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Yesterday was the last day for open seating on Southwest Airlines. Today marks one of the biggest changes in the 50+ years the airline has been in business with the introduction of assigned seating. Southwest has rolled out a redesigned boarding process that aligns with its shift to assigned seating and the introduction of extra legroom options. The update marks a major operational change for an airline long associated with open seating and the familiar A–B–C boarding columns and now has Groups number one through eight.
Eight Boarding Groups Replace Letters
The new system organizes boarding into eight numbered groups. Placement within these groups is tied to seat category, fare type, and benefits such as elite status or credit card membership.
The boarding priority now works as follows:
- Groups 1–2: Reserved for Choice Extra passengers, travelers who upgrade into extra legroom seats regardless of fare bundle, A-List Preferred members, and A-List members who have upgraded to extra legroom seats.
- Groups 3–5: Reserved for Choice Preferred passengers and A-List members seated in either a Preferred or Standard seat. Rapid Rewards credit cardholders automatically board in Group 5 unless upgraded earlier based on seat or status.
- Groups 6–8: Reserved for Choice and Basic fare travelers (Basic boards last in Group 8).
A System Built for the New Cabin Layout
The updated boarding structure reflects Southwest’s new three-tier seat plan, which includes Standard, Preferred, and Extra Legroom seating. With assigned seats replacing the historic free-for-all approach, the airline can better pace boarding and reduce seat selection bottlenecks once passengers are on the aircraft.
What Passengers Can Expect
The streamlined process is designed to:
- Speed up boarding by eliminating in-cabin seat negotiation
- Give premium and elite travelers earlier access to overhead bin space
- Organize families and groups more consistently
- Make upgrades more meaningful within the boarding sequence
Anthony’s Take: While the change represents a major cultural shift for regular Southwest flyers, it also brings the airline closer to the boarding strategies used by its legacy competitors. Now, I want to see what Southwest is planning for First Class.
(Image Credits: Southwest Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
