Southwest Airlines·None
Southwest Seat Selection & Upgrades
Southwest Seat Selection & Upgrades — Summary
How Southwest seat selection works by fare, extra legroom options, upgrade routes, and the family seating rules that let children sit with a parent free.
Key Travel Facts & Insights
- Choosing a seat: Southwest has moved from open seating to assigned seating.
- Extra legroom: Extra legroom seats are offered in the forward cabin and at exit rows, sold as a paid upgrade..
- Upgrades: There is no premium cabin to upgrade into.
- Seating children with a parent: Southwest seats children 13 and under with an accompanying adult at no additional cost.
Choosing a seat
Southwest has moved from open seating to assigned seating. Seat selection now happens at booking, with the best seats attached to higher fare brands and Rapid Rewards tiers — a fundamental change from the boarding-position model Southwest ran for fifty years.
Extra legroom
Extra legroom seats are offered in the forward cabin and at exit rows, sold as a paid upgrade.
Upgrades
There is no premium cabin to upgrade into. Upgrades on Southwest mean a better seat location or an earlier boarding position, not a different class of service.
Seating children with a parent
Southwest seats children 13 and under with an accompanying adult at no additional cost. Family boarding remains available between boarding groups for children six and under.
Cabins available
Southwest operates: Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus, Anytime, Business Select.
Southwest seats & upgrades — common questions
Do I have to pay to choose a seat on Southwest?
Southwest has moved from open seating to assigned seating. Seat selection now happens at booking, with the best seats attached to higher fare brands and Rapid Rewards tiers — a fundamental change from the boarding-position model Southwest ran for fifty years.
Can my child sit with me on Southwest?
Southwest seats children 13 and under with an accompanying adult at no additional cost. Family boarding remains available between boarding groups for children six and under.
How do I upgrade on Southwest?
There is no premium cabin to upgrade into. Upgrades on Southwest mean a better seat location or an earlier boarding position, not a different class of service.
More Southwest help
Booking Southwest? Talk to a US travel consultant.
Fare rules, baggage allowances and change policies differ by route and fare brand. Our consultants confirm the exact terms attached to your itinerary before you pay — and handle the change or refund if plans move.