When Southwest Airlines pivots to assigned seating Jan. 27, 2026, it won’t just mark the end of its 50-year-old open-seating policy.
It’ll also usher in the official launch of its extra-legroom seats — the more spacious rows that Southwest is marketing as its new, more premium product.
Going forward, these seats will be available to Southwest’s highest-paying customers. And they’ll be an upgrade option, of sorts, for A-List elite status flyers and certain Rapid Rewards credit card holders.
Southwest’s hope is that these roomier rows will bring in extra cash from a consumer who’s been more willing, in recent years, to pay more for higher-end experiences.
“What they wanted us to change and evolve to was coming up with more amenities that they’re used to getting with other aircraft,” Tony Roach, Southest’s chief customer and brand officer, said while speaking earlier this month in Phoenix.
The question now: Are the extra-legroom seats worth the extra splurge?
Read more: Southwest’s ‘major milestone’: First plane with new, modern cabin makes big debut
What it’s like flying in Southwest’s extra-legroom seat
I had the chance to try out Southwest’s new extra-legroom experience on a recent ceremonial flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to the airline’s Dallas Love Field (DAL) home base.
What to expect? It’s certainly not first class; don’t expect an upscale reclining seat, a hot meal or a curtain separating these seats from the rest of the cabin.
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Southwest designed this to simply be an elevated offering over its standard coach product.
Soft-product upgrades
That said, the airline has thrown in a few “soft product” upgrades for its extra-legroom section.
On board, those passengers will be treated to free premium beverages — including alcohol.
Southwest will also serve its extra-legroom customers Wonderful pistachios, a snack choice that won’t be available in the rest of its cabins.
Plus, those passengers will get priority boarding as part of the carrier’s revamped boarding procedures that will launch in January alongside assigned seating. Extra-legroom customers will board no later than Group 2.
An elevated coach experience
Altogether, the whole experience is probably most comparable to what you’d find in sections like American Airlines’ Main Cabin Extra or Alaska Airlines’ Premium — a more premium coach offering that Southwest, until now, hasn’t had in its repertoire.
Personally, that extra space makes a huge difference for me when it comes to comfort on a long flight, especially when I’m trying to get work done — which I did with all the ease I’d expect in, say, a United Airlines Economy Plus seat.
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SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Finding your seat
By Jan. 27, you’ll find extra-legroom seats in the first five rows of all Southwest Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 737-800 planes, and in the three rows surrounding the midcabin emergency exit.
On its smaller Boeing 737-700s, it’ll offer extra legroom in the first six rows and in the emergency-exit row.
Aboard many planes, you’ll find unique striping on the carrier’s elevated seats, distinguishing them from standard seats. That includes these light blue highlights on the newest jets in Southwest’s fleet, like this brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 8 I flew on this month.
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Southwest Airlines extra-legroom seat. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
How to book Southwest’s extra-legroom seat
There are a few ways you can book extra-legroom seats on Southwest.
Buy a Choice Extra fare
The “standard” method is to purchase its new Choice Extra fare product, which comes with an extra-legroom seat selection — along with some other benefits like priority boarding and free checked bags (the latter, of course, is no longer a blanket perk with the airline).
Tickets that include extra-legroom seat assignments went on sale in late July for flights departing on or after Jan. 27 — so you can book them now, whether you’re paying cash or redeeming Rapid Rewards points.
Related: Southwest Airlines’ ‘variable’ Rapid Rewards redemption rates take effect
Elite status and credit card upgrades
These seats will also be available as an upgrade option for A-List elite members and certain credit card holders.
Here’s a full rundown:
By late January, Southwest expects that extra-legroom seats will be available on each of its roughly 800 aircraft.
The airline is currently more than halfway done reconfiguring each of its jets with the new seating setup.
A trick to get extra space now
However, Southwest has already finished adding extra-legroom seats to all the planes it uses on its longest routes, like flights to Hawaii.
That means, between now and January, you might be able to score one of these seats at no added cost, during the final months of first-come, first-served seating.
You’ll just need to get on board early enough to snag one. Your best chance of that is likely purchasing the airline’s add-on Upgraded Boarding option, sold within 24 hours of takeoff.
TPG tip: Southwest extra-legroom seats are soft launching, and you can score one now if you get an early boarding position
Bottom line
Southwest executives believe that between offering a higher-end seating product and other onboard improvements like its just-deployed free inflight Wi-Fi, it’ll compete better — right away — with other airlines.
“It’s not like an airline where you’re like, ‘If I don’t get upgraded, I’m stuck,” Southwest Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson said in Phoenix this month.
At the same time, the carrier continues to drop hints about perhaps launching an even higher-end seating option someday in the future.
So, while Southwest’s new extra-legroom seats certainly shouldn’t be confused with a true first class, it’s worth staying tuned to see what else might be on the horizon.
For now? These seats are a distinct notch above what the airline has offered its customers in the past. And they’re an enticing new perk of earning Rapid Rewards elite status, or carrying one of the airline’s cobranded credit cards.
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