Southwest to move to assigned seating beginning in January, airline announces

Southwest Airlines announced customers will be able to select their seats next week for January flights, marking the end of an era for the airliner's open seating policy.

Beginning July 29, travelers can choose their seats from three seat types — extra legroom, preferred and standard — which coincide with a new tiered boarding system for flights starting on Jan. 27, 2026.

"Our Customers want more choice and greater control over their travel experience," said Tony Roach, executive vice president customer and brand, in a release. "This is an important step in our evolution."

The Texas-based airline said customers can select their seat at the time of booking flights and purchase a seat upgrade to elevate their travel experience.

Rapid Rewards credit card members can select a seat at booking or within 48 hours of departure, depending on which card they hold, regardless of their originally booked fare.

Customers in certain tiers like A-list and A-list Preferred can also select a seat at booking regardless of the fare they purchase.

The airline also will begin a new group-based boarding process based on seat location and tier members and credit card members. For example, those with extra-legroom seats will be given boarding groups 1 and 2.

Customers will also be able to purchase priority boarding 24 hours before departure to be among the first to board.

The airline announced last year it planned to drop its tradition of more than 50 years and start assigning seats and selling premium seating for customers who want more legroom.

Southwest offers flights out of Long Island MacArthur Airport with direct flights to Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, Tampa and Baltimore-Washington. The airline has been operating at MacArthur since 1999.