Southwest announced a start date for assigned seating, but these credit cards still let you choose
Along with this shift in Southwest's seating arrangements, the airline is also switching up how it boards its planes. To help complement these changes, Southwest credit cards got some adjustments, and all of the cards offer some form of elevated seat selection and faster boarding.
With Southwest finally switching to assigned seating, there are still several ways you can qualify to pick your own spot.
Owning a Southwest credit card will allow you to pick your seat, regardless of the fare you bought, with more premium cards including preferred and extra legroom choices. Plus, you and up to eight other passengers on the same reservation can check their first bag for free. In addition, if you hold either the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees) or Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (see rates and fees), you can qualify for unlimited upgrades to extra legroom seats (when available) within 48 hours of departure, for no additional cost.
On Chase's site
On Chase's site
Good to Excellent670–850
19.99% - 28.49% variable
$229
Earn 100,000 points.
See rates and fees. Terms apply. Member FDIC.
Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card review.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is a perfect fit for serious Southwest fans who can easily maximize its benefits like upgraded boardings and an annual travel credit.On Chase's site
On Chase's site
Every account anniversary year you'll receive a 9,000-point bonus.
Good to Excellent670–850
19.99% - 28.49% variable
$299
Earn 80,000 points
See rates and fees. Terms apply. Member FDIC.
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is Southwest's most premium business credit card and can be incredibly rewarding for frequent flyers, especially those chasing the Southwest Companion Pass or other Southwest elite status.Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Here are the seating options:
While three out of the four fare options allow you to select your own seat, the "basic" option, which is the lowest-costing, does not; with this, your seat will be automatically assigned at check-in.
It's also worth noting that anyone with Southwest tier benefits, A-List or A-List Preferred, will also gain access to seating benefits. At a minimum, you'll be able to select a preferred seat at booking. A-List members may qualify for an extra legroom seat (if available), and A-List Preferred will have extra legroom seats available at booking.
Open seating is just the newest Southwest policy to be removed, the airline having done away with its "Bags Fly Free" policy in May of 2025 which had allowed up to two free checked bags.
Southwest Airlines is also making some changes to the physical seats in its airplanes, introducing new Extra Legroom seats. These will serve as a more premium option and come with earlier access to bin space, enhanced snacks and complimentary premium beverages
Along with Southwest's new seating policies, the airline will also be changing how it boards travelers. Gone are the three groups of A, B and C, and the scramble to get a good spot in line. This system will be replaced by numbered groups, one through eight, and your group is determined by your seat type, rewards status and more.
If you have a co-branded Southwest credit card, the latest group that you could be boarding in would be group five, but you could also qualify for an earlier group depending on your status. A-List members will board with group five or earlier, while A-List Preferred members will board in the first two groups.
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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
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