How Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Are Adapting To Assigned Seating

Published Oct 28, 2026, 7:00 AM EDT Writer - Patricia joins Simple Flying with over 20 years of experience in aviation. She has served as cabin crew on flights from economy-class through to first-class and on private jets as well as being head of cabin crew and cabin safety focal point. Patricia has a master's level postgraduate diploma in Human Factors in Aviation and has written about aviation since 2010. Based in Dubai/Cyprus. Southwest Airlines introduced checked baggage fees for most customers last year, replacing the carrier's long-standing policy of allowing two free checked bags. Passengers on most fares will pay $45 for the first checked bag and $55 for the second checked bag unless they paid for a different fare type, have Rapid Rewards status, or have a Southwest-branded credit card. They also added assigned seating in January this year, giving passengers more choice in terms of legroom and chosen seat. However, this change has raised some additional issues onboard. So, what exactly are the problems that the crew are seeing, and what changes have been made? How are Southwest Airlines flight attendants adapting to assigned seating, and what are the possible consequences and future actions? Let's find out more in this guide. Problems With Baggage And Space Onboard Credit: Elliott Cowand Jr | Shutterstock The move from open seating to assigned seating allows passengers to reserve more premium seats. For Southwest's flight attendants, assigned seating has mostly meant dealing with full overhead bins. Passengers have complained that they cannot find space for their bags. Since the switch to checked baggage fees and then assigned seating from January 27, passengers seated towards the front board early and fill the forward bins. Others then reach their rows, find no space, and move back and forth in a crowded aisle looking for room to stow their baggage. Some have complained that the new seating prohibits them from selecting their seat the same way that they have for many years. One social media comment said that passengers sitting at the back were filling the lockers at the front and that disembarking was even worse than boarding. Flight attendants have ended up policing the front bins at times and even had to give up their personal space for bags. The assigned seating policy has also seen parents separated from their children, and although seat changes in the same category are allowed, the flight attendants have not been keen to help. Flight attendants now actively enforce ticketed seat assignments, and generally passengers are prohibited from moving to another seat. What Does The Union Have to Say About The Issue? Credit: Southwest Airlines Sam Wilkins, first vice president of TWU Local 556, the flight attendants' union, said crews faced new challenges after the rollout, though he didn't go into detail. He told Nexstar: “When new processes are rolled out without fully taking into account the realities of the cabin environment, it increases pressure on the crew and can negatively affect both the customer experience and crew working conditions. More thoughtful implementation with direct input from frontline employees could have made the difference.” The biggest dispute has been over where flight attendants keep their own bags. Southwest decided to move the crew-only locker from the front of the plane to the back, and TWU Local 556 said it strongly opposed the decision and would keep fighting it. Southwest executives announced their decision to move the crew locker, where flight attendants store their own hand luggage, to the back of the aircraft, sparking nearly immediate backlash, according to TheTravel. On receiving news that the airline was removing the forward crew locker, the union said: "TWU Local 556 vehemently disagrees with this unilateral decision. This situation is the direct result of poor planning by SWA Upper Management, and once again, the burden is being shifted onto flight attendants." They described the move as "Not an acceptable solution." The executives did agree to one thing that the union proposed, and that was to have locks fitted on the crew lockers. The Boarding Issue Credit: V_E | Shutterstock Southwest asked flight attendants to arrive earlier for boarding and then made it official. Starting August 1, flight attendants on most Boeing 737-800 and MAX 8 flights report 35 minutes before departure instead of 30 minutes. Flights operated by the smaller Boeing 737-700 continue at 30 minutes before departure, while international services and flights to and from Hawaii will retain their existing 45-minute boarding time. The airline confirmed the change to Simple Flying for "certain flights." In March, Southwest encouraged crews to start boarding early whenever all required flight attendants were at the gate. The union objected because Southwest flight attendants don't get separate pay for boarding. They are not paid extra for it, because in 2024 contract talks the union chose higher pay for flying time instead of boarding pay. The issue of boarding pay has been a long-fought battle for the flight attendants' unions for many years and only recently started being paid by some airlines. Flight type Current arrival time Arrival time from August 1 Change Domestic 737-700 flights 30 minutes before departure 30 minutes before departure No change Domestic 737-800 flights 30 minutes before departure 35 minutes before departure +5 minutes Domestic 737 MAX 8 flights 30 minutes before departure 35 minutes before departure +5 minutes Southwest has also had to adjust the boarding process. It reworked how boarding groups are assigned to free up overhead locker space near passengers' seats, and it plans to fit larger overhead lockers on most of its aircraft. Chief Customer and Brand Officer Tony Roach said the airline will “continue to refine the experience” by “refining how boarding groups are assigned to improve overhead bin availability near your seat.” Those who purchase the Extra Legroom option will have a reserved space for their bags. The Issue With Charging For Checked Baggage Credit: Southwest Airlines When an airline charges for checked baggage, passengers will bring on more carry-on baggage to avoid paying the extra fees, and this means that more space is needed in the overhead lockers. As the lockers fill up, passengers spend more time looking for space for their bags and crowd the aisle, so boarding takes longer. This in turn can lead to a late departure. View From The Wing describes the situation as "inevitable." Passengers show up at the gate earlier if they want space for their baggage and therefore spend more time on the aircraft during boarding and disembarking. Time is then reduced for cleaning in between flights. If a short turnaround is scheduled, it is likely that the departure will be pushed back by five minutes, and every minute counts during a delay. This is costly to the airline in terms of fuel and gate penalties. Charging a fee for checked bags while leaving standard carry-on bags free is highly profitable for airlines but creates a new set of problems. It changes passenger behavior and moves bags from the cargo area into the cabin, as passengers don't want to pay extra on top of their ticket. Therefore, it is inevitable that the overhead lockers will be filled halfway through the boarding process. Gate agents then have to check the remaining passenger bags into the hold for free, which penalizes those who have paid for checked baggage. Changes At Southwest Airlines Credit: Susan Pease | Shutterstock Changes last year at Southwest started with charging extra for baggage, moving away from their previously long-standing policy of "Bags Fly Free". Assigned seating was added earlier this year to the disappointment of some passengers. They also added updated fare bundles and new revenue initiatives, which are a major change to the airline's business model, something that set them apart from other airlines. Southwest built its original business model on 25-minute turnarounds but then reduced that to ten minutes when the airline was struggling financially. They could keep to their schedule with one fewer aircraft. Passengers could disembark at the rear of the aircraft while passengers boarded at the front. According to View From The Wing, the airline's checked bag fees and the five-minute additional boarding time could cost the airline over $800 million. Aircraft type: No. in fleet 737-800 192 737 MAX 8 323 737-700 288 The airline is said to be refining a few aspects of its new seating policy, according to a report at The Hill, due to less-than-enthusiastic responses to the changes by both passengers and crew. While flight attendants initially welcomed the move to assigned seating and avoided waiting for passengers to find seats, they now find it a point of friction, with frustrated flyers, revised boarding processes, and complying with company policies. Concluding Thoughts Credit: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock Paying for checked bags makes the airlines money but forces more baggage into the cabin. Southwest has acknowledged that customers are bringing more carry-on luggage onboard. The overhead lockers fill up quickly, and flight attendants try to find space for baggage. When full, gate agents have to check the remaining bags in the hold, which can in turn delay the flight, which is costly for the airline. Southwest started boarding five minutes earlier on most domestic flights to reduce delays from excess carry-on luggage. This affects Boeing 737-800 and MAX 8 aircraft, which make up 65% of its fleet. Flight attendants report 35 minutes pre-departure, but no extra pay is added. Crew lockers were moved to the back of the aircraft, which caused further frustration. Passengers face tighter boarding windows and potential delays if the overhead lockers fill before reaching assigned seats. They may need to check bags or risk being last to board, increasing stress at peak travel times. Although baggage space onboard is an issue, not everyone complained about the assigned seating, and some passengers said that it removed the uncertainty of finding a seat or finding a stranger to sit next to.