Now you can formally e-book Southwest Airways flights with an assigned seat.
The service simply began promoting flights that may depart on (and after) Jan. 27, 2026 — the day it plans to bid farewell to open seating and welcome in its long-discussed assigned and extra-legroom seating setup.
For these of us who’ve flown Southwest on numerous events prior to now, it is admittedly a little bit of an odd feeling to drag up the service’s web site and see a seat map when reserving a visit.
However as of this week, that is now a actuality.
These 2026 flights with assigned seating can even mark the beginning of utilizing fare sorts that sound so much totally different from those Southwest has bought for years. “Wanna Get Away” is already a factor of the previous, having been changed by the service’s new fundamental financial system fare. However the airline is now additionally phasing out “Wanna Get Away Plus,” “Anytime” and “Enterprise Choose.”
As an alternative, Southwest’s 4 fare merchandise will embody:
| Fare product | What to anticipate |
|---|---|
| Primary | No complimentary advance seat choice except you’ve a Southwest bank card or A-Listing standing, decrease Speedy Rewards earnings and final to board |
| Selection | Customary seat choice |
| Selection Most well-liked | Choose a “most popular” seat (an everyday seat located nearer to the entrance of the aircraft) |
| Selection Additional | Choose an extra-legroom seat, plus take pleasure in two free checked baggage and precedence boarding |
What it is like reserving a Southwest Airways flight with assigned seats
What’s it like reserving a Southwest flight with assigned seating?
It’s going to be a reasonably acquainted course of if you happen to’ve booked a flight on, effectively, nearly some other airline — however I am going to briefly stroll you thru a few of the distinctive parts of Southwest’s assigned seating course of.
Here is an instance: a one-way February 2026 reserving from Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Worldwide Airport (FLL).
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As you possibly can see, the ticket choices on Southwest’s web site now replicate the airline’s new fare courses.
Primary and Selection
For this journey, costs begin at $118 for a fundamental ticket. That is $30 lower than Southwest’s Selection fare, which is now Southwest’s model of a typical, full-fare, non-basic financial system ticket you’d see on one other airline.
When you’re reserving a fundamental ticket, you will not be capable of miss the tightest restriction, which seems if you pull up the seat map: no complimentary seat choice, much like fundamental financial system insurance policies at different airways.
Nevertheless, I’ll level out: On this flight, you continue to can pay $60 further to pick an extra-legroom seat.
Evaluate that to the $140 further you’d pay for Southwest’s full, top-level Selection Additional bundle, which incorporates extra-legroom seats, two free checked baggage and some different perks.
Selection Most well-liked
When you’re reserving a Selection Most well-liked fare, the seat map will open up some seats nearer to the entrance of the aircraft. These shall be common seats with commonplace legroom, however you will not be caught behind the plane.
Selection Additional
After which as soon as you choose the higher-priced Selection Additional bundle, you will have your decide of any seat, together with one with further legroom.
Award reserving
Here is an instance of how the brand new fare courses are priced out if you happen to’re reserving a Southwest Speedy Rewards redemption on one other February itinerary — this time from Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport (PHX) to Honolulu’s Daniel Ok. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL).
- Primary: 28,000 factors (down 9% from Selection, Southwest’s new commonplace fare class)
- Selection: 30,500 factors
- Selection Most well-liked: 36,000 factors (up 18% from Selection)
- Selection Additional: 43,000 (up 41% from Selection)
Backside line
As a reminder, each Southwest bank card will get you a free checked bag for your self and as much as eight companions flying on the identical reservation.
Each card can even get you a minimum of some kind of seat choice — in some circumstances, inside 48 hours of departure. Two of the service’s higher-priced playing cards include complimentary extra-legroom entry nearer to takeoff.
A-Listing and A-Listing Most well-liked members additionally get baggage, boarding and seating advantages beneath the brand new setup.
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