Why doesn t Southwest assign seats?

Southwest Airlines has long argued that its unassigned seating policy is popular with passengers and facilitates speedier boarding. That means planes spend less time at the gate and more time in the air generating Southwest money. Over the years, the airline has tinkered with the no-system boarding system.



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Passengers are usually assigned a seat before or during check-in. However, in your case you were not assigned a seat at check-in. Probably because you did not click the “select your seat option. Or maybe because the airline still had not assigned an aircraft for your flight.

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Customers who purchase an Anytime fare will automatically be checked in to their flight 36 hours prior to scheduled departure—that's 12 hours before our traditional 24-hour check-in. You will receive an earlier boarding position, improved seat selection, and earlier access to overhead bins.

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Customers can add EarlyBird Check-In to their reservation up to 36 hours prior to a flight's scheduled departure, when it is available. Upgraded Boarding guarantees an A1-A15 boarding position and, when available, can be added to a reservation up to 30 minutes before a flight's scheduled departure.

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$49 one-way fares are available between Jacksonville and Albany, between Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood and Hartford, between Orlando and Buffalo, between West Palm Beach and Baltimore/Washington, between Tampa Bay and Islip/Long Island, and between Orlando and Philadelphia.

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If you are both on the same reservation, you will both be checked in together! Happy flying.

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The Southwest Airlines boarding process is different because they don't assign seats. However, it's not a free for all — there is a specific system that you'll need to follow to board the plane. Then once you are on board, you can choose any available seat that you want.

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It means exactly what it says - Your seat will be assigned at the gate. Usually, this happens when the flight is full, or even oversold.

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If you have a B group boarding position, the chances are good that you'll still be able to get a window or aisle seat or find 2 seats together if you're traveling with a companion. Hot Tip: If you are in the B group (or even one of the first numbers in the C group), head to the back of the plane.

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Preboarding is available for Customers with disabilities who need a specific seat to accommodate a disability, need assistance boarding the aircraft, or need to stow an assistive device.

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Who should do it? A ticket upgrade may make sense if any of the following are true: You like the idea of boarding the plane quickly so you can choose your preferred seat and are guaranteed an A1 through A15 boarding position. You want to maximize the Rapid Rewards points that you earn.

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2. On Southwest it is an open seating policy meaning you can sit in any open seat. With B1 you should have no problem getting a window or aisle at mid cabin or towards the back of the plane. B1 is not bad as there would be pre boarders, family boarders and up to 60 people (from A group) in front of you.

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No matter which airline you're flying on, don't ever pay to select a seat. By the way, you shouldn't pay baggage fees either, you can read our article about that. I personally flew on well above 100 flights where I was offered the privilege of choosing a seat for a fee, and I've never paid a single dollar for that.

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If you'd rather have money in your pocket than landing the seat of your choice, it's probably worth it to skip EarlyBird Check-In. Budget-minded group travelers. While $15 to $25 may not seem like much to pay for early boarding, it can quickly add up if you're traveling with a group.

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