5 Tips for Flying Southwest Airlines

From its early days flying short hops around Texas in the 1970s, Southwest Airlines was known as an industry disruptor, offering low fares and low-frills (but friendly) service that gained the airline a cult following. But with recent changes such as charging for checked bags and ending its famous open-seating policy, Southwest is starting to look a lot like other U.S. airlines. If you’re planning an upcoming trip on Southwest, here are five things to know before you book.

Seats Are Now Assigned (But Not All Seats Are Equal)

Gone are the days of setting an alarm to check in for your Southwest flight 24 hours before departure in hopes of securing a better seat. Previously, flyers were assigned a boarding number in group A, B, or C based on when they checked in. When it came time to board the plane, you lined up according to your boarding number and then chose any available seat once you walked on the plane. The lower your boarding number (e.g., A15 instead of C37), the better odds you had to secure a window or aisle seat toward the front.

But in January 2026, Southwest officially abandoned its free-for-all seating model in favor of the traditional assigned seating you’ll find at every other U.S. airline. As is the case with those other carriers, Southwest’s basic fare type does not allow you to choose your own seat for free; instead, one will be assigned to you at check-in. A free advance seat assignment is included in higher fare classes. 

The other big news is that Southwest has reconfigured its aircraft to add “extra-legroom” and “preferred” seats. Extra-legroom seats offer up to 5 additional inches of legroom and are located at the front of the cabin and at exit rows. Preferred seats have standard legroom, but are located closer to the front of the plane. Some fare types allow you to choose these upgraded seats for free, which brings us to our next tip.

Pay Close Attention to Your Fare Type

Southwest overhauled its fare offerings in 2025, so you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the new system before you book. Each fare type comes with different benefits and restrictions and also determines how many points you’ll earn under Southwest’s loyalty program, which is called Rapid Rewards. 

The cheapest fare, Basic, mirrors the basic-economy offerings at other U.S. airlines — you’ll be the last to board and have to pay extra if you want to choose a seat. However, unlike with some airlines, there’s no cancellation fee for Southwest’s Basic fare, you can still bring a full-size carry-on (checked bags are extra), and you’ll still earn frequent flyer points (though at a lower rate).

Choice fares, the next step up, offer free standard seat selection at the time of booking, more Rapid Rewards points earned per dollar, and free flight changes, including same-day change and standby (a fare difference may apply). However, two free checked bags — once one of Southwest’s biggest selling points — are no longer included.  

Choice Preferred fares offer free preferred seats, earlier boarding, and other perks like refundability, while Choice Extra fares include free extra-legroom seats and 14 Rapid Rewards points per dollar. Choice Extra is also the only fare type to still offer two free checked bags. 

Consider a Credit Card for Valuable Perks

If you miss the days of free checked bags but don’t fly Southwest enough to earn elite status (which waives bag fees), fear not. Sign up for any of Southwest’s three Rapid Rewards credit cards, and you’ll get one free checked bag for yourself as the primary cardholder and up to eight people traveling together on the same reservation. As of early 2026, the annual fees for these cards range from $99 to $229, but considering Southwest now charges $35 for your first checked bag and $45 for your second bag, it can be easy to make up the cost of the fee by traveling a few times per year.

These credit cards offer a slate of other valuable perks, too. For instance, the Rapid Rewards Plus card allows you to choose a free standard seat 48 hours prior to check-in, which can be useful if you’ve purchased a basic fare. In addition to bonus points for Southwest purchases and other categories such as gas stations and grocery stores, the cards offer boarding benefits, bonus points on your cardmember anniversary, and 25% back on in-flight purchases. Some cards can also help you achieve elite status faster, which unlocks other valuable perks.  

Look Out for Companion Pass Offers

There’s one other very important way to save when flying Southwest: a unique perk called the Companion Pass that no other U.S. airline offers. Essentially, the Companion Pass allows you to bring a friend with you on any flight for free; you’ll just pay the taxes and fees (from $5.60 one way). Once you earn the pass (more on that below), you’ll be able to use this benefit an unlimited number of times for the remainder of the year and the full following calendar year. You must designate one companion, but for added flexibility, you can change your companion up to three times per calendar year. 

Obviously, this can be a huge money saver if you fly Southwest frequently with a loved one, but qualification is steep: You have to fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. 

That said, Southwest frequently runs promotions for its Companion Pass. As of February 2026, customers who open a new Southwest credit card can earn a Companion Pass as part of the sign-up bonus. If you already have a Southwest credit card, look for other limited-time promotions, such as the one the airline ran earlier in February that unlocked a Companion Pass if you booked just one round-trip flight. (This was a limited promotional pass that was valid for only a short period of time.)

Take Advantage of Increased Flexibility 

Even with all the recent changes, Southwest is still one of the most flexible airlines in the U.S. As mentioned above, the airline does not charge a change fee on any fare, even for Basic tickets. It’s also easy to cancel your Southwest flight and get a flight credit for a future trip. Just pay close attention to the expiration date on your credit, which varies by fare type. (Credits from Basic fares expire within six months, versus 12 months for Choice fares, for example.) 

If you’ve ever hesitated to book a flight because you’re worried the fare will drop, Southwest also makes it easy to reprice your flights. Once you find a cheaper flight, simply log into your booking details on Southwest’s website or app and rebook for the lower fare. You’ll get the difference in money back in the form of a credit for a future trip. Better yet, there’s no fee to reprice, and you can do this as many times as you wish — even up to 10 minutes before your flight departure. And if your plans change late in the game, you can also cancel your flight altogether up to 10 minutes before departure to retain a future flight credit on Southwest.