My Secrets to Getting the Best Seats on Southwest

[{"selector":"#anim-417c13d2-f7d7-4a86-acfd-16808404566b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-88c9f0f9-d2ba-4616-a2e8-faedb99f72e5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2a3c5050-079a-48e7-a4f5-2f02d7b7c65c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-93f460e9-d59d-4b6d-9bb7-d08cfefc68b3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Southwest Airlines is loved or hated. Few choose the middle ground, and no one wants that seat! Listen to how to choose a Southwest Airlines seat. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-d008e105-dc9f-42f4-8ba4-d36450d8dc4d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8a29f817-54bd-4ced-9160-2c6186e6c3c5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f5695714-ecc9-4002-90b4-c293f5325a56","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4dfd4509-c86c-4e46-974a-63d02ba17193","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Some won't fly Southwest owing to their odd open-seat boarding process. It can be difficult and requires Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-10476d18-1ca2-4086-ab5e-3d3159ba242b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e3bebc97-0b32-4f6d-9867-3d286b433049","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-90724165-e03e-456e-90bf-3cc97508f783","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-05122183-dbc3-48a6-9083-12e7dd56be66","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] a lot of work to acquire a nice Southwest seat. A good seat implies different things to different people. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-bfc98f77-6456-4488-a4bb-5ba758a767f0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e8960969-8aee-4197-8250-997f7dc96d5e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b3481b37-89eb-49f7-976b-0802abcd99a7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cbdb0808-6573-4652-987c-2706e226b780","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Southwest allows open seating. Instead of seats, customers are assigned a boarding group, A, B, or C, and a boarding position, 1-60. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-af3a3df3-eb83-44fa-afbd-c97fede5b76c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fcf3da6d-bb48-4d95-bfcd-20b4c4d160d2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43989ef6-831a-4b0e-ad34-72fb43b489db","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d47cd560-acb9-40b8-91e8-22ca672715ce","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Your boarding group and location decide when you board the plane and how many seats you can choose from. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-118be42f-eb25-441d-a829-52ef0c9948e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-90b65cad-1769-4b54-be18-1f0f635465cf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c0f53673-bd3a-46c1-bec3-4f0dbe7708c1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-71a1412f-f878-44ee-bb2e-e14809ebf927","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] It was once completely free. Airlines distributed placards with one of the three letters. People camped out under a letter hours before a flight Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-6d18904d-c6a4-4782-89bd-a10064fc6f28","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b20e2852-4050-453a-b5b0-63027c1f2fd3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-07109392-74ff-4cb8-92c5-f5a6f634d586","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-daf02345-d991-43c7-8740-43b21309d463","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] In the mid-2000s, Southwest expanded boarding positions because this looked bad. Now that the lines have numbers Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-f62ada9a-89c8-42d8-8981-4fcc1cf2cc75","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7487e37b-5b5c-4668-b7d9-0812ae05c702","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6db2daca-b813-47c3-be1e-b5132933eb98","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e2eefc03-9c33-4476-b76a-3e62d32ec63c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Unless you wish to sit near the bulkhead or an exit row aisle or window, you should board in the first half of a full flight to obtain a good seat. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-d7838938-61a1-4e79-9310-ecec4092d888","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51730ffd-1113-4e2a-88ca-cc1e7ab252fd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-946c971a-b962-45ad-961b-b0d9702f9070","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4fe210fa-f2c2-4dcb-8e61-2001253330ec","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] With all this seating debate, which seats are good? Nearly all airline seats are alike. Except for exit rows, there's no more legroom Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-0ac7607e-5225-4634-916a-dbc8f19defa6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b2f7e56c-2af8-495f-b90a-f10f214bac50","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51ddc821-b1d9-41cc-aaa5-1d13b2cbd9ba","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9a9138b1-36e2-4abf-8991-63ca5fa40561","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Personal needs determine Southwest's best seat. Connecting flight passengers may want to sit in the front to exit quickly Learn More Arrow

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