Now, Southwest Airlines has made its new assigned seating policy official. It will come into effect on January 27, 2026. This historic step puts an official end to the airline’s decades-old open-seat boarding practice, a unique feature of the airline’s customer service-focused operating model. The move follows increasing demand from customers for more choice and control over their travel experience.
Tony Roach, Southwest Airlines’ executive vice president of customer and brand, emphasized that the decision to move to assigned seating was driven by customer feedback. He said that customers are always telling them they want more choice in how they select their seat on a trip.
“Our customers want more choice and greater control over their travel experience,” Roach said in a news release. Assigned seating opens up a world of possibilities and additional options for our customers — such as being able to choose Extra Legroom seats — while eliminating the guesswork of not knowing where a customer will be seated in our cabin.
The newly implemented assigned seating allows riders to select seats at the time of reservation. This provides confidence to travelers in making plans for their trip. After years of open seating, Southwest Airlines is making a change to how passengers are seated. This move will make all travel — multi-modal and otherwise — more seamless with the greatest impact on customer’s travel experience.
The airline‘s decision to implement assigned seating was first announced last summer, indicating a clear shift in strategy as it seeks to adapt to evolving customer preferences. Contrary to conventional wisdom, simple Southwest Airlines has earned its crown using an unconventional, open-seat boarding process. Now, the company is transforming again to align with customer expectations in this new normal.
As we get closer to January 2026, Southwest Airlines will be providing further information about the designated seating process. Their goal is to make sure that you—their customers—are in the know when it comes to this new and exhilarating feature. The airline would like to make a seamless transition for its travelers as they wake up to this new reality.
