"On May 28, Southwest got rid of its beloved two free checked bag policy. Up next on the chopping block is its open seating policy. Beginning Jan. 27. 2026, Southwest Airlines will ditch its cattle-call style boarding method and move to assigned seating. But the airline is adopting a modified version of the WILMA method, which loosely translates to "window-middle-aisle," the Wall Street Journal first reported."
""If queuing isn't good, boarding isn't good," Lisa Hingson, managing director of innovation, told the Wall Street Journal. "So we spent a lot of time studying queuing." Southwest will divide its passengers into groups 1 through 8, plus a priority boarding group. Passengers who purchased priority boarding, which will cost more, will board first. Passengers with premium seats that have extra legroom, another change the airline is introducing, will be in either Group 1 or Group 2."
"After the priority boarding groups, passengers who chose window seats will board, followed by middle seats, then aisle seats. Passengers who booked aisle seats may be in danger of losing out on overhead bin space. It's a problem that passengers on other airlines face, and one they'll confront even more on Southwest without the airline's previously offered perk of two free checked bags."
Southwest Airlines eliminated its two free checked bag policy on May 28 and will replace open seating with assigned seating beginning Jan. 27, 2026. The airline will adopt a modified WILMA (window-middle-aisle) boarding approach designed to be faster than back-to-front while maintaining priority for paying and status passengers. Travelers will be sorted into Groups 1–8 plus a priority group; premium extra-legroom seats will be placed in Group 1 or 2. Active military members, frequent flyers, and certain credit card holders receive boarding perks, while basic economy passengers board last. Aisle-seat passengers may face increased competition for overhead bin space.
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