It has been a dizzying few months for Southwest Airways, from its shift away from open seating to its new checked bag charges that take impact subsequent month.
And the adjustments aren’t completed.
On Monday, the Dallas-based provider introduced a handful of latest perks for its frequent flyers and bank card holders that’ll take impact as soon as the airline launches assigned seating in 2026.
Southwest is planning to rename all of its fare merchandise as soon as assigned seating begins — not simply its hallmark Wanna Get Away fare, which can develop into the airline’s new Primary (aka fundamental economic system) class subsequent month.
Plus, the airline revealed its highest-end bank card holders — like its elite standing members — will be capable to choose its new Additional Legroom seats within the not-too-distant future.
In the meantime, TPG has realized Southwest is mulling new “gentle product” companies it’s going to provide flyers who choose its extra spacious seats.
And one of many airline’s prime executives is shedding gentle on why Southwest determined to ditch its one-of-a-kind boarding course of.
Here is a rundown of all of the adjustments to find out about.
New fare merchandise
For starters, Southwest on Monday introduced it would rename all of its fare courses as soon as it shifts to assigned seating.
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We already knew Wanna Get Away would develop into Primary. That may occur when the provider begins charging checked bag charges, which can apply to flights offered from Could 28 onward.
Then, later this yr:
- Wanna Get Away Plus will develop into Alternative.
- Anytime will develop into Alternative Most well-liked.
- Enterprise Choose will develop into Alternative Additional.
The three “selection” fares will go on sale someday between July and September, when Southwest begins promoting assigned seats for flights departing in early 2026.
New seat varieties
The advantages you may get with Southwest’s renamed fare courses will really look fairly just like the advantages of its present fare merchandise — that’s, the revamped fare courses the airline introduced final month when it pivoted to bag charges and shook up Speedy Rewards earnings charges.
The fare you choose will dictate the row of the aircraft you’ll entry.
Beginning subsequent yr, Southwest plans to designate three varieties of seats:
- Additional Legroom (first 5 rows of the plane, and three rows across the midcabin exit door)
- Most well-liked (commonplace rows located nearer to the entrance of the plane)
- Normal (the seats behind the aircraft)
The seats themselves will all be commonplace coach seats, so we’re not precisely speaking concerning the distinction between economic system and lie-flat enterprise class — however this may determine into how a lot legroom, or how near the entrance of the plane, you may be.
Here is the complete image of Southwest’s up to date fares and advantages:
| Profit | Alternative Additional | Alternative Most well-liked | Alternative | Primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beforehand | Enterprise Choose | Anytime | Wanna Get Away Plus | Wanna Get Away |
| Efficient | Goes on sale within the third quarter of 2025, for 2026 flights | Goes on sale within the third quarter of 2025, for 2026 flights | Goes on sale within the third quarter of 2025, for 2026 flights | Goes on sale Could 28 |
| Seat choice | Additional Legroom (or any seat) | Most well-liked (or any commonplace seat) | Normal | Not included; commonplace seat assigned at check-in |
| Checked baggage (begins Could 28) | Two free | Prices additional | Prices additional | Prices additional |
| Speedy Rewards earnings (identical as what TPG reported in March) | 14 factors per greenback | 10 factors per greenback | 6 factors per greenback | 2 factors per greenback |
| Boarding | Early | Earlier group inside basic boarding | Basic boarding | Final to board |
| No cancellation charges | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Refundability | Absolutely refundable | Absolutely refundable | Transferable flight credit score | Nontransferable flight credit score |
| Flight credit score expiration | 12 months | 12 months | 12 months | Six months |
| Itinerary adjustments | √ (fare distinction) | √ (fare distinction) | √ (fare distinction) | – |
| Similar-day adjustments/standby | √ | √ | √ | – |
| Free inflight leisure | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Precedence/categorical lane entry | √ | √ | – | – |
| Free premium drink in flight | √ | – | – | – |
| Free inflight Wi-Fi | √ | – | – | – |
Bank card advantages
As a part of Monday’s announcement, Southwest revealed a couple of new perks with its bank card portfolio.
As soon as assigned seating begins, members with the Southwest Speedy Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card (see charges and charges) and Southwest® Speedy Rewards® Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card (see charges and charges) will be capable to improve an Additional Legroom seat inside 48 hours of departure (when out there).
However all Southwest cardholders will, at a minimal, be capable to choose a seat free of charge on each flight inside 48 hours of departure (when out there).
That goes even for passengers flying on a Primary fare. Keep in mind, for traditional passengers, fundamental economic system will not include seat choice sooner or later.
Listed below are the up to date card advantages:
The data for the Southwest Speedy Rewards Premier and Southwest Speedy Reward Plus Enterprise has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Checked bag advantages, too
Plus, efficient Could 28, each Southwest cardholder will get a free checked bag, and so will as much as eight companions touring on the identical reservation.
Bigger card ‘refresh’ to return
Count on extra card-related bulletins to return quickly; the airline is framing these card adjustments as a part of an general “refresh” of its card portfolio, after not too long ago reaching an amended take care of Chase.
The airline did not rule out an annual price enhance within the close to future — but additionally teased new bonus classes that might enable cardholders to earn extra factors for on a regular basis spending.
“That is an space of our card that we really feel like we are able to do higher at,” Southwest Government Vice President of Buyer and Model Tony Roach informed TPG. “In the event you use your card to your top-of-wallet purchases, you are going to earn extra.”
A-Checklist elite standing
As TPG reported in latest months, elite standing at Southwest will include a couple of new perks associated to the airline’s up to date seating, baggage and boarding insurance policies.
Here is a reminder of how A-Checklist and A-Checklist Most well-liked baggage and seating perks will shake out:
| Standing | Baggage profit | Additional Legroom seat choice | Most well-liked seat choice | Normal seat choice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-Checklist Most well-liked | Two free checked baggage | At reserving | (included) | (included) |
| A-Checklist | One free checked bag | Inside 48 hours of departure | At reserving | (included) |
| Begins | When checked bag charges launch Could 28 | When assigned seating begins (flights in 2026) | When assigned seating begins (flights in 2026) | When assigned seating begins (flights in 2026) |
Most different A-Checklist perks will stay unchanged, from precedence lane entry on the bottom to as much as two free premium inflight drinks for A-Checklist Most well-liked members.
Boarding advantages
One further profit for each A-Listers and cardholders: They will get entry to earlier boarding teams.
In latest weeks, Southwest revealed plans to shift away from its basic single-file boarding course of — and ditch these silver, numbered posts within the boarding space. That is after airline executives informed me in January the provider hoped to hold the spirit of its distinctive boarding procedures in place.
The method, Roach mentioned, will now look fairly just like these discovered at different airways, with eight teams now deliberate.
“Simply form of what everyone else is used to,” Roach mentioned, explaining the pondering. “We count on there might be a number of clients that might be new to Southwest, as a result of, frankly, they’ve informed us, ‘When you go to assigned seating I will take into account you.'”
What about Companion Move?
Speedy Rewards members who earned the airline’s coveted Companion Move will be capable to lengthen their boarding, bag and seat choice privileges to their designated companion.
Extra companies within the Additional Legroom part?
Southwest executives have maintained the brand new Additional Legroom seats usually are not meant to resemble a full first-class cabin with sizzling meals and the like.
However Roach informed TPG the provider is mulling some new, elevated advantages for its extra spacious rows.
“We’re taking a look at issues like enhanced snacks, a extra elevated expertise for purchasers that select to purchase the additional fare,” he mentioned. “You’ll be able to count on it to be not simply extra-legroom seats, however include one thing additional in all of the gentle merchandise.”
No restrictions on full-size carry-ons
Checked bag charges are a large change for purchasers, on their very own. At the very least for now, Southwest will not be implementing restrictions on full-size carry-on baggage — one thing a handful of its rivals have completed, traditionally, on fundamental economic system fares (United Airways nonetheless does it).
“We checked out it,” Roach mentioned. “However it wasn’t one thing that we determined to do.”
So, if you happen to’re not an A-Checklist member, a cardholder and need to fly fundamental economic system, you’ll be able to at all times carry your bag onto the aircraft … assuming, in fact, that all the pieces inside meets the Transportation Safety Administration’s 3-1-1 liquids guidelines.
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