Southwest Airlines passengers planning trips for 2026 will have to begin picking their seats.
The airline announced a start date of Jan. 27, 2026.
Southwest will end the open seat boarding policy and introduce a new boarding process.
Premium fare and loyalty members will board earlier in the process and customers who purchase extra legroom seats will have priority and board in the first and second groups.
In late May, Southwest implemented fees for checked bags.
The Dallas based airline began offering the “Bags Fly Free” benefit since its founding in 1971.
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