Over the past several months, Southwest Airlines has implemented some pretty controversial changes — including assigned seating.
For decades, Southwest Airlines was a go-to airline for so many travelers because you didn’t pick a seat. Instead, if you didn’t have any special perks, you joined a boarding position queue and hoped for a good group. From there, you picked an open seat you like and grabbed overhead space where available. It was a well-liked system among Southwest patrons that OFFICIALLY ENDED on January 27th, 2026, when Southwest rolled out mandatory assigned seating. The new seating policy has now completely changed how we fly with Southwest. If you plan on flying with the popular airline again, there are a few REALLY important things you need to know before you select seats.









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