Southwest’s open seating era ends, assigned seats begin January 27

Is there anything worse than forgetting to check in right at the 24-hour mark and ending up stuck with a C boarding group on a Southwest flight? That long-running stress is finally coming to an end. Starting January 27, Southwest Airlines will officially roll out assigned seating on all flights, bringing an end to the airline’s famously chaotic open-seating era.

For years, Southwest stood out for doing things differently — cheaper fares, two free checked bags (which went away in 2025), and the free-for-all boarding process. With assigned seating, passengers will now be able to choose their seats in advance, including options to upgrade to extra-legroom seats, putting Southwest more in line with every other major airline.

The move hasn’t come without pushback. Loyal Southwest flyers have long had a love-hate relationship with open seating — some loved the freedom, others dreaded the anxiety. Over the years, travelers have developed some truly creative (and sometimes ridiculous) tactics to save seats or avoid the middle: fake bathroom trips, strategically placed bags, and yes…even pretending to need the barf bag.

Personally, I don’t mind the change. No more racing the clock to check in. No more boarding stress. And hopefully, a little more order when it’s time to take off. Love it or hate it, the era of the Southwest seat-saving games is almost over.