I tried Southwest’s new Extra Space seats: Here’s what to expect

When Southwest Airlines switches to assigned seating on Jan. 27, 2026, it will not mark the end of its 50-year open seating policy.

It will also usher in the official launch of its Extra Space seats — the roomier rows that Southwest is marketing as a new, more premium product.

Going forward, these seats will be available to higher-paying customers in the Southwest. It will serve as an upgrade option, of sorts, for A-List elite travelers and some Rapid Rewards credit card holders.

Southwest hopes these more spacious rows will bring in additional money from a consumer who, in recent years, has been more willing to pay more for upscale experiences.

“What they wanted us to change and evolve was to offer more of the amenities that they were used to getting with other aircraft,” said Tony Roach, Southest’s chief customer and brand officer, speaking earlier this month in Phoenix.

The question now is: Are the seats with extra space worth the extra splurge?

Read more: Southwest’s “main event”: The first aircraft with a new, modern cabin makes its grand debut

What it’s like to fly in Southwest’s Extra Space seat

I had the opportunity to experience Southwest’s new extra legroom experience on a recent ceremonial flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to the airline’s Dallas Love Field (DAL) home base.

What do you expect? It’s certainly not top notch; Don’t expect an upscale reclining seat, a hot meal, or a curtain separating these seats from the rest of the cabin.

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Southwest designed this to be just an elevated offering compared to its standard bus product.

Soft product upgrades

However, the airline has rolled out some ‘soft product’ upgrades to its extra space section.

On board, these passengers will be treated to complimentary premium drinks – including alcohol.

Southwest will also offer its customers with extra space Great Pistachios, a snack option that won’t be available in the rest of its cabins.

Additionally, these passengers will receive priority boarding as part of the carrier’s revamped boarding procedures that will be launched in January alongside assigned seating. Customers with extra space will be boarded no later than Group 2.

High coach experience

Overall, the whole experience is probably more comparable to what you find in sections like American Airlines’ Main Cabin Extra or Alaska Airlines’ Premium — a more premium cabin that Southwest does not, yet, offer in its lineup.

Personally, this extra space makes a big difference for me when it comes to comfort on a long flight, especially when I’m trying to get work done — which I did with all the ease I’d expect in, say, a United Airlines Economy Plus seat.

Find your seat

By Jan. 27, you’ll find extra-legroom seats in the first five rows of all Southwest’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 737-800 aircraft, and in the three rows surrounding the middle cabin emergency exit.

On its smaller Boeing 737-700 aircraft, it will provide additional legroom in the first six rows and in the emergency exit row.

On many aircraft, you’ll find unique stripes on the carrier’s raised seats, distinguishing them from standard seats. That includes these light blue dots on the newest planes in Southwest’s fleet, like the brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 8 it flew this month.

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Extra legroom seat on Southwest Airlines. Sean Cudahy/The Man with the Points

How to reserve an extra legroom seat on Southwest

There are several ways you can reserve extra legroom seats at Southwest.

Purchase additional selection fare

The “standard” way is to purchase the new Choice Extra fare product, which comes with a choice of a seat with extra legroom – along with some other perks like priority boarding and free checked bags (the latter, of course, is no longer a blanket perk with the airline).

Tickets that include extra legroom seating went on sale in late July for flights departing on or after January 27 — so you can book them now, whether you pay cash or redeem Rapid Rewards points.

RELATED: Southwest Airlines’ ‘variable’ Fast Rewards redemption rates go into effect

Elite status and credit card upgrades

These seats will also be available as an upgrade option for A-list elite members and certain credit card holders.

Here’s the full rundown:

By late January, Southwest expects extra legroom seats to be available on every one of its roughly 800 planes.

The airline is currently more than halfway through reconfiguring each of its planes with the new seat configurations.

Trick to get extra space now

However, Southwest has already finished adding seats with extra legroom everyone The planes they use on their longest routes, such as flights to Hawaii.

This means that between now and January, you may be able to get one of these seats at no additional cost, during the last months of first-come, first-served seating.

All you have to do is get on the plane early enough to be able to get one. Your best chance of achieving this is probably to purchase the airline’s additional boarding option, which sells out within 24 hours of takeoff.

TPG Tip: Extra space seating is in operation at Southwest, and you can score one now if you get an early boarding spot

Bottom line

Southwest executives believe that between introducing a cutting-edge seating product and other on-board improvements like it Free in-flight Wi-Fi has just been rolled out, and it will compete better — immediately — with other airlines.

“It’s not like an airline where you say, ‘If I don’t get an upgrade, I’m stuck,'” Andrew Watterson, Southwest’s chief operating officer, said in Phoenix this month.

Meanwhile, the carrier continues to drop hints about the possibility of launching a higher seating option one day in the future.

So, while Southwest’s new extra space seats certainly shouldn’t be confused with true first class, it’s worth staying tuned to see what might be on the horizon.

for now? These seats are much higher than what the airline has offered its customers in the past. It’s an attractive new perk to earn Rapid Rewards elite status, or hold one of the airline’s co-branded credit cards.

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