Southwest Airlines Seat Selection Policy

With Southwest Airlines seat selection policy, passengers are now allowed to reserve their seats in advance. Now, the question is, will this seat policy be similar to other airlines? Or will it have a different set of rules? To know about this, it is necessary to read this comprehensive guide. 

Can I Book A Seat On Southwest Airlines Flight?

Seat selection is not a new policy; most airlines already follow it. But those who traveled with Southwest know that the airline has recently introduced it. Earlier, the airline followed an open seating model, which restricted passengers from selecting their own seat in advance. 

Now, with the introduction of the Southwest seat selection policy, effective at the start of 2026, passengers are permitted to choose their seats. However, certain conditions apply. 

What Rules Are Outlined In Southwest Airlines Seat Selection Policy?

As stated before, like other airlines, seat selection on Southwest Airlines comes with rules that must be known and followed. 

Here are the rules outlined in the policy to select a seat:

• What type of seat you want depends highly on the type of ticket fare you purchased. 
• Tickets purchased on or after 27th January 2026 are eligible for seat selection on Southwest Airlines. 
• Southwest basic fare seat selection can be made only during check-in, not before that. 
• Seat selection during and after the booking process is open for passengers who purchase Southwest Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra fares. However, it is suggested to check the availability as soon as possible. 
• Passengers with a basic fare can also choose a seat in advance if they are a Cardmember or have Tier Status. 
• Southwest seating selection can be made through the airline’s official website, customer service, or by visiting the ticket counter at the nearest airport.
• Selecting a seat on Southwest may not be free and may require paying additional charges. 
• Rapid Rewards Cardmembers have the privilege to choose their preferred seats at least two days prior to the scheduled departure. However, this depends heavily on their card type and seat availability. 
• Southwest seat selection is available even when tickets are purchased through third-party booking agents or websites. However, you must have the booking confirmation code and flight details to check seat availability. 
• Apart from that, any passenger who wishes to cancel their reservation and needs details on refunds for bookings and advance seat selection must review the Southwest Airlines cancellation policy. 

Apart from these rules, there are other things you must know before reserving a favorite spot on a Southwest flight. Keep scrolling to learn about them. Additionally, passengers with A-List Preferred and A-List are also allowed to select seats in advance.

However, both tier statuses have different rules regarding seat selection. For instance, A-List Preferred members get the opportunity to choose an Extra Legroom seat, whereas A-List status members can’t directly choose an Extra Legroom seat until or unless they request an upgrade. And this too needs to be done within 2 days of the scheduled flight departure.

How Can I Select My Seat On Southwest Airlines?

Ever since Southwest transitioned from an open seating model to seat selection in advance, many passengers have been keen to know how to choose their seats. The rules have been discussed; now it’s time to know how Southwest Airlines seating selection works. 

Firstly, understand that the airline seat selection is highly influenced by the ticket fare and its availability. Based on it, your eligibility to select a seat will be determined. Here we have broken it down:

• Basic Fare: With a basic fare ticket, the only way to select a seat in advance is through web check-in. Simply put, the basic fare lets you select a seat at check-in. This means that if anyone wants their desired seat on a Southwest flight, they need to check in online, since check-in opens a day before departure. No other option is available until you are an Elite Tier Member (like A-List) or a qualifying Cardmember. 
• Choice: Unlike a basic fare, the Southwest Airlines select seat option is available for a Choice fare. However, passengers can only select a Standard seat with this fare. Additionally, whether you will get your selected seat depends on availability. This choice is open from the start of the booking process.
• Choice Preferred: Similar to the Choice fare, passengers with Choice Preferred can select their seat at the time of booking. The main difference between the Choice and Choice Preferred fares is that passengers can choose between Preferred and Standard seats. But again, seat selection depends on availability.
• Choice Extra: Last but not least, purchasing the Choice Extra fare makes passengers eligible to select Extra Legroom, Preferred, or Standard seats at the time of booking or afterward. 

In addition to this information, just like the option to select seat Southwest Airlines through the official website or app, passengers can use this method to select other services such as wheelchair assistance. However, it is necessary to know the rules regarding Southwest Airlines wheelchair assistance policy. 

Are There Any Rules For Southwest Airlines Business Select Seating?

Southwest Airlines advance seat selection for Business class does have some rules that must be known. But before that, it is important to note that Business Class has been renamed to Choice Extra. So, any passenger booking a ticket in this fare class must not be confused.

Now, regarding the rules for the Southwest Business Select seating option, passengers may choose their seat during booking. Here are the rules that must be known:

• Seat selection for Business Class, aka Choice Extra, depends on availability.
• This fare includes the ability to choose an Extra Legroom seat, unlike other fares that require an additional charge. 
• Extra Legroom seats available for Choice Extra fare bookings are located at the front of the cabin and in the exit rows.
• Selecting Extra Legroom seats in the emergency exit row as part of Southwest Business Select seats options requires compliance with FAA rules. For instance, the passenger must be at least 15 years old to be seated in this seat. 
• Another important rule for Business Select seats on Southwest is that passengers on this fare are placed in Boarding Group 1. That means they are eligible to board the plane early. 
• Lastly, a passenger who purchased a Choice Extra fare and is looking to change flights needs to know that seat selection must be made again on the new flight. And it totally depends on availability. Although no additional Southwest seat selection cost is required, a fare difference might be needed. 

These are some rules to know about Business Select seats on Southwest Airlines. Apart from that, any passenger who wants to learn more about flight change rules and seat selection for a new flight needs to review the Southwest Airlines Flight Change policy. 

What Are Southwest Airlines Seat Selection Fees?

With a shift to a new model, Southwest Airlines advance seat selection is now possible. However, many passengers are keen to know the fees that are associated with it. As with other airlines, additional charges apply to select a seat on the flight. 

But seat selection charges depend heavily on the fare bundle, elite status, and seat choice; upgrades range from $4 to $250 per flight segment. To make it easy to understand, here we have a breakdown of Southwest Airlines seat selection fees in a chart:

In addition to the above-mentioned details, passengers who purchased Choice, Choice Preferred, or Choice Extra do not need to pay the Southwest seat selection fee. However, to select an Extra Legroom seat on Choice and Choice Preferred, additional charges are required. For any seat selection at check-in, the Basic fare requires payment of an additional fee. 

How To Make Southwest Wanna Get Away Plus Seat Selection?

As stated above, passengers are allowed to select their seats with any fare, including Wanna Get Away Plus, now renamed Choice, either on the Southwest official website or app, through official customer service, or at the nearest airport ticket counter. 

Here are the steps to make Southwest Wanna Get Away Plus seat selection via the official website or app during booking:

• Go to the Southwest Airlines official website or download the official app.
• Navigate to the flight booking page.
• Choose your flight and then select Wanna Get Away Plus.
• Enter the passenger details and look for a seat map.
• Choose the desired Standard seat before paying the flight charges. 
• Wait for a booking confirmation email.

After Booking

If you have already booked the flight ticket and want to have a desired Standard seat, follow the steps below:

• Open the Southwest Airlines official app or visit the main website.
• Navigate to the Manage Trip or Manage Reservations tab.
• Log in with your Confirmation Number and First and Last Name.
• Click the Change/Upgrade Seat tab. 
• Choose a new Standard Seat from the seat map.
• Confirm your changes. 

Apart from that, passengers can also perform the Southwest Airlines seat selection process directly through the airline’s official customer service. Just dial 1-800-435-9792 and wait for a representative to join the call. The rest of the details will be provided by the representative.

What Are The Southwest Check-In Seat Selection Process Steps For A Basic Fare?

As aforementioned, the purchase of a Southwest Basic Fare eliminates the option to choose a seat during the booking process. Instead, an automatic Standard seat will be assigned during check-in. However, passengers may view their assigned seat and obtain their boarding pass 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure.

Here are the steps to complete the process:

• Open the main Southwest Airlines website a day before your flight.
• Go to the “Check-In” tab and enter the confirmation number, first name, and last name to access the booking details.
• Once you check in, the screen will automatically show your assigned Standard Seat.
• If you need a different seat, check availability and eligibility. 
• You also need to pay the Southwest Airlines seat selection fee to complete the process. 
• Once you complete the process, you can download the digital boarding pass.