund on your tickets and book with another less “cattle car” airline? That bulkhead seat is highly coveted by a lot of people for a lot of reasons – claustrophobia, long legs, etc. and usually goes with the first person on the plane. A communication problem will not get you the bulkhead seat. Another airline may cost more but it might be worth it not to have the worries ruin your trip. Southwest may be cheap but there is an old saying: You get what you pay for. Best wishes on your trip.

Hi….I have flown many times with Southwest. People in wheelchairs and whoever is flying with them generally get on the plane first and have the bulkhead seats. The only advantage to flying with them is free baggage. Their tickets are not all that cheap anymore. It takes forever to get a free ticket and there are so many blackout dates. I would fly with them for airport convenience, however, I started to hate when a trip that takes 2-3 hours becomes an all day deal because they stop in Baltimore. I always hated the seating issue and having to stop what you are doing to get your boarding pass online and try to not end up being in C group. Good luck when flying with them.

Blackout dates? Are you kidding me? No such thing!

This policy sucks. Southwest is the walmart of airlines. They heard people in and let them fight for seats that don’t suck. You will not sit with friends/family most of the time. They provide no seating service, letting people fight over seats. If you like being treated like you’re in a third world country, fly Southwest! Dreadful policy.

Print this out and save it. It is from Southwest website. No one can really save a seat.

Pick a seat, any seat At Southwest®, we let you sit where you like. We don’t assign seats on our flights, so feel free to sit in any available seat once you board the plane.

i pretend to be sick and start coughing. unless the flight is completely full, nobody wants to sit next to the guy that might be sick/ill.

may be deranged but it works!

Just completed a roundtrip from L.A. to Newark on Southwest with layovers in Denver and Chicago. Out of the three seating groups I know of (A, B & C), the best we managed for early check- in was B. There was always an offer for A group boarding at the gate for an additional $15-$16 when available. Boarding before the next group also makes overhead storage space easier to find. Southwest ends flights to Newark in November(?) 2019.

Postscript – I forgot to mention my shock when a guy with a full-size guitar case was allowed to take it aboard. There went two overhead storage spaces for the price of one…

Twice, or a flight from Phoenix to Baltimore and back in June I picked the middle seat in the front of the plane with more legroom because I had a small dog and was told it was occupied. I told him I didn’t Believe him ..call him an A hole and told him that If he wanted to mess with me for the rest of the flight which was five hours long. Go ahead. Never heard another word out of him for the rest of the flight. You don’t have these problems on other airlines because you get to pick your seat before your flight. Ruined my flight.

Active duty military board right after “A” (pretty much ~usually have to ~ have to have your CAC card or orders printed…). If you have uniform (which military kind of discourages unless returning from deployment) SW will also cut slack for slightly heavier bag (uniforms + boots etc…) military travel usually has deals with other carriers so frequently does seem to book with SW for some reason. TSA also seem to be nice to me when I use CAC for ID purposes in line. Only had to fly home from deployment once in uniform but number of people and other military people from almost every service were super nice (especially older heroes from ww2 etc…) military generally strongly strongly strongly discourages any alcohol drinks while in uniform so always best to decline drinks except pop or coffee. Families of other service members usually super nice too.

Mil travel *DOESNT* seem to like to use SW for some reason…

If I have 2 southwest planes within 2 hours of each other on one reservation to complete my trip, how many calls are necessary to get my boarding area for entry for both planes.

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A place to discuss all things Southwest Airlines. Please read Sub-Reddit rules before posting. Not an official SWA forum.

Is Assigned Seating Inevitable?

I know assigned seating is a frequently discussed issue here, so I'm not here to advocate for or against it. I just want to know your perspective on whether it can be sustained given their business practice and the modern airline marketplace/regulatory climate.

It appears that Southwest is backing themselves into a corner with regards to seating. They recently began testing doing family boarding with the pre-boarders before the A group in response to DOT pressure on airlines to seat children with a family member, and quietly started allowing for out of uniform military members to board in between the A and B groups. All of these changes come at the expense of the business traveler, who, like it or not, pays the bills. I know a lot of business travelers like Southwest because of the flexibility and lack of assigned seating, but how many people can you stack in front of the A group before the seating benefit erodes. That potential erosion combined with the fact that they don't have a real premium hard product makes me wonder how many business travelers would jump ship for a legacy if the family boarding test became policy. The same goes for A listers who board at the latest in between A and B and who will now board with military members.

All of the people receiving priority boarding deserve it. Families have a right to sit together, disabled people need to board first, military members out of uniform should be allowed to board after A (Southwest's old policy on this was horrible. Nobody in the military travels in uniform anymore). The problem isn't whether these people deserve early boarding or not, it's how to ensure that the passenger who's paying for early boarding gets a perceived value from that purchase. For some passengers, perceived value means having the most seating options. All things considered, I think Southwest will start assigning seats within ten years. I know that the family boarding test is merely a test, and may never be implemented, but it shows that open seating is becoming a more complex issue than it was in the early days, with more groups needing early access to seats all while premium customers want the product they paid for.

Does anyone else feel that open seating is unsustainable?

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• Investigates
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WEATHER ALERT

60 advisories in effect for 23 regions in the area

‘it’s very frustrating’: family takes 3 metro buses to school on first day back after houston isd’s bus route issues.

Ninfa Saavedra , Digital Content Specialist

HOUSTON, Texas – A family is frustrated after they say Houston Independent School District left their child without a way to school on the first day of class.

Edwin and Kimberly Haller shared that their daughter, who is starting first grade at Briarmeadow Charter School on Monday, had to take three different METRO buses to get to school because they couldn’t reach anyone at HISD to find out which bus she was supposed to take.

“It’s very frustrating. I have anxiety problems so I get really frustrated. So it’s very frustrating to have to go through this and not know what bus your child is going to be riding,” Kimberly said.

• Houston ISD cuts 85 bus routes to reduce ride times, reduce costs for school choice transportation

The family, who lives in southwest Houston, said they had to wake their daughter up extra early, walk to the METRO bus stop, and then catch three buses to get her to school, which is located on Richmond.

“Hopefully, we will be able to work the issues out with the bus schedule because I don’t know what’s going on,” Edwin said.

Unfortunately, the Haller family isn’t the only one with this issue on the first day back. On Sunday KPRC 2 reported that about 700 students were still being assigned bus stops and routes.

• Around 700 Houston ISD students still being assigned new bus stops, routes as first day of school starts Monday

The district said they assigned more than 17,000 students to bus routes this school year, and those who were not were supposed to be able to call the district’s transportation helpline between the hours of 4:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., but the Hallers said no one answered the hotline.

“HISD could do a better job answering the phone, I believe that’s the most important thing. If the school would answer the phone and give us information, that would be more helpful to everybody because if they don’t pick up the phone, we are all lost,” Edwin said.

The district said if your child has not been assigned a bus route Monday, they will be able to get on a bus at any stop or route serving their school and the driver will take them to campus.

“Any student who has not been assigned a route may get on a bus at any stop or route serving their campus. Drivers will pick students up and drop them off even if they are not assigned to a route or stop. The district expects all students to be assigned a permanent stop within 72 hours of their entry into the transportation assignment system,” the district said.

Families who need more information about their bus stop can call their campus or one of Houston ISD’s transportation services helplines for assistance between 4:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. at one of the numbers below, based on the first number of their route:

1 – Barnett Terminal: (713) 845-5022

2 – Butler Terminal: (713) 726-2100

3 – Central Terminal: (713) 676-9432

4 – Northwest Terminal: (713) 613-3049

Families can also call the Transportation Customer Service main phone number at (713) 556-5963.

Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.

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Ninfa saavedra.

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