Southwest Airlines is abandoning its long-standing open seating policy on January 27, introducing assigned seats for all flights. This shift marks the end of a unique aspect of the airline—and a culture of passenger “gaming” that has defined it for decades.
The Wild West of Southwest Seating
For years, Southwest stood out by not assigning seats. Instead, passengers boarded in numbered groups determined by check-in time (or paid upgrades like Early Bird Check-In). This created a chaotic but often amusing free-for-all, as passengers raced to secure the best spots, sometimes resorting to unconventional tactics.
Passengers have been known to save seats for companions, even if those companions boarded later. More aggressively, some passengers intentionally occupied extra space or used deterrents like placing tissues on seats to discourage others from sitting next to them. One infamous strategy even involved offering strangers hard-boiled eggs as a way to deter them from choosing the adjacent seat.
The airline also had a workaround: passengers would falsely claim wheelchair assistance to board first and grab prime seats, then disembark without issue.
Why the Change?
Southwest already charges extra for early boarding and seat selection through its Early Bird and A1-15 upgrades. The new assigned seating system simply extends this monetization strategy across all passengers. The airline is streamlining the process and reducing the unpredictability of the boarding experience.
What’s Lost?
The move effectively eliminates the element of strategic maneuvering that many passengers enjoyed. The thrill of “winning” an empty middle seat or securing a favorable position no longer exists. Southwest will now operate more like traditional airlines, where seat assignments are predetermined.
The end of open seating marks the end of an era for Southwest, transforming it from a quirky, passenger-controlled experience into a more standardized and predictable one. The airline is losing a piece of its identity, but gaining efficiency and revenue in the process.
