Assigned seats are now on sale at Southwest Airlines

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Southwest Airlines has officially begun selling assigned seats.

As of July 29, the airline is letting people who buy certain tickets select their seats in advance for flights beginning Jan. 27. Others will be assigned a seat at check-in. It's a long-telegraphed yet major change for an airline that long distinguished itself from its competitors by letting passengers pick any open seat once they boarded.

"Our customers want more choice and greater control over their travel experience," Tony Roach, executive vice president of customer and brand at Southwest Airlines previously said in a statement. "Assigned seating unlocks new opportunities for our customers – including the ability to select Extra Legroom seats – and removes the uncertainty of not knowing where they will sit in the cabin. This is an important step in our evolution, and we’re excited to pair these enhancements with our legendary customer service."

Since Southwest is already selling its new ticket bundles, the addition of the ability to select a seat for flights starting Jan. 27 doesn't seem to be affecting pricing.

Flights from Chicago-Midway to Orlando on Jan. 13, 2026 are available starting at $199 one-way, the same price as on Jan. 27, when assigned seating begins.

Southwest's boarding process will also change once assigned seats begin flying. Currently, Southwest passengers are assigned a boarding position based on their frequent flyer status, check-in time and whether or not they purchased a preferred boarding add-on. Once the changes are implemented, Southwest flights will board by group like most other airlines.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for Paste BN. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.