Southwest now uses assigned seating, so your boarding group no longer determines where you sit. For Southwest flights departing on or after January 27, 2026, your boarding pass shows a seat assignment and a boarding group. Board when your group is called, then take the seat printed on your boarding pass. Most passengers can choose a seat before travel; Basic-fare passengers are normally assigned a Standard seat at check-in or, if necessary, at the gate.
As of September 19, 2026, Southwest uses Groups 1 through 8 rather than the former A, B and C groups with numbered positions. Your boarding group can still matter for access to overhead-bin space, but it does not give you first choice of an unassigned seat.
From booking to boarding
- Choose a fare and review the seat map. Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra fares include different levels of seat selection. Basic does not normally include advance seat selection, although eligible Rapid Rewards members and some Rapid Rewards credit-card holders can select a seat earlier when one is available.
- Select or purchase a seat if appropriate. A fare may include the seat category you want, or you may be able to pay for a different available seat. Paid seat upgrades are sold per passenger and per flight segment.
- Check in beginning 24 hours before the original scheduled departure. Your boarding pass will show your assigned seat and boarding group. Basic passengers are generally assigned a Standard seat at this stage.
- Consider Priority Boarding on the day of travel. This optional purchase is available, when offered, from 24 hours before the original scheduled departure until 30 minutes before it. It lets you board ahead of Group 1, but it does not change your seat assignment.
- Wait for your group at the gate. Southwest calls boarding groups rather than using the former numbered gate stanchions. Once aboard, go to the seat on your boarding pass.
Your fare also affects baggage and flexibility benefits. See whether Southwest has free checked bags in 2026 when comparing the overall cost of the fare options.
What the four fares include for seats
| Fare | Seat selection included | Usual boarding treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Standard seat assigned at check-in or at the departure gate | Group 8 |
| Choice | Choose an available Standard seat at booking | General boarding, usually Groups 3 through 7 |
| Choice Preferred | Choose an available Preferred or Standard seat at booking | Groups 3 through 4 |
| Choice Extra | Choose an available Extra Legroom, Preferred or Standard seat at booking | Group 1 |
Standard seats have standard legroom and are generally at the back of the cabin. Preferred seats also have standard legroom but are nearer the front. Extra Legroom seats are at the front and in exit rows. The amount of additional legroom varies by aircraft; Southwest says it can be up to five additional inches compared with Standard seats.
Seat availability is not guaranteed. If the seat category included with your fare is sold out, Southwest may assign a seat under the fare rules or offer another available seat for purchase. Southwest lists paid seat upgrades from $4 to $250 per passenger, per segment. For Basic fares, seat sales end 60 minutes before the original scheduled departure on domestic flights and 90 minutes before it on international flights.
Who boards in Groups 1 through 8
Southwest assigns boarding groups using fare type, seat type and location, Rapid Rewards status, and eligible Rapid Rewards credit-card benefits. Its published categories overlap in places, so two passengers with the same fare can receive different groups while retaining their selected seats.
| Boarding group | Who generally boards |
|---|---|
| Preboard | Eligible passengers with disabilities or those who need extra time to board, plus unaccompanied minors |
| Priority Boarding | Passengers who bought Priority Boarding, when available, and active-duty United States military personnel with valid identification |
| A-List Preferred | Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members |
| Group 1 | Rapid Rewards A-List members and Choice Extra passengers |
| Group 2 | Choice or Choice Preferred passengers assigned an Extra Legroom seat |
| Groups 3–4 | Choice Preferred passengers in Standard or Preferred seats |
| Group 5 | Eligible Rapid Rewards credit-card holders who do not already receive an earlier group |
| Groups 3–7 | Choice passengers in Standard or Preferred seats |
| Group 8 | Basic passengers |
Passengers on the same reservation, including families, receive the same boarding group. A-List, A-List Preferred and eligible cardmember boarding benefits can extend to up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation. Southwest notes that Companion Pass holders and their companions receive the most favorable applicable benefit based on their individual status, card benefit or seat location, so sequential boarding is not guaranteed in every case.
Priority Boarding is separate from seat selection. It can provide earlier access to overhead-bin space, costs $10 to $75 per passenger per segment, and is nonrefundable if you change or cancel the flight. It does not move you to a different seat.
Check-in and Basic seat assignments
Checking in exactly 24 hours before departure is no longer a race for an A boarding position. Under Southwest’s former open-seating model, an earlier check-in could improve your boarding position and therefore your choice of seats. With assigned seating, the important result is seeing or receiving your seat assignment, not winning a place in a boarding line.
Checking in promptly is still particularly useful for Basic passengers. Southwest encourages families on Basic fares to check in when the window opens so they can review assigned seats and obtain boarding passes. A Basic passenger who wants more certainty can purchase an available seat, subject to availability and the applicable purchase deadline.
If Southwest cannot immediately assign you a seat at check-in, it may issue a security document rather than a boarding pass. This document allows you to pass through the Transportation Security Administration security checkpoint. After security, see a Southwest customer service agent at the departure gate for your seat assignment and boarding pass.
EarlyBird Check-In and Upgraded Boarding applied only to Southwest flights departing on or before January 26, 2026. They were discontinued when assigned seating began on January 27, 2026. The former A, B and C boarding positions and the numbered stanchions at gates also ended with that change.
Status, credit cards and family travel
A-List members may choose available Preferred or Standard seats at booking and can move to an available Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours before departure without an additional charge. They board in Group 1. A-List Preferred members may choose any available seat, including Extra Legroom, at booking and board before Group 1.
Eligible primary Southwest Rapid Rewards credit-card holders receive Group 5 if they do not qualify for an earlier group. Plus and Plus Business cardholders can select an available Standard seat within 48 hours before departure. Premier and Premier Business cardholders can select an available Preferred or Standard seat within 48 hours. Priority and Performance Business cardholders can choose an available Preferred or Standard seat at booking and may upgrade to Extra Legroom within 48 hours, subject to availability.
For families, place everyone on the same reservation and select adjacent seats while booking whenever possible. Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra fares permit seat selection at booking when seats are available. If adjacent seats are unavailable, check the seat map again before travel because seats can change.
Basic passengers may be seated together, but adjacent seating is not guaranteed merely because passengers share a reservation. Southwest says it will endeavor, where practicable and at no additional cost, to seat a child age 12 or younger next to at least one accompanying passenger age 13 or older on the same reservation. If this does not happen, speak with a Southwest gate agent before boarding or ask a flight attendant for help. If no adjacent seats are available, Southwest says a gate agent can offer the next available flight with adjacent seats.
The United States Department of Transportation family seating dashboard does not list Southwest as guaranteeing adjacent seating, at no extra charge, for a child age 13 or younger and an accompanying adult on every fare. Families should therefore choose seats early rather than relying on a last-minute adjustment.
