Southwest Airlines is trying to tailor their product to get customers to spend more. They’re going to introduce assigned seats and extra legroom seats.
You’ll no longer pick your own seat when you board.
This means changes to their credit cards. At competitor airlines, cards usually come with boarding benefits.
Southwest’s premium card offers a statement credit for buying earlier boarding, which gets you a better seat assignment.
They’ve talked about card benefits needing to evolve with the way they’re changing the airline, but haven’t talked specifics.
I haven’t seen much notice of this, but Southwest Airlines has posted how their credit card customers will be treated under new assigned seating and premium seating that the carrier plans to roll out.
All Rapid Rewards Credit Cards will include new complimentary seating and boarding benefits, as well as new ways to earn. Select cards will also include complimentary seating upgrades, within 48 hours of departure, when available.
It sounds like all credit card customers will receive free seat assignments, rather than being relegated to what’s left at check-in for random assignment.
And there will be earlier boarding, though this matters less for Southwest than other carriers once early boarding no longer has a benefit in getting your choice of seats and since Southwest offers two checked bags included with every fare (so passengers try to carry on fewer bags, and in my experience finding overhead bin space is less of a problem as a result).
Perhaps most interestingly, “select cards will also include complimentary seating upgrades, within 48 hours of departure, when available.”
That seems to me a lot like effectively A-List status. Here’s what status is going to offer:
About a third of Southwest’s seats are going to offer extra legroom. These are what upgrades will refer to.
And with that many extra legroom seats, I am guessing they will be available much more often than not.
For those who want the extra room, not having to pay for it and still having a good shot at it strikes me as a lot of value for premium cardmembers.
Currently both the premium Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and more mass market Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card have limited-time offers to earn a Companion Pass valid through February 28, 2026 plus 30,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases on the card in the first 3 months from account opening.
That’s pretty special. Instead of earning just points from an initial bonus, they’re offering you points and a Companion Pass.
This way a friend or spouse you designate can travel with you free (plus government taxes) whenever you fly – whether you’re traveling on points or a paid ticket, as long as there’s still a seat for sale on the aircraft.
