Southwest Airways is ditching simplicity and shortly changing into like different airways. The provider simply introduced the introduction of rebranded fare lessons to go together with its new most popular seating choices. For many flyers, these modifications imply that you simply’ll quickly need to pay extra if you wish to select your personal seat, a departure from the airline’s open seating coverage.
Nevertheless it additionally added new advantages for Southwest cardholders and Fast Reward elites, defending its most loyal flyers from a few of the detrimental impacts of those shifts.
These new fare lessons and loyalty advantages, introduced April 28, 2025, are half of a bigger model overhaul. Earlier, the airline shared plans to get rid of free checked baggage and introduce dynamic award pricing.
Whereas an actual date was not offered for the launch of the brand new fare lessons, the airline mentioned the modifications will take impact as soon as assigned seating turns into obtainable for reserving within the third quarter of 2025.
Rebranded fare lessons include new seat choices — for some
Southwest is changing its uniform cabin structure and all-economy seating chart with most popular seating, which you’ll be able to e book with its rebranded higher-tier fare lessons. The brand new seat choices embrace:
Normal seats with normal legroom situated close to the again of the airplane.
Most well-liked seats with normal legroom situated between the center and entrance of the airplane.
Further legroom seats with 5 additional inches of seat pitch situated close to the entrance of the airplane and in exit rows.
(Picture courtesy of Southwest Airways)
Southwest beforehand launched the Primary fare class, which changed Wanna Get Away fares. Now, the remaining fare lessons are being rebranded, too. Right here’s a have a look at how they evaluate to the previous choices, and which sort of seat every fare will get you:
Alternative fares will substitute Wanna Get Away Plus and lets passengers e book a typical seat at reserving.
Alternative Most well-liked fares will substitute Anytime and lets passengers e book a most popular or normal seat at reserving.
Alternative Further fares will substitute Enterprise Choose and lets passengers e book an additional legroom, most popular or normal seat at reserving.
For many flyers, the brand new seating and fare choices aren’t nice information. Normal seats on the provider’s bigger plane will now have a seat pitch of simply 31 inches, as a substitute of 32 inches. (Seat pitch refers back to the distance between an airplane seat and the seat in entrance of it.)
Should you’re reserving a Primary fare and haven’t got elite standing or a Southwest card, you will not obtain a seat choice till check-in. Regardless that you is likely to be paying about the identical fares as earlier than, you can get caught with a center seat and no overhead bin house. Nonetheless, in contrast to the essential economic system fares from different airways, Southwest Primary nonetheless permits free private and carry-on objects.
Aside from seat choice, the advantages that include the brand new fare lessons stay unchanged. It’s unclear whether or not you’ll be able to pay to improve to a most popular or additional legroom seat whenever you e book a lower-class fare. NerdWallet requested clarification from Southwest however has not but obtained a response.
(Picture courtesy of Southwest Airways)
Elites and cardholders get seat choice and bag perks
For many Southwest passengers, these latest modifications are detrimental. However as a result of the airline additionally added some new perks, elites within the Southwest Fast Rewards program and Southwest cardholders will not be as closely impacted.
New elite advantages
Elites will see the next new advantages:
A-Listing members will obtain one free checked bag and entry to most popular seats at reserving. They’ll additionally improve to an additional legroom seat (if obtainable) 48 hours previous to departure.
A-Listing Most well-liked elites will obtain two free checked baggage and entry to additional legroom and most popular seats at reserving, along with free in-flight web.
These perks apply to the elite member and as much as eight extra passengers touring on the identical reservation.
(Picture courtesy of Southwest Airways)
New cardmember advantages
With these modifications, Southwest cardholders additionally come out forward. Beginning Could 28, 2025, all Southwest cardholders will get one free checked bag, precedence boarding and a brand new most popular seating profit as soon as the airline transitions away from open seating.
These perks apply to the first cardmember and as much as eight extra passengers touring on the identical reservation.
Of those playing cards, the Southwest Fast Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card now presents frequent Southwest vacationers the most effective worth. Its $149 annual payment is larger than different Southwest shopper playing cards, but it surely comes with an annual $75 Southwest journey credit score and seven,500 Fast Rewards factors whereas now permitting holders to entry precedence seating, even on the bottom fare lessons.
Southwest Fast Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card
Charges & Charges
Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Credit score Card
Southwest Fast Rewards® Plus Credit score Card
Charges & Charges
Earn charges
• 3 factors per $1 on Southwest purchases.
• 2 factors per $1 on Fast Rewards lodge and automotive rental accomplice purchases, on native transit and commuting (together with rideshare) and on web, cable, cellphone providers and choose streaming.
• 1 level per $1 on all different purchases.
• 3 factors per $1 on Southwest purchases.
• 2 factors per $1 on Fast Rewards lodge and automotive rental accomplice purchases, on native transit and commuting (together with rideshare, and on web, cable, cellphone providers and choose streaming.
• 1 level per $1 on all different purchases.
• 2 factors per $1 on Southwest purchases.
• 2 factors per $1 on Fast Rewards lodge and automotive rental accomplice purchases, native transit and commuting (together with rideshare), and on web, cable, cellphone providers and choose streaming.
• 1 level per $1 on all different purchases.
Welcome provide
Earn 50,000 bonus factors after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 50,000 bonus factors after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 50,000 bonus factors after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Southwest’s farewell to simplicity
Simplicity was the cornerstone of the “previous” Southwest. You booked a ticket, checked in 24 hours earlier than your flight and received to pick out no matter seat you needed. However in a push for profitability, Southwest has copied different airways by introducing fundamental economic system and bundled fares. In doing so, the airline has ditched what made it value flying whereas reworking into simply one other strategy to get between two locations.
However loyalty can nonetheless allow you to keep away from the worst of the modifications. Just like different airways, having elite standing or holding a Southwest bank card is now the best strategy to get free seat assignments and a free checked bag. These advantages apply to as much as eight passengers on a reservation made by the elite member or major cardholder.
The data associated to Southwest Fast Rewards® Plus Enterprise Credit score Card and Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Credit score Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or offered by the issuer of this card.
