How To Improve Your Boarding Position on Southwest [2026]

As a low-cost carrier, Southwest does everything possible to minimize costs and create a lower-fare experience.

One way it does this is by offering a single economy class of service on its planes. It doesn’t have to manage premium cabin catering, lounges, or other amenities that typically come with cabins up front.

Even with an all-economy class plane, there are ways to make your Southwest experience significantly more comfortable. In early 2026, Southwest significantly changed its onboard seating model from a free-for-all to assigned seats, and you can purchase a specific seat on the aircraft.

Assigned Seating Policy

Southwest used to have an open seating policy on all its planes. This meant that you were not assigned a specific seat on the plane and all seats were first come, first served. Because of this, it was imperative to board the aircraft first if you wanted a particular seat.

Southwest has done away with this model and now deploys an assigned seating policy on all of its flights. You can choose a seat at the time of ticket purchase or get assigned seats at check-in. This changed the entire boarding model for Southwest passengers, but it is a big improvement for customers who can now select the specific spot they’d like to sit in on their flight.

Southwest has 8 boarding groups in numerical order. Each group has a different set of customers, and Group 1 boards first, followed by Group 2, then Group 3, and so on. The group you are assigned is based on the fare bundle you purchase, your seat, or your elite status level.

Boarding Groups

Groups are assigned as follows:

• Groups 1 and 2 include A-List Preferred members, those who are seated in an extra-legroom seat, or Choice Extra passengers (the most expensive fare bundle).
• Groups 3 to 5 include A-List members who are not seated in an extra-legroom seat, as well as Choice Preferred passengers (the second-highest fare bundle).
• Groups 6 to 8 include Choice passengers (a middle-tier fare bundle) and Basic passengers (the cheapest fare bundle).

If you’re a Rapid Rewards cardholder and don’t have a higher position, you board with Group 5.

The better seat you have on the aircraft, the better your boarding position is.

Priority Boarding

Gone are the days when you could purchase Upgraded Boarding, commonly known as A1-A15. Now, if you want to improve your boarding position, you need to purchase a more expensive fare that includes those better boarding privileges as a perk or purchase a seat with Group 1 or Group 2 boarding.

Credit Cards That Have Better Seating as a Benefit

The Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card each come with better seat assignment perks, which could lead to better boarding positions. Both cards include the ability to choose preferred seats at booking, which is a roughly $70 savings per round-trip ticket. Rather than being assigned a middle seat in the back of the plane, these cards allow you to select a better seat without any additional hoops to jump through.

LAST CHANCE

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card focuses on the Southwest traveler with anniversary points, preferred boarding and seat selection, and money back on inflight purchases.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card

This card focuses on the Southwest traveler with anniversary points, preferred boarding and seat selection, and money back on inflight purchases.

Welcome Offer

Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

90,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,170

Annual Fee

$229

APR

19.24% - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Southwest Priority card is the most premium personal Southwest card offering from Chase. It offers multiple bonus categories to help you earn more Southwest Rapid Rewards points and is loaded with valuable benefits for Southwest flyers.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points on Southwest Airlines eligible purchases
• 2x points at gas stations and restaurants
• 1x points on all other purchases

Cons

• $229 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable points

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• 7,500 anniversary points each year.
• Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines^® purchases, including flights, inflight, and Southwest gift cards.
• Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and restaurants
• First checked bag free for Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
• Select a Preferred seat at booking, at no additional charge, when available.
• Cardmembers and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation will board with Group 5 giving them earlier access to overhead bins.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: $0

Rewards Center

Southwest Rapid Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Southwest frequent flyers will love the complimentary seat selection and bonus points on each cardmember anniversary.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card

Southwest frequent flyers will love the complimentary seat selection and bonus points on each cardmember anniversary.

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

80,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,040

Annual Fee

$299

APR

19.24% - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card is a phenomenal option for business owners who are Southwest frequent flyers. It helps you earn more points on business expenses, offers complimentary seat selection at the time of booking, and helps you reach higher levels of Southwest elite status.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases
• 2x points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, with no annual cap
• 2x points per $1 spent on all hotel purchases

Cons

• $299 annual fee
• Doesn’t earn transferable rewards

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• 9,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
• Earn 4X pts on Southwest^® purchases.
• Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and restaurants
• Earn 2X points on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
• Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• First checked bag free for Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
• Cardmembers and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation will board with Group 5 giving them earlier access to overhead bins.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

To help ease the sting of being in coach, you also get 25% back on inflight purchases, great for grabbing an alcoholic drink on board. The cards also come with a 2,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 you spend annually, making it even easier to earn A-List status, which comes with additional perks.

If you don’t have one of these 2 Southwest co-branded credit cards, you might consider using a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, both of which earn 2x Capital One miles on every purchase. You can then use these miles to cover travel charges from your statement (within 90 days) at a rate of 1 cent per mile. If you purchase a better seat or higher fare bundle, you can cover these charges with your rewards.

You can also utilize the up-to-$200 airline credit you receive on the Platinum Card^® from American Express (enrollment required). You need to select Southwest Airlines as your preferred airline at the start of the year, but when you do, you have up to $200 to use on any miscellaneous fees associated with Southwest travel. Assigned seating counts for this purpose.

Who Should Purchase Priority Boarding?

If you’re purchasing a better seat or a bundle that includes better boarding, it’s likely because you value getting on the plane first to stow your bags. If it’s available, you’ll need to decide whether the seat or bundle cost is worth it based on the timing or length of the flight. The longer the flight or more desirable the departure, the higher the cost for seats and upgrades.

Our Take

I like to have my bags stowed early without risking less overhead bin space, so I like to be one of the first to board. I’m also particular about what seat I sit in, and try to purchase aisle bulkhead seats, which give me extra legroom, a better boarding position, and a position as one of the first passengers off of the aircraft.

Choice Extra

Southwest’s closest offering to first class is its Choice Extra product, its most expensive fare.

Take, for example, this Washington, D.C. (DCA), flight to Dallas (DAL). You can see that Choice Extra is almost $200 more expensive than the cheapest fare, but it has some benefits.

A Choice Extra fare includes:

• The option to fully refund the ticket back to your original form of payment
• Priority boarding in groups 1 or 2.
• Select any seat on the plane at the time of purchase.
• Free inflight entertainment, including Wi-Fi
• Complimentary premium drink on flights over 251 miles
• 2 free checked bags
• 14 Rapid Rewards points earned per $1 spent on the airfare

Who Should Purchase Choice Extra?

If the cost difference isn’t much compared to lower fares, it can be worth it, as it guarantees you your choice of seats on the plane.

Our Take

Choice Extra can be pricey, depending on the flight, but if having a choice of any seat on the plane is important to you, you should purchase it.

Final Thoughts

Southwest’s move to assigned seating has changed what it means to improve your boarding position. Getting on the plane earlier no longer helps you snag a better seat, as it’s already reserved, but it can make a difference if you want first access to overhead bin space.

If early boarding is important to you, the most reliable way to get it is by purchasing a seat type or fare bundle that includes earlier boarding. Southwest cardholders or those with A-List or A-List Preferred status typically get earlier boarding groups. Otherwise, look for Priority Boarding, which becomes available for purchase 24 hours before departure.