As of January 27, 2026, Southwest Airlines no longer has an open seating policy. Here's how Southwest now boards its aircraft and why it chose to go this route.

"Is this now the new frontier airlines???" said one Southwest flyer on X.

The Dallas, Texas-based carrier transitioned from its longtime open seating system in keeping with competitors like American, ...

Southwest will also begin a new group-based boarding system starting on Jan 27. The new boarding process will prioritize ...

The introduction of assigned seating comes with other changes such as the addition of premium seating options and a new ...

Some customers have dubbed the Southwest Airlines policy "garbage," while others were more impressed with the shift.

American Airlines continues to tweak its boarding process with a goal of making getting on the plane more efficient – and less likely for passengers to have to gate check their carry-on bags. Starting ...

American Airlines first-class and business-class passengers will now get even more of a head start when boarding. And, beginning in May, passengers on certain flights may need to get to the airport a ...

A former Senior Publishing Editor on the Dow Jones Newswires team at The Wall Street Journal, Aaron earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and a Master's in Journalism ...

Southwest Airlines is making huge changes to its business model next year, starting with a brand-new boarding process rolling out in late January. Now, we have a better idea of what that boarding ...

The next time you step onto a Frontier Airlines plane, you might notice a major change to the boarding process. The low-cost carrier is adding new boarding groups in a change that it says will make ...