Overview

• Customers can purchase tickets with assigned seats beginning July 29 for flights that will implement assigned seating on January 27, 2026.
• Eight boarding groups based on fare class, seat location and loyalty status will replace the legacy A-B-C open-seating process.
• Southwest will introduce fees for checked bags and roll out new fare types including Basic, Choice and premium bundles.
• About 25 percent of the fleet has been reconfigured for extra-legroom seats, though specific seating prices have not yet been disclosed.
• The airline projects these initiatives will add $800 million to EBIT in 2025 and $1.7 billion in EBIT in 2026 by aligning with competitors’ ancillary revenue models.