The Best Seats on Southwest Airlines!

Southwest Airlines is considered one of the most favorite airlines in the United States. The airline is also the most family-friendly, and almost all travelers prefer Southwest to travel to any destination over others. The airline offers exceptional services to travelers that other airlines can’t even match. It includes two checked bags for each passenger, and that too without any additional cost. 

However, it’s still an important point to learn how to grab the best seats on Southwest Airlines as it will save you from in-flight discomfort, and you can get what you expect. Southwest Airlines offers a unique boarding process in which they do not assign seats to travelers. Its the Southwest open seating policy in which passengers can sit on any open seat inside the cabin. This read will help you understand every aspect of this so that you don’t have to regret not choosing the seat later. 

Is Southwest Really Worth It?

Flying with Southwest Airlines is really worth spending every single penny in it. We are not saying this on any influence or something, but there are various reasons why the airline appears as a better option in front of travelers as compared to other airlines in the same category. It includes:

• 2 Checked bags for free
• No change or cancellation fee
• In-flight entertainment without any charge
• Companion Pass of Southwest Airlines
• Airline flies to many great destinations

These are some of the reasons why the airline is the most loved one, and these reasons are enough to grab the passenger’s favorite airline’s title. 

Understanding the Southwest Airlines Boarding!

You can expect Southwest Airlines boarding 30 minutes prior to the scheduled flight departure. However, unlike any other airline, Southwest Airlines allows passengers to choose their seats according to them, and they can sit anywhere on the flight if the seat is open. 

But, to make things sorted, the airline allows them to get the seat on a first-come, first-served rule. However, you have to follow the airline’s basic guidelines. 

To understand this more clearly, Southwest Airlines follows the below boarding order:

• Preboarding flyers or anyone who needs any specific seat for passengers with any disability can preboard the flight ahead of anyone else. 
• Passengers in the boarding group A, B, or C with boarding numbers 1 to 60 can board the flight and choose any open seat. 

Essential Factors for Boarding Position!

However, there are many factors on which the airline decides the boarding position of a passenger, such as check-in time, ticket type, elite status, pre-boarding, and much more. Check all the responsible factors to make everything clear in your mind:

• Preboarding: Any travelers having any kind of disability, any active-duty military member, or their families traveling with children of age six and under will be eligible to board the Southwest Airlines flight between groups A and B if in case they don’t receive an A boarding pass. 

• Check-in Time: Southwest Airlines usually starts the check-in process 24 hours before the scheduled flight departure time. This factor is very important as early birds will get additional benefits as the airline follows a first-come, first-served policy. 

• Upgraded Boarding: The airline also offers an upgraded boarding facility to the traveler, which usually starts 24 hours prior to the scheduled flight departure. So, if there will be any availability, you might get an A1 to A15 boarding pass. There are a few Southwest credit cards that offer free upgraded boarding passes as well. 

• Elite Status: No matter what your boarding position with Southwest, if you have an A-List or A-List Preferred status, then you don’t have to wait for Group B to board, and you can board the flight before them. 

• Early Bird Check-in: Southwest Airlines allows passengers to buy Early Bird Check-in so that passengers can be able to check-in 36 hours prior to the flight departure. This will help you get the best boarding position on the plane ahead of everyone else. However, if you are holding a few selecting Southwest Credit Cards, you’ll be able to do it free of cost. 

Check a few points to know everything about it: 

• Passengers can easily board between Groups A and B if they don’t have preboarding. 
• In this case, you can directly connect with the guest care staff before boarding begins. 

Southwest Seat Configurations!

Southwest allows passengers to select any of their favorite seats on the Southwest flight as there is no preassigned seat policy available. However, most of the passengers often ask: What planes does Southwest use? Southwest only uses Boeing 737 planes for flying. However, there are various types of 737, including Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8, 737-800, and 737-700. Here are a few more details about all these aircraft and their seating capacity:

• Boeing 737-700: The aircraft has a total of 143 seats with a width of 17 inches for each seat and a pitch of 31 inches. 

• Boeing 737-800: With an overall capacity of 178 seats, these aircrafts are a little larger than that of the previous one. Every seat on the plane has a width of 17 inches and a pitch of 32 to 33 inches. 

• Boeing 737 MAX 8: These are newly launched aircraft in the Southwest fleet, and each place has a seating capacity of 175 passengers with a total width of 17.8 inches for each seat and a pitch of 32 to 33 inches. 

Selecting the Best Seats on Southwest Airlines!

Due to the Southwest open seating policy, the airline doesn’t guarantee any of your specific preferred favorite seats. Also, there might be a few passengers on the flight that are still there from the previous flight, so it’s a little difficult to confirm any specific seat. However, there are still a lot of chances that you will be getting what you are expecting. 

Flying with Kids? The Best Seats Are…!

Are you on a family vacation and flying with young kids? That is a great idea to spend some quality time with the family. So, you will be getting the best seats at the back of the plane if you’re flying with kids on Southwest. Here’s why you should choose the tail side of the place instead of any other:

• There are a lot of empty seats in the tail of a plane, so the chances are slightly high to get the seats together for the complete family. 
• According to the Boarding Configurations, family boarding begins after the A group, so you don’t have to purchase the Early Bird Check-in to confirm getting seats together. 
• If you are not aware of it, then let us tell you that if you are sitting in the last rows, you will have easy and quick access to the bathrooms. Also, flight attendants might be available next to you, so you will be getting any desired help quickly. 

Need Extra Legroom? The Best Seats Are…!

Everyone taking a flight to anywhere in the world usually looks for a spacious seat with extra legroom for more comfort. Southwest Airlines offers much more legroom space as compared to any other airline in the same category. However,  there is more than one coveted seat available on every Southwest Airlines flight, and you can find them to grab it to get the extra level of comfort. 

These seats are usually window seats that don’t have any other seat in front, offering enough space for your legs to stretch. All the seats on these aircraft have a predecided number so that passengers can easily recognize them. You can easily find these seats on 12A on a Boeing 737-700, 16A and F on Boeing 737 MAX 8, and Boeing 737-800. You can get this seat if any business class traveler does not take it. 

Nervous or First Time Flyer? Here’s The Best Seats…!

If you like to fly on an aircraft but turbulence makes you really nervous, then it’s better to choose the seats either over the wings or in the front part of the place. These are some of the seats that offer less or turbulence-free ride as compared to that of the back side of the plane. 

Love The Recliners? The Best Seats Are…!

If you are the one who likes to snooze during the flight, it’s better to choose a row that is able to recline. Make sure not to take any exit row, the last row on the plane, and the row just in front of the exit row. 

These rows are not usually reclined, and you can only sit or stretch your legs a little bit. However, if you want to get the exact idea about the rows that have limitations for recline, here are the rows:

• Boeing 737-700: Row numbers 10, 11, and 24
• Boeing 737-800: Row numbers 13, 14, 15, and 30
• Boeing 737 MAX 8: Row numbers 13, 14, 15, and 30

Feeling Sick? The Best Seats Are…!

No one wants to fly while feeling sick. However, if its an emergency or super urgent, you have to take a flight, irrespective of anything else. If this is the situation, make sure to move towards the last row of the plane directly. 

This will help you keep away from most of the passengers, and you will be near to the bathrooms. Alternatively, if you have problems with motion sickness, you can choose to sit on the seats available over the wings of the plane for less or no turbulence. 

Final Thought!

It’s always a better decision to fly with Southwest as the airline offers more benefits than anyone can expect. It includes free checked bags, no charges for making changes to your flight ticket, and much more. 

Additionally, you can choose the best seats on Southwest Airlines as the airline doesn’t assign any seats to the flyers, and they can choose any of the open seats as soon as they board the flight. If you are already aware of your choices and what is best for you, boarding a flight and selecting your seat will be much easier for you. 

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