If you haven't flown Southwest in a while, you're in for a surprise. The airline quietly (well, not that quietly) rolled out the most dramatic overhaul in company history over the past year. Open boarding is dead. Checked bags aren't always free anymore. And the points game has changed significantly.
Here's what happened and what it means for deal seekers.
Assigned seating is here
After 50+ years of the cattle call boarding process, Southwest now assigns seats. You'll see three seat categories: Extra Legroom (up front with more space), Preferred (exit rows and forward economy), and Standard (everywhere else). Your fare class and loyalty status determine when you pick your seat.
Honestly for most travelers this is probably fine. The old boarding group system stressed people out and rewarded those who paid for Early Bird check in. Now you just pick a seat when you book like every other airline.
Checked bags cost money now (sort of)
This is the one that hurts. Southwest built its brand on two free checked bags. That's gone for their cheapest fares. Here's the breakdown:
Basic fare: bags cost extra (first bag around $35-$45) Choice and above: first bag free Rapid Rewards credit card holders: first bag free regardless of fare
If you have the Southwest credit card you're fine. If you don't and you check bags often, you're now paying basically the same as every other domestic carrier.
New fare structure
The old Wanna Get Away / Business Select system is gone. Now its four tiers: Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra. Each level adds perks like earlier seat selection, more Rapid Rewards points earning, refundability, and same day changes.
What this means for deal hunters
The good news: Southwest still runs sales frequently, their Basic fares compete with Spirit and Frontier on price, and their route network from Florida and Texas is still massive. The bad news: you need to pay attention to which fare class you're buying because the cheapest tier is truly bare bones now.
For points earners, the switch to variable award pricing means your Rapid Rewards points don't have a fixed value anymore. You might get 1.5 cents per point on one booking and only 0.8 on another. This actually makes cash deal alerts from services like us more valuable because you can compare whether to burn points or buy the cheap fare.
Our recommendation
Still add Southwest to your deal alert profile. Their sales from MCO, TPA, and DAL are frequent and competitive. Just know that the $49 fare you see might not include bags anymore. Factor that in when comparing against other carriers.
Get deal alerts from your airport and we'll flag when Southwest runs sales on your routes.