As of early 2026, the era of "free seating" (also known as open seating) on major airlines has largely come to an end. Historically, Southwest Airlines was the most famous proponent of this model, where passengers were assigned a boarding group but could choose any available seat once they stepped on the plane. However, following a major strategic shift in late 2024 and early 2025, Southwest began transitioning to assigned seating across its entire fleet to better accommodate family groupings and premium-fare passengers. Some very small regional carriers or "air taxi" services in remote areas (such as parts of Alaska or the Caribbean) may still utilize open seating due to the small size of the planes and weight-and-balance requirements. Occasionally, ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs) might assign seats automatically but allow you to sit elsewhere if the flight is mostly empty, though this is technically at the discretion of the flight crew and not an official "free seating" policy. For almost all commercial travelers today, the standard experience involves a pre-assigned seat, either selected for a fee or assigned for free at the time of check-in.