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Even though Southwest Airlines has assigned seating, you can still snag your favorite spot on the plane — here's how
At the end of January 2026, Southwest Airlines rolled out its new assigned seating policy — a big change from the airline’s longstanding open seating boarding process.
If you’re a regular Southwest flyer, you probably know how Upgraded Boarding or Early Bird Check-In can help you board earlier so you can choose among more available seats. But the process will work differently with assigned seating. Here’s a look at how you can still secure your preferred seats when flying Southwest.
Read more: Best Southwest credit cards
Southwest assigned seating
Like many other airlines, your seat on the plane generally corresponds with the type of ticket you buy. These are the three seating options now available on Southwest:
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Standard: Standard seats are located in the back of the airplane. Standard seats are available with any type of ticket (though Basic fare standard seats are assigned at check-in).
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Preferred: Preferred seats have the same amount of legroom as Standard seats, but they are located closer to the front of the plane. Preferred seats are available when you purchase Choice Preferred or Choice Extra fares.
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Extra Legroom: This is the only type of seat with added legroom; Extra Legroom seats are located both at the front of the plane and in exit rows. Extra Legroom seats are available when you purchase Choice Extra fare tickets.
Related: Best airline credit cards
How to get your preferred seat on Southwest flights
With the switch to assigned seats, frequent Southwest flyers and travelers who book more costly fares will have the best chances of getting their top seats. Here’s a breakdown of exactly how you can snag your favorite aisle or window spot.
Fare type
The type of fare you choose for each Southwest flight can have a major impact on where you’ll be able to sit. Generally, the higher-tier fare you choose, the more flexibility you’ll get when choosing your seat. Here’s a look at each tier, from least to most seating options:
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Basic: When you purchase a Basic ticket, only Standard seats are available. Even more limiting, you won’t have the option to choose your Standard seat while booking; your seat is assigned at check-in.
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Choice: Purchasing a Choice ticket also limits you to Standard seats toward the back of the plane, but you can choose which specific seat you’d like when you book your ticket. Think of this as a standard main cabin or economy ticket.
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Choice Preferred: A Choice Preferred ticket gives you the option of any Standard or Preferred seats throughout the plane, and you can choose your assigned seat when you book.
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Choice Extra: When you purchase a Choice Extra ticket, you can reserve any seat while booking. If you want to guarantee an Extra Legroom seat at the front of the cabin or near exit rows, choose Choice Extra fare.
Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards
Southwest Rapid Rewards cards now have added benefits for assigned seating that can help you upgrade and gain more seating options when you book your tickets. The benefits differ by card.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
- Annual fee$99
- Welcome offerEarn Companion Pass® from Southwest through 2/28/27, plus 20,000 Rapid Rewards® bonus points, after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months from account opening
- Rewards rate
- 2x on Southwest purchases
- 2x at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1x on all other purchases
- Benefits
- 3,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary
- First checked bag free for you and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation
- Standard Seat Selection within 48 hours prior to departure, when available
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card gives you the benefit of selecting your Standard seat within 48 hours of departure when available.
This card’s seating benefit is best if you often purchase Basic fare. All other fare types already allow you to choose your Standard (or better) seat at booking, so the benefit of choosing a Standard seat 48 hours before departure will be most useful with a Basic fare ticket in which your Standard seat is assigned at check-in.
Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
- Annual fee$229
- Welcome offerEarn Companion Pass® from Southwest through 2/28/27, plus 40,000 Rapid Rewards® bonus points, after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months from account opening
- Rewards rate
- 4x on Southwest purchases
- 2x at gas stations and restaurants
- 1x on all other purchases
- Benefits
- 7,500 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary
- First checked bag free for you and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation, plus enjoy unlimited upgrades to an Extra Legroom seat when available
- 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year
The higher-fee Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card has the most valuable benefits when it comes to securing better seats on your flight. With this card, you’ll get to choose a Preferred seat for no extra charge when you book your flight, no matter which fare type you choose. You can also upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours of departure for no extra cost, when available.
This is the only Southwest consumer card with the benefit of a complimentary Extra Legroom seat. If you already fly on Choice Extra fare each time you travel with Southwest, you may not get the full benefit of this card (since that ticket already allows you to choose Extra Legroom seats at booking). But the ability to automatically choose a Preferred seat and get the option to upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat when available will give you the best chance at securing your favorite spot even when you don’t want to splurge on your fare.
Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Annual fee$149
- Welcome offerEarn Companion Pass® from Southwest through 2/28/27, plus 30,000 Rapid Rewards® bonus points, after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months from account opening
- Rewards rate
- 3x points on Southwest purchases
- 2x at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1x points on all other purchases
- Benefits
- Earn 6,000 points each year on your account anniversary
- First checked bag free for you and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation
- Get 25% back on inflight purchases
- 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year
With the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card, you’ll have the option to choose either a Standard or Preferred seat (when available) within 48 hours of departure.
This card’s seating benefit is a bit more flexible, since you’ll have the option to choose any Standard seat or a Preferred seat closer to the front of the plane 48 hours before departure — for no extra charge. That’s a useful benefit if you choose Basic or Choice fares when you book, since both of these fare types only allow for Standard seating selections.
Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card.
A-List or A-List Preferred status
Along with perks for boarding, checked bags, earnings bonuses on flights, and more, A-List members get more options for seat selection too:
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A-List status: Choose a Preferred or Standard seat at booking for no extra charge, regardless of the fare type you book. You’ll also have the option to upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat for free (when available) within 48 hours of your flight’s departure.
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A-List Preferred status: Select any seat at booking for free, no matter which fare type you book. This perk means you’ll have access to Standard, Preferred, and Extra Legroom seats for no extra charge when you book.
For Southwest Rapid Rewards cardmembers and A-List or A-List Preferred, seating benefits apply for you as the primary status holder and up to eight people flying on your same reservation, when available.
Read more: How to earn elite airline status with a credit card
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