Southwest Airlines Unveils Major Changes: New Fare Types, Seat Options, and Credit Card Benefits for 2026

Southwest Airlines recently announced a bunch of new changes that will start when they switch to assigned seating in 2026. The airline will rename all of its fare products. Wanna Get Away will become Basic next month when checked bag fees begin. Later this year, Wanna Get Away Plus will change to Choice, Anytime will be Choice Preferred, and Business Select will be Choice Extra. These new “choice” fares will go on sale between July and September for flights starting in early 2026.

The airline will also create three types of seats: Extra Legroom (first five rows and three rows around the exit), Preferred (standard seats closer to the front), and Standard (seats in the back). Each fare type will give you access to different seat options. Southwest also announced that credit card holders will get benefits like free checked bags and seat selection. Cardholders with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card will be able to upgrade to Extra Legroom seats when available. All cardholders will get at least one free checked bag for themselves and up to eight companions.

Our Take

These changes show Southwest is moving away from what made it different. The airline that was known for “bags fly free” and open seating will soon look much more like other airlines. While frequent flyers and credit card holders will still get good benefits, the average traveler will need to pay more attention to fare types and extra fees than before.

Our advice is to look closely at Southwest credit cards if you fly with them often. The free checked bag benefit alone could save you money on just a few trips per year. For those who don’t have elite status or a Southwest card, consider whether the Basic fare meets your needs, or if it’s worth paying more for seat selection and other perks. The good news is that unlike some other airlines, Southwest isn’t restricting carry-on bags for Basic fares, so that’s still an option to avoid checked bag fees.