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 achieved.
On Monday, the Dallas-based service 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 is able to grow to be 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 have the ability to choose its new Further Legroom seats within the not-too-distant future.
In the meantime, TPG has discovered Southwest is mulling new “mushy product” providers it will supply flyers who choose its extra spacious seats.
And one of many airline’s prime executives is shedding mild on why Southwest determined to ditch its one-of-a-kind boarding course of.
This is a rundown of all of the adjustments to find out about.
New fare merchandise
For starters, Southwest on Monday introduced it is going to rename all of its fare courses as soon as it shifts to assigned seating.
Day by day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Day by day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
We already knew Wanna Get Away would grow to be Primary. That may occur when the service begins charging checked bag charges, which is able to apply to flights bought from Could 28 onward.
Then, later this yr:
- Wanna Get Away Plus will grow to be Selection.
- Anytime will grow to be Selection Most well-liked.
- Enterprise Choose will grow to be Selection Further.
The three “alternative” 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 will get with Southwest’s renamed fare courses will truly 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 airplane you’ll entry.
Beginning subsequent yr, Southwest plans to designate three kinds of seats:
- Further Legroom (first 5 rows of the plane, and three rows across the midcabin exit door)
- Most well-liked (customary rows located nearer to the entrance of the plane)
- Commonplace (the seats behind the airplane)
The seats themselves will all be customary coach seats, so we’re not precisely speaking in regards to the distinction between economic system and lie-flat enterprise class — however this can determine into how a lot legroom, or how near the entrance of the plane, you will be.
This is the complete image of Southwest’s up to date fares and advantages:
| Profit | Selection Further | Selection Most well-liked | Selection | 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 | Further Legroom (or any seat) | Most well-liked (or any customary seat) | Commonplace | Not included; customary seat assigned at check-in |
| Checked luggage (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 normal 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) | – |
| Identical-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 costs) and Southwest® Speedy Rewards® Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card (see charges and costs) will have the ability to improve an Further Legroom seat inside 48 hours of departure (when accessible).
However all Southwest cardholders will, at a minimal, have the ability to choose a seat without spending a dime on each flight inside 48 hours of departure (when accessible).
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 knowledge 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 come back
Anticipate extra card-related bulletins to come back quickly; the airline is framing these card adjustments as a part of an total “refresh” of its card portfolio, after not too long ago reaching an amended cope with Chase.
The airline did not rule out an annual payment enhance within the close to future — but in addition teased new bonus classes that would 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 on your top-of-wallet purchases, you are going to earn extra.”
A-Record 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.
This is a reminder of how A-Record and A-Record Most well-liked baggage and seating perks will shake out:
| Standing | Baggage profit | Further Legroom seat choice | Most well-liked seat choice | Commonplace seat choice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-Record Most well-liked | Two free checked luggage | At reserving | (included) | (included) |
| A-Record | 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) |
Boarding advantages
One extra 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 traditional 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 service hoped to maintain the spirit of its distinctive boarding procedures in place.
The method, Roach stated, will now look fairly just like these discovered at different airways, with eight teams now deliberate.
“Simply type of what everyone else is used to,” Roach stated, explaining the considering. “We count on there might be loads of clients that might be new to Southwest, as a result of, frankly, they’ve informed us, ‘When you go to assigned seating I am going to think about you.'”
What about Companion Cross?
Speedy Rewards members who earned the airline’s coveted Companion Cross will have the ability to lengthen their boarding, bag and seat choice privileges to their designated companion.
Further providers within the Further Legroom part?
Southwest executives have maintained the brand new Further Legroom seats should not meant to resemble a full first-class cabin with scorching meals and the like.
However Roach informed TPG the service is mulling some new, elevated advantages for its extra spacious rows.
“We’re issues like enhanced snacks, a extra elevated expertise for purchasers that select to purchase the additional fare,” he stated. “You possibly can count on it to be not simply extra-legroom seats, however include one thing additional in all of the mushy merchandise.”
No restrictions on full-size carry-ons
Checked bag charges are a large change for purchasers, on their very own. Not less than for now, Southwest shouldn’t be implementing restrictions on full-size carry-on luggage — one thing a handful of its rivals have achieved, traditionally, on fundamental economic system fares (United Airways nonetheless does it).
“We checked out it,” Roach stated. “But it surely wasn’t one thing that we determined to do.”
So, should you’re not an A-Record member, a cardholder and need to fly fundamental economic system, you may at all times carry your bag onto the airplane … assuming, after all, that every little thing inside meets the Transportation Safety Administration’s 3-1-1 liquids guidelines.
Associated studying:
