Southwest Airlines is embarking on a new journey, reconfiguring its boarding process and waving goodbye to its longstanding open-seating system. Starting Tuesday, the airline known for letting customers pick their seats will now assign spots in advance, a major pivot from a unique policy that's been in place for over 50 years. NBC Chicago reported that Monday marked the last day for passengers to engage in the free-for-all scramble for seats they've grown accustomed to.
Following an internal review that suggested customer preferences were shifting towards pre-assigned seating, Southwest's move aligns it closer with industry norms and comes in response to investor pressure to improve profits. NBC Chicago notes that early check-ins granted access to the coveted "A" group under the old system, almost guaranteeing a preferred window or aisle seat, whereas delayed check-ins often resulted in a dreaded middle seat. The new eight-group boarding structure is set to replace the old scrum and will see customers file through two alternating lanes based on their boarding group.
As detailed by CBS News, Southwest Airlines' updated boarding pass design will showcase both seat assignments and boarding groups. Families or parties of up to nine will be kept together in the same boarding groups. The airline has also clarified that boarding groups will correlate with seat location, fare class, and loyalty status, further giving passengers who splurge on extra legroom or premium fares early access to boarding.
Additional changes accompany the seating switch-up. A revision of policy for passengers in need of extra space means purchasing an extra seat in advance is now mandatory. This marks a departure from the airline’s previous policy, which offered a more flexible arrangement for securing additional seating at the gate, with the added perk of a potential refund. Now, refunds are contingent on seat availability and fare class, implementing a change of tone from Southwest’s historically generous stance.
