Flying Southwest? Here’s What’s About to Change

For a long time, flying Southwest felt like a small rebellion against airline rules. We didn’t pick our seat in advance, stress about bag fees, or rush to use our credits before they vanished.

That version of the airline is slowly disappearing.

Over the next year and beyond, Southwest will look and feel very different in the way we board, sit, pack, and plan. Some changes are already here; others are arriving later in 2026.

Together, they mark the end of an era and the start of something more structured, more modern, and less improvisational. Here’s what’s quietly fading away, and what’s taking its place.

Open Seating Is Ending

For decades, Southwest let us board and choose any open seat. No seat map; no assignments. Now, that’s going away.

In 2026, Southwest will move to assigned seating. We’ll pick our seats before we fly. Some seats will cost more; some will be closer to the front; some will have extra legroom.

Boarding will feel calmer, but we’ll lose the freedom of deciding in the moment.

Extra Seats for Plus-Sized Travelers Are Changing

Southwest used to allow anyone who needed more space to ask for an extra seat at the airport, or buy one and request a refund later if the flight wasn’t full. That system is ending.

Starting this year, if we need more than one seat, we’ll need to buy the second seat in advance. Refunds will also depend on whether the flight had open seats and whether the fare type qualified. This is one of the biggest cultural shifts the airline is making.

Two Free Checked Bags Are No Longer for Everyone

“Bags fly free” used to mean we were allowed two free checked bags. That ended in 2025. Now, who gets free bags depends on their fare type and loyalty status. Some folks still get two; some will only get one. But, most of us will pay now.

Packing with Southwest will take a little more planning than it used to.

Travel Credits Now Expire

Southwest credits used to last forever, but that’s no longer the case. Depending on the fare we bought, our credits may expire in six months or a year. We won’t pay a change fee, but we can’t forget about our unused credits anymore. That former flexibility now comes with a clock.