Photo: WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — After making some major changes earlier this year, Southwest Airlines is now looking to change its boarding system.
Southwest flights will have assigned seating starting Jan. 27, 2026.
From then on, The Wall Street Journal reports that the airline will use the WILMA system for boarding, which means window-middle-aisle.
After priority boarding, those with window seats would board, then those with middle seats, then those with aisle seats.
The airline also said it will sort passengers into boarding groups 1 through 8 instead of its usual A/B/C groups. The first few groups would make up priority boarding.
Fliers that WBZ NewsRadio talked to at Logan Airport on Monday had mixed feelings about the changes.
“I think it’s good and I think it’ll alleviate a lot of confusion,” said Kathy, flying out of Boston on Southwest.
Ahlam, who was flying home to Texas, also thought it would be a good idea.
“That would be a lot better,” she said. “Two days ago, I had to ask a lady to get to my window seat because she was on the outer [edge] and that was a whole mess.”
Meanwhile, another traveler to Texas said she had her doubts.
“I don’t like that. I don’t like it at all,” Pam said.
She mentioned that she was concerned about getting separated from her husband during the boarding process.
“I’d rather just us go together,” Pam said.
Under Southwest’s new boarding policy, the airline said all customers on the same travel reservation will be in the same boarding group, while customers on group travel reservations will be assigned a group based on their seat assignment.
Even though Pam wasn’t a fan, her husband seemed to be on board.
“You start from the back and you work from the outside in, [It’d] be just a way to try and speed up the situation,” he said.
Along with the changes to Southwest’s boarding process and the end to its decades-old open seating policy, the airline also starting charging passengers for checked bags in May.
Fliers previously got to check their first two bags for free.
WBZ’s Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports.