Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[Tink3815]

Update
Contacted Southwest and points bought and transfered are now taking the 72 hours. They do not know if it is due to updates being done to system or if this is the new normal.

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

Since I was wondering about this before, I wanted to share in case it helps someone else.

I booked a Choice Extra flight using points and was able to book the same seat category for my companion.

I’m really glad that Southwest didn’t make the companion seat anything other than what the purchased seat is. (Like how before buying business select didn’t extend to the companion).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Since I was wondering about this before, I wanted to share in case it helps someone else.

I booked a Choice Extra flight using points and was able to book the same seat category for my companion.

I’m really glad that Southwest didn’t make the companion seat anything other than what the purchased seat is. (Like how before buying business select didn’t extend to the companion).

Do you have status (A-list or A-list Preferred)?

Do you have a CC?

Just trying to figure out if your particular case is not due to the fare class purchased but instead due to either status or a CC.

Also we'll need to keep an eye out on the Boarding Group the Companion gets because once assigned seating happens it no longer (at least according to SWA) will be an extended perk like right now you'll get sequential boarding groups, once assigned seating happens it goes more based on what the Companion's situation is or at least that's what SWA says

"For Companion Pass holders and Companions, boarding group will be assigned based on their seat location or Credit Cardmember/Tier boarding benefit, whichever is higher. Companion Pass holders and their Companions will both be eligible for the most favorable seat options conferred by their individual Tier status, Credit Cardmember status, or fare. Sequential boarding is not guaranteed. We’ll share more information about boarding and airport experience as flights with assigned seating start to take off on January 27, 2026."

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

Do you have status (A-list or A-list Preferred)?

Do you have a CC?

Just trying to figure out if your particular case is not due to the fare class purchased but instead due to either status or a CC.

Also we'll need to keep an eye out on the Boarding Group the Companion gets because once assigned seating happens it no longer (at least according to SWA) will be an extended perk like right now you'll get sequential boarding groups, once assigned seating happens it goes more based on what the Companion's situation is or at least that's what SWA says

"For Companion Pass holders and Companions, boarding group will be assigned based on their seat location or Credit Cardmember/Tier boarding benefit, whichever is higher. Companion Pass holders and their Companions will both be eligible for the most favorable seat options conferred by their individual Tier status, Credit Cardmember status, or fare. Sequential boarding is not guaranteed. We’ll share more information about boarding and airport experience as flights with assigned seating start to take off on January 27, 2026."

I do have status and the credit card.

Honestly, boarding numbers don’t matter as much to me just as long as we are able to sit together. Knowing we have assigned seats next to one another and I’m not trying to upgrade her at the 24 hour mark or trying to save a seat for her or us switching positions so she is on the plane first is a huge relief. It makes Southwest much more appealing. We had pretty much stopped flying with them because I hated the whole process so much.

*I should add that my companion is my minor daughter. As she’s gotten older, it’s gotten easier, but there was zero chance that I was going to leave a 10 year old at the gate with a B40 boarding position while I boarded at A2 or whatever.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I do have status and the credit card.

Honestly, boarding numbers don’t matter as much to me just as long as we are able to sit together. Knowing we have assigned seats next to one another and I’m not trying to upgrade her at the 24 hour mark or trying to save a seat for her or us switching positions so she is on the plane first is a huge relief. It makes Southwest much more appealing. We had pretty much stopped flying with them because I hated the whole process so much.

*I should add that my companion is my minor daughter. As she’s gotten older, it’s gotten easier, but there was zero chance that I was going to leave a 10 year old at the gate with a B40 boarding position while I boarded at A2 or whatever.

I was thinking about overhead bin space. A Choice Extra would be Boarding Group 1 or 2.

Our flight we just did this past Sunday back home we Boarded at A21 and A22 with just a few people pre-boarded and all of those seats up at the front of the plane, which we were on a plane that had been converted to extra legroom, overhead bin space was completely gone. My husband was able to store his above his seat but mine had to go across the aisle and one row back. ETA: and actually a person had to not sit in our row because there was no overhead bin space available for them, we had left the window seat open for them but no bin space leaving that seat empty towards the front of the plane (I then moved to the window seat after boarding had completed).

As far as Boarding the existing way until about 10 days from now you were NEVER required to leave your daughter at the Boarding gate. You were ALWAYS allowed to board with her, you would however, using your example Board at B40 position. You could have also paid for EBCI for the Companion and Boarded with her. Flying SWA never meant you had to leave your minor alone.

Now with the new Boarding process I would anticipate they maintain that so let's say for example's sake you got Boarding Group 1 and she got Boarding Group 2 you'd assume they would allow you to Board in Boarding Group 2 with her. The tricky thing with the wording on SWA is right now they are not guaranteeing Companions board together once January 26th arrives which puts you in the same position as you were before when you stopped flying SWA. It's actually worse now with a Companion with assigned seating with SWA compared to before. Outside of the Business Select like you mentioned and after they adjusted the rules sequential boarding rules with status so she would board right next to you, now with assigned seating that is not guaranteed.

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

Sorry, I don’t mean to clog up the thread with my personal situation and preferences.

Just want to offer a data point -

*Status Southwest
*Credit card holder
*2026 Companion pass earned from annual 2025 credit card requirements

Booked choice extra seat - front of plane, extra leg room seat

Companion was able to select seat in same row with no hassles or extra fees (so companion is also front of plane, extra leg room)

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Sorry, I don’t mean to clog up the thread with my personal situation and preferences.

Just want to offer a data point -

*Status Southwest
*Credit card holder
*2026 Companion pass earned from annual 2025 credit card requirements

Booked choice extra seat - front of plane, extra leg room seat

Companion was able to select seat in same row with no hassles or extra fees (so companion is also front of plane, extra leg room)

I know you weren't but your information will actually be pretty important to know for the future because no one knows how boarding will go because SWA hasn't disclosed how any of this will actually work (not just the Companion part). We know how the algorithm works now (between fare class and status), we don't know what it will be like with assigned seating (between fare class, status and cc holders).

The only reason I added my other comments was to clarify especially since you said you stayed away from SWA for reasons that were not part of SWA's policy. Now however, you may have a "be careful what you wish for" type situation because of how SWA's policies will be (I'd love to get the same Boarding group as my husband since I am his Companion this year but I don't know how it will work because I have neither a credit card nor status).

With so many people having CCs, with so many people having status I don't even know how Boarding Group 1 will look like.

 

[Threehearts]

I always fly from DCA to Boston on Southwest. When I was looking last month for this month, it would have been $600. Delta got me there for $249 RT.

Serious question- does anyone know what is truly going on with SW? Why are their prices so much higher than most all other airlines for the same trip? Will it ever improve?

 

[focusondisney]

With so many people having CCs, with so many people having status I don't even know how Boarding Group 1 will look like.

Actually most of the boarding process has been explained. It really will depend on your seat assignment. Credit card holders don’t get boarding group 1 or 2, unless they book a seat that gets that benefit. The CC only guarantees boarding group 5.
A list members get assigned a boarding group based on their seat. A list Preferred get boarding group 1-5. Edit to add..I think the biggest question is the 8 people traveling with A list preferred getting group 1-5. I don’t know how often A Preferred members are traveling with that many people tho. But it seems pretty much everyone else gets a group based on their seats.



There is information on the companion pass booking too. The companion will get the same benefits as the paying passenger gets, so if an Extra Leg room set is booked by the paying passenger, the Companion will get that seat & Boarding Group 1 as well.





There is something called Priority Boarding that will be available for purchase & gets boarding before group 1. I haven’t seen how much that will cost or if there is a limit on how many will be available per flight.

Sorry, I don’t mean to clog up the thread with my personal situation and preferences.

Just want to offer a data point -

*Status Southwest
*Credit card holder
*2026 Companion pass earned from annual 2025 credit card requirements

Booked choice extra seat - front of plane, extra leg room seat

Companion was able to select seat in same row with no hassles or extra fees (so companion is also front of plane, extra leg room)

Thanks for the info! I hope to earn CP soon & hadn’t looked into how it would work. Reading your post motivated me to dig around the website & get all this info.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Actually most of the boarding process has been explained. It really will depend on your seat assignment. Credit card holders don’t get boarding group 1 or 2, unless they book a seat that gets that benefit. The CC only guarantees boarding group 5.
A list members get assigned a boarding group based on their seat. A list Preferred get boarding group 1-5.

View attachment 1039388

There is information on the companion pass booking too. The companion will get the same benefits as the paying passenger gets, so if an Extra Leg room set is booked by the paying passenger, the Companion will get that seat & Boarding Group 1 as well.

View attachment 1039392



There is something called Priority Boarding that will be available for purchase & gets boarding before group 1. I haven’t seen how much that will cost or if there is a limit on how many will be available per flight.

View attachment 1039390




Thanks for the info! I hope to earn CP soon & hadn’t looked into how it would work. Reading your post motivated me to dig around the website & get all this info.

I was meaning because there isn't one boarding group applicable to each category, there is a range. So what trumps what when multiple things count. In the first two Boarding Groups alone you have 4 different types of things that qualify (Choice Extra, Extra Legroom outright purchased, Extra Legroom upgraded within 48 hours for A-list and then A-list Preferred). And boarding benefits doesn't mean same boarding group.

Will SWA have passenger caps for each Group like they operate now with calling groups of each boarding group (A1-A15 or A1-30 then A31-60, etc), is that why there is a range.

We knew about Priority Boarding and it's hands down the only thing thus far that SWA has said gets you Boarding Group 1. It's the other stuff, you know how the old terms the order was was A-list Preferred, then A-list, then Anytime Fare, then WGA+ then WGA with EBCI bumping people up respective to their fare classes of WGA+ and WGA once Anytime Fare got it included.

The range explained on their website is exactly what I was meaning we don't have the knowledge of because it's a combination based on your status, fare class and CC. Never mind that we don't know yet if SWA is looking at time and date of when your ticket was purchased (like they do now to assign boarding position for the certain ones that that is important).



The verbiage they list on their website for Companions is below, I don't know how to interpret sequential boarding isn't guaranteed when they specify for flights before January 26th are sequential boarding is guaranteed other than to say that means there is a possibility (however small) that one could be given boarding group 1 and the other 2 (as an example). The "conferred by their individual Tier status, Credit Cardmember status or fare" I'm picking up as well.


The more very specific information people give the thread once the date goes by the more we can try and figure out how it's working because there more stuff that matters now.

 

[focusondisney]

Choice Extra, Extra Legroom outright purchased, Extra Legroom upgraded within 48 hours for A-list and then A-list Preferred).

These things all just boil down to extra leg room seats. I checked the seating chart on the flights from our city, I think there are 66 extra legroom seats. I don’t think it will matter much if you get group 1 or 2. Those people will have plenty of overhead bin space. And no need to scramble on for a better seat. On JetBlue, people who paid for the extra legroom seats get the first boarding group. People who booked a basic seat & just got assigned an extra legroom seat get assigned the last boarding group. Possibly people who paid for the seat get group 1, complimentary upgrades get 2? Randomly assigned without booking seat selection might get last group.

The sequential boarding could be a cover your butt kind of thing. With the current system, there have been comments from people on the same reservation getting split up as far as their boarding numbers. This could just be a reminder that it could happen, not that it will happen.

Only another 11 days til we get some live reports.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Only another 11 days til we get some live reports.

We are flying to Orlando on February 1st. I have the SW RR credit card. We booked Choice tickets and I upgraded our seats to the 11th row for a small upgrade cost - $9 for the middle seat and $11 for the aisle.

I'll let you know how it goes. I'm curious about the boarding groups and how it will work for people with seats in the front of the plane.

 

[eticketplease]

It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out over the next couple of years. With the AF on that card going up so high, I wonder how many folks are actually going to keep it. The 48 hours might be much more competitive in the beginning of 2026 and then trail off as folks don't want to pay the renewal.

I’m keeping the priority as it gives the preferred seats at booking on any fare class with the ability to get extra legroom seats at 48 hours.

 

[focusondisney]

I do think the seat upgrades at 48 hours will be the wild card. It might work well for a single traveler or maybe a small group, especially if they don’t mind being split up. But will groups that selected seats together want to split up & take middle seats in extra legroom? And how quick will you have to be to grab those seats? That’s the aspect I’m interested to see.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I do think the seat upgrades at 48 hours will be the wild card. It might work well for a single traveler or maybe a small group, especially if they don’t mind being split up. But will groups that selected seats together want to split up & take middle seats in extra legroom? And how quick will you have to be to grab those seats? That’s the aspect I’m interested to see.

Me too especially because my husband almost always flies from a few days to a few weeks ahead. Just right now he's still waiting on to see if he'll fly out on the 26th and come back the 27th....which would be an interesting way of having 1 flight be the old way and 1 flight be the new way. It would be rare to fly under 48 hours but it's more looking at what availability is there when your flight is always fairly close to when you book, that would mean less upgrades would even be available.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

OK, am I being ridiculous?

Here's the language regarding companions:
You can now select an available seat for your designated Companion on flights with assigned seating.
Tier Member seating and checked bag benefits will extend to both you and your Companion.

And here's the language from the Priority credit card benefit:
When available, primary Cardmembers with a Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or a Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card will be able to upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to flight departure for themselves and up to 8 additional Passengers on the same reservation, allowing for a total of 9 Extra Legroom seats. If the Cardmember is removed from the reservation and there is no primary Cardmember or tier Rapid Rewards® Member with the same or greater seating benefits, all seating selections for that reservation will be released and seats will be assigned in accordance with the fare rules of the ticket purchased. Benefits may not apply on itineraries booked with partner airlines. Cardmembers should allow up to 14 days for card status to be updated in their Rapid Rewards accounts to be eligible for this benefit. Authorized users of Rapid Rewards Credit Cards and employee cards of Rapid Rewards Business Credit Cards are not eligible for this benefit. Credit card account must be open and not in default at or before the time of travel, otherwise seat selection will be released. Chase is not responsible for the provision of or failure to provide the stated benefits and services.

The companion language specifically states that Tier member seating and checked bag benefits extend. It does NOT indicate that credit card benefits extend. Then, in the credit card section, companions are not listed at all. The benefit extends to passengers on the same reservation, but we know that companions are technically on their own reservation.

So, are we going to be able to upgrade companions at 48 hours? Or are they excluded from that benefit?

 

[eticketplease]

OK, am I being ridiculous?

Here's the language regarding companions:
You can now select an available seat for your designated Companion on flights with assigned seating.
Tier Member seating and checked bag benefits will extend to both you and your Companion.

And here's the language from the Priority credit card benefit:
When available, primary Cardmembers with a Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or a Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card will be able to upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to flight departure for themselves and up to 8 additional Passengers on the same reservation, allowing for a total of 9 Extra Legroom seats. If the Cardmember is removed from the reservation and there is no primary Cardmember or tier Rapid Rewards® Member with the same or greater seating benefits, all seating selections for that reservation will be released and seats will be assigned in accordance with the fare rules of the ticket purchased. Benefits may not apply on itineraries booked with partner airlines. Cardmembers should allow up to 14 days for card status to be updated in their Rapid Rewards accounts to be eligible for this benefit. Authorized users of Rapid Rewards Credit Cards and employee cards of Rapid Rewards Business Credit Cards are not eligible for this benefit. Credit card account must be open and not in default at or before the time of travel, otherwise seat selection will be released. Chase is not responsible for the provision of or failure to provide the stated benefits and services.

The companion language specifically states that Tier member seating and checked bag benefits extend. It does NOT indicate that credit card benefits extend. Then, in the credit card section, companions are not listed at all. The benefit extends to passengers on the same reservation, but we know that companions are technically on their own reservation.

So, are we going to be able to upgrade companions at 48 hours? Or are they excluded from that benefit?

Very good points hopefully it will extend to them like the baggage

 

[focusondisney]

OK, am I being ridiculous?

Here's the language regarding companions:
You can now select an available seat for your designated Companion on flights with assigned seating.
Tier Member seating and checked bag benefits will extend to both you and your Companion.

And here's the language from the Priority credit card benefit:
When available, primary Cardmembers with a Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or a Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card will be able to upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to flight departure for themselves and up to 8 additional Passengers on the same reservation, allowing for a total of 9 Extra Legroom seats. If the Cardmember is removed from the reservation and there is no primary Cardmember or tier Rapid Rewards® Member with the same or greater seating benefits, all seating selections for that reservation will be released and seats will be assigned in accordance with the fare rules of the ticket purchased. Benefits may not apply on itineraries booked with partner airlines. Cardmembers should allow up to 14 days for card status to be updated in their Rapid Rewards accounts to be eligible for this benefit. Authorized users of Rapid Rewards Credit Cards and employee cards of Rapid Rewards Business Credit Cards are not eligible for this benefit. Credit card account must be open and not in default at or before the time of travel, otherwise seat selection will be released. Chase is not responsible for the provision of or failure to provide the stated benefits and services.

The companion language specifically states that Tier member seating and checked bag benefits extend. It does NOT indicate that credit card benefits extend. Then, in the credit card section, companions are not listed at all. The benefit extends to passengers on the same reservation, but we know that companions are technically on their own reservation.

So, are we going to be able to upgrade companions at 48 hours? Or are they excluded from that benefit?

The CC language says it applies to up to 8 people on the same itinerary as the card holder. Wouldn’t that cover the companion?