Why doesn t Southwest let me pick my seat?

At Southwest, we let you sit where you like. We don't assign seats on our flights, so feel free to sit in any available seat once you board the plane. We have a quick, easy, and efficient boarding process. Look at your boarding pass to find your assigned boarding group (A, B, or C) and boarding position (1 - 60).



People Also Ask

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.

MORE DETAILS

As far as determining who gets to pick their seats in which order, here's how it works: A Southwest boarding group (either A, B, or C) and position (1-60) will be assigned to you at check-in and it'll be printed on your boarding pass. Group A boards first, then group B, and afterwards group C.

MORE DETAILS

Purchase a Business Select fare or upgrade to Business Select: Customers who purchase a Business Select fare will get guaranteed A1-A15 boarding. If a Customer did not originally purchase a Business Select fare but wants guaranteed A1-A15 boarding, they can upgrade their flight to Business Select.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Southwest allows preboarding only for customers who 1) need a specific seat on the plane, or 2) need assistance boarding the plane. If you find that having a specific seat helps with your anxiety, that would be a way for you to preboard.

MORE DETAILS

A-List and A-List Preferred members receive priority boarding for everyone booked on the same reservation as boarding positions get assigned to elite Rapid Rewards members 36 hours before departure — so you don't have to purchase EarlyBird Check-In separately.

MORE DETAILS

You're more likely to be caught if you try to board with the first group or two. Unless the gate agent is a real jerk, or you are, the worst that can happen is that you'll be told to wait for your own group.

MORE DETAILS

Usually, airlines decide to bump those on an overbooked flight who have fewer privileges such as lower-fare tickets and late bookings. People who booked earlier or paid more for their ticket will usually get to stay on board. Another deciding factor is the type of ticket that was purchased.

MORE DETAILS

There are a few reasons why an airline might assign seats at the gate. One reason is that they may not know the exact number of passengers who will be on the flight until the day of the flight. Another reason is that they may want to keep some seats open for passengers who are willing to pay a higher fare.

MORE DETAILS

Seat designation On many aircraft, the rightmost seats have letter designations HJK, skipping the letter I. This is because each seat has a row number followed by letter; letters that may be confused with numbers (I, O, Q, S, or Z) must be avoided, usually for people with dyslexia.

MORE DETAILS

Re: Saving Seats Unfortunately, there's no policy to enforce. Officially, Southwest has no policy for or against seat saving, and in practice actively allows it. Reps will even suggest that passengers save seats for later boarding companions.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Up to two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. There should be enough open seats to enable the child to sit next to at least one accompanying adult.

MORE DETAILS