Southwest Airlines has spent 2026 dismantling the two policies that defined it for half a century: open seating is gone, and checked bags now carry a fee on most fares.
This hub tracks what the airline has actually announced in the last two months and pairs it with the reference details flyers need most, from current baggage costs and seating tiers to fleet, network and loyalty rules.
Latest Southwest Airlines updates
Last updated: 12 August 2026.
Southwest Airlines fares right now
Wego pulled cheapest return economy fares for Southwest-operated itineraries out of Denver, one of the airline’s largest bases, for a 23 to 30 September 2026 travel window.
This is a dated sample from real searches on Wego, taken on 12 August 2026, in US dollars. Fares from other departure cities will differ, and prices move constantly, so check current rates before booking.
Two caveats are worth flagging. The Los Angeles fare above lands at Long Beach rather than LAX, since no LAX-specific Southwest nonstop appeared in this result set. And at $207, Orlando has no all-nonstop round trip; the cheapest itineraries carry a single stop on one direction only, via Atlanta, Nashville, Baltimore or Norfolk depending on the day.
Southwest has historically sold almost exclusively through its own channels, so its presence on metasearch is thinner than for legacy carriers. That every route above returned a fare is a good result.
A missing Southwest fare on a searched route reflects that distribution gap rather than a missing flight. Compare against flights to Los Angeles and Chicago on Wego to see the full carrier picture.
Baggage allowance and fees: what each fare actually includes
This is the section most likely to trip up anyone who last flew Southwest before 2025. “Bags fly free” ended in May 2025, and checked bag fees rose again in April 2026.
Checked bags must be no more than 50 lb and 62 inches in total dimensions. Overweight bags run an extra $100 to $200 and oversized bags an extra $200, on top of the base fee.
One free carry-on and one free personal item are still included on every fare, including Basic.
Assigned seating and boarding: the other big change
Southwest ended open seating on 27 January 2026, after more than five decades. Every seat is now assigned in one of three categories:
- Standard, toward the rear of the cabin.
- Preferred, nearer the front.
- Extra Legroom, front rows and exit rows, with up to five additional inches of pitch, plus complimentary premium beverages and snacks on flights of 251 miles or more.
The old A/B/C boarding cards are gone too, replaced by numbered groups 1 through 8. Where you board depends on fare type, seat category, Rapid Rewards tier and credit card membership.
A-List Preferred members board ahead of Group 1, and A-List members board in Group 1 alongside Choice Extra fare holders. Families travelling on the same reservation board together, and Southwest commits to seating children aged 12 and under next to an adult when seats allow.
Fleet and aircraft
Southwest operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet of more than 800 aircraft, mixing 737-700s, 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s, and plans to become an all-MAX operator by around 2031 as the older 737-700s retire.
There is no widebody or long-haul aircraft in the fleet. Every Southwest-operated flight is short or medium haul, domestic US plus a handful of nearby international points in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
Hubs, bases and network
Southwest does not run a traditional hub-and-spoke network. It flies point to point, with the heaviest concentrations of departures at Denver, Chicago Midway, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas Love Field and Baltimore.
Dallas Love Field is a special case: gate capacity there is still constrained by the surviving terms of the Wright Amendment, decades after the law that originally restricted long-haul flying from the airport was repealed.
Because Southwest’s own metal does not reach beyond North and Central America, the airline has leaned on interline deals with Singapore Airlines, Icelandair and EVA Air to extend its international reach without adding aircraft. For how it compares to peers on safety, see Wego’s guide to the safest US airlines.
Rapid Rewards loyalty programme
Rapid Rewards is Southwest’s only loyalty programme, and one of the largest in US aviation by membership. Points are earned per dollar spent on fares, through the co-brand credit cards, via an online shopping portal and through airline and hotel partners.
Points do not expire and reward seats carry no blackout dates. A-List and A-List Preferred are the two elite tiers, unlocked by qualifying points or flights each year, and both carry priority boarding, better standby access and bonus point earning.
The Companion Pass, which lets a designated companion fly alongside a member for the cost of taxes and fees only, remains the programme’s headline perk and is the subject of the promotional offer running through November 2026 noted above.
How to contact Southwest, change or cancel a booking
Bookings are managed through a southwest.com account or the Southwest app, which is also where same-day change and same-day standby requests are made.
Southwest charges no change fee on any fare, Basic included, though a fare difference applies if the new flight costs more. Same-day change is free on Choice, Choice Preferred and Choice Extra fares, while Basic fare holders can use same-day standby instead.
A-List and A-List Preferred members get standby access even on a Basic fare. Requests must be made at least 10 minutes before the original flight’s scheduled departure. If a flight is delayed or cancelled outright, the rules on meals, rebooking and compensation are covered in Wego’s guide to US flight delay compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Southwest still offer free checked bags?
Only on Choice Extra fares, for A-List Preferred members (two bags), and for A-List members or Rapid Rewards credit cardholders (one bag). Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares carry a $45 first-bag fee and $55 second-bag fee for travel booked on or after 9 April 2026.
Does Southwest have assigned seats now?
Yes. Open seating ended on 27 January 2026. Every seat is now assigned, in Standard, Preferred or Extra Legroom categories, and boarding uses numbered groups 1 to 8 instead of the old A/B/C system.
Does Southwest fly internationally?
It flies its own aircraft to a limited set of points in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, with no long-haul or widebody service. Longer international reach comes through interline partners such as Singapore Airlines, Icelandair and EVA Air.
What is Southwest’s main hub?
Southwest has no traditional hub, since it flies point to point. Its largest bases by departures are Denver, Chicago Midway, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas Love Field and Baltimore.
Does Southwest charge a change fee?
No. Change fees were dropped across all fare types years ago and remain at zero as of this update. Only a fare difference applies if you move to a pricier flight.
Why don’t I see Southwest fares on every metasearch site?
Southwest has historically distributed mainly through its own website and app rather than global distribution systems, so third-party coverage of its fares is patchier than for legacy US carriers. If a route shows nothing, check southwest.com directly.
Sources
- Southwest Airlines (board appointments of Jason Liberty and Varun Krishna)
- Southwest Airlines Investor Relations (Companion Pass promotional offer, registration and travel windows)
- Southwest Airlines Investor Relations (second-quarter 2026 revenue, earnings and full-year guidance)
- Southwest Airlines (Amazon Web Services cloud partnership and 2028 timeline)
- Southwest Airlines Investor Relations (Singapore Airlines interline partnership and shared gateways)
- Southwest Airlines (assigned seating categories, boarding groups and family seating)
- Upgraded Points (9 April 2026 checked bag fee increase to $45 and $55)
- Wego flight search (cheapest return economy fares from Denver, sampled 12 August 2026)
Fares in this article are a dated sample from Wego and may have changed since 12 August 2026. Always check current prices and booking conditions on Wego or southwest.com before travelling.
