(NewsNation) — Tickets for Southwest Airlines’ first assigned seats recently went on sale, and how much you pay will vary.
The airline phased out its open-seating policy after more than 50 years.
The price all depends on where you sit, the route and where you are traveling. Like other airlines, selecting preferred seats can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a family vacation.
For example, a roundtrip ticket in the “Choice” ticket class, which is the second cheapest ticket type Southwest offers, was $325 between Denver International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport on the airline’s website. For seats Southwest says are “preferred,” the cost is $36 for a window or aisle seat in rows 7 to 13, and $33 if a middle seat is chosen.
An extra legroom seat in the first six rows costs $71 for a window or aisle seat, and $65 for a middle seat. For the return flight, preferred seats were $31 for window and aisle seats and $28 for middle seats for rows 7 to 13. The first six rows for extra legroom were $66 for window and aisle seats, and $60 for middle seats.
Those with frequent-flyer status on the airline or with Southwest Airlines credit cards will be exempt from some of the fees.
Assigned seats will launch on Jan. 27, 2026.
