Major changes are coming to Southwest Airlines soon, including baggage rules, seating arrangements, and even boarding policies, which will look different on your next flight.

Southwest Airlines at John Wayne International Airport

Starting on January 27th, Southwest will require travelers to choose a seat assignment, or one will be assigned for them. This is a stark difference from the airlines’ long-standing “open seating” policy, which essentially allowed anyone to sit in any seat on the plane when boarding. Because of this change, the boarding process is also changing — and we’re sharing everything you need to know.

Starting on January 27th, when you fly with Southwest, you need to pick your seat, or it will be assigned for you. If you don’t want to pay anything extra, you’ll find yourself sitting in a Standard Seat. These are standard legroom seats located in the back of the cabin, mostly all behind the emergency exit rows.

©Southwest

If you’ve flown with Southwest before, these are likely the most similar to the seats you’re familiar with. But depending on what fare level you choose, it will affect which seat is chosen for you, or what seats you can choose.

If you don’t need any extra legroom but you don’t want to be at the back of the aircraft, you’ll want to book a Preferred Seat. These seats will be located in front of the emergency exit rows, aside from the first few rows of seats at the very front of the plane.

©Southwest

The final and most expensive option is the Extra Legroom Seat. These seats offer “A roomier experience with more legroom to stretch out, at the front of the cabin and near the exit rows, with up to five additional inches of extra legroom compared to Standard and Preferred seats,” according to Southwest.

©Southwest

Flights departing on or before January 26th will follow Southwest’s previous boarding process, in which passengers will be assigned a boarding group (A, B, or C) and position (1-60+) upon checking in for their flight. Then, once onboard, passengers can choose any open seat.

Flying to our next adventure!

But with the new seating changes, the boarding process has also changed. For flights departing on or after January 27th, seats will be assigned, and passengers will be assigned a boarding group between 1 and 8.

Southwest has also introduced new fare tiers: Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra. The new boarding process will be determined by which fare type you’ve purchased.

©Southwest

All customers on the same reservation will be assigned the same boarding group (aside from Group Travel reservations). Southwest has advised that:

• Your boarding group will be displayed on your boarding pass.
• Digital screens in the boarding area will show your boarding group number when it is time to line up and board.
• Once onboard, locate your assigned seat and stow your carry-on items in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you.

Goodbye boarding numbers

With these new tiers, the boarding process has also changed for everyone on the airplane, primarily determined by the fare tiers passengers book:

• Groups 1 and 2 (Earliest Boarding): must be in a Choice Extra seat, an Extra Legroom seat, an A-List Preferred member who selected their seat at the time of booking, and A-List Members who booked an Extra Legroom seat
• Groups 3-5: Choice Preferred customers, A-List members in a Preferred or Standard seat, and Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers
• Groups 6-8: Passengers in Choice or Basic seats

©Southwest

Basically, if you want to be one of the first to board, you’ll need to spend extra money on a higher tier. If you don’t care when you board AND don’t care where you sit, a Basic fare in a standard seat is a good choice. Southwest says the “goal of this shift is to maintain an efficient and orderly boarding approach that is optimized to assigned seating.”

©Southwest Airlines

Ultimately, these changes will take some getting used to — so make sure you pack your patience if you’ve got an upcoming Southwest Airlines flight. In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for the latest Southwest and travel news you need to know, so stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more!

Southwest Airlines’ New Seating Options Change Everything — Here’s What You Need to Know

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