When a Southwest Airlines passenger pulled out their phone at the gate, they captured more than just a routine moment, it was the beginning of something different.
On Reddit, user greyduckgeese shared a video this week showing an airport employee removing posts from a Southwest Airlines boarding gate.
“Southwest Removing their Posts to Prepare for Assigned Seating Starting Tomorrow,” the original poster (OP) wrote as a caption to their clip.
‘End of an era’
The sight of the post disappearing struck a nerve with flyers who’ve relied on the airline’s boarding system to avoid the crowding and gate chaos that are common at competitors.
“Truly end of an era. I’m still not entirely sure how to feel,” one pundit commented on the thread, which swelled with almost 400 responses in a day.
“This is sad. SW had the single best boarding process in the industry,” a contributor lamented.
“Orderly. No gate lice. No shoving and passive aggressive ‘lines’ when your group is called. Now they’re just another crappy airline. At least I will have A List for this year.”
Meanwhile, “Perfect! Now everyone can congregate in the middle of the main airport walkway for no reason like all the other airlines,” remarked a critic, flagging what they see as the likely outcome of removing structure from boarding zones.
New Airline Policy
As the caption stated, Southwest Airlines announced that it was ending the carrier’s decades-long open seating system.
The new assigned seating model, which allows passengers to pay in advance to select their seats, will roll out from January 27, 2026. It will apply to flights booked under the airline’s updated fare bundles, which are already available for purchase, Newsweek reported.
The airline’s open-seating model and “bags fly free” policy had long been cornerstones of its brand loyalty. Many loyal customers view the shift as a betrayal of the airline’s founding identity and are publicly threatening to switch carriers.
“Southwest customers will be able to choose from various fare bundles, some that offer the opportunity to select a seat during the booking process, as well as access to the different seat types—Extra Legroom, Preferred and Standard,” Southwest announced.
“Customers will also be able to purchase a seat upgrade to elevate their travel experience.”
In a statement to Newsweek, Southwest Airlines confirmed the removal of the, “numbered metal stanchions (silver columns) for boarding lines.
“Going forward, we’ll have two alternating boarding lanes with digital display screens that show which group is boarding (note that it will take about 60 days to remove the stanchions form all airports).”
Baggage Changes
In addition to the updated seating policy, Newsweek also reported earlier how Southwest Airlines announced changes to its baggage rules.
Southwest Airlines, long praised for its “Bags Fly Free” policy, announced in March it would end free checked baggage for most travelers, Newsweek reported.
“Customers today want a lot of choice, especially coming out of the pandemic. The customer’s needs and wants are just different. The move to bag fees is really about choice,” Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan told The New York Times.
Newsweek has reached out to greyduckgeese for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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