Southwest Airlines is known for the games people play to secure the best seats, because the airline doesn’t assign seats – it’s first-board, first-served. They do assign your boarding order, but passengers save seats for each other, and there’s no rule against it.
That leads to some extreme creativity, either to keep the seat next to you open when a flight isn’t full, or to save seats for your family that’s boarding after you (because you were too cheap, and only one of you paid for Early Bird Check-in).
@SouthwestAir these 2 guys sat in seats 5A and C on a STL to LAS flight 938 on 1/9. They were in extra legroom seats and as passengers walked by and asked to sit in the middle they said, ‘someone will be sitting here’ – of course no one did. It’s time someone calls this out. pic.twitter.com/sK41QsEbcl
— Scott (@scfanatic97) January 10, 2026
Once people grab a seat, they’ll scheme to keep anyone else from sitting next to them so they get the empty seat. Strategies include crumpling up tissues and placing it on the seat next to them, spreading out onto that seat, or just being intentionally creepy. The idea here is to be someone other passengers don’t choose to sit next to if they have a choice.
Or, as someone looks like they might sit down beside you, reach out and offer them hard boiled eggs out of a plastic bag. Do it with an impish grin.
How to keep a middle seat empty on a flight! @SouthwestAir pic.twitter.com/wYY4l4ovnf
— Craig Muni (@CraigMuni) May 14, 2023
This all ends January 27, when assigned seats begin on Southwest. No more scheming. No more strategizing and winding up with extra value from an empty middle seat next to you. It’s all based on luck of which seats other passengers assign in the cabin in advance.
That also should mean, by the way, the end of ‘JetBridge Jesus’ where 30 passengers board with wheelchair assistance, in order to board first and get the best seats, but are just fine walking off the plane unassisted.
A friend shares a not-uncommon sight from Puerto Rico:
55 “handicapped” during pre-boarding, including 25 wheel chairs
On his return flight, 15 used wheelchairs to board, only 1 to deboard pic.twitter.com/gHgIsnzsq7
— Bachman (@ElonBachman) February 19, 2023
Another flight on @SouthwestAir, and I’m happy to report being witness to more miracles. These poor souls came seeking a flight, and instead were healed. 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Always grateful for witnessing the miraculous healing power of flight. pic.twitter.com/7TCYn2T6BB
— Dave Ruminates (@dave_ruminates) April 5, 2023
Southwest already monetized seats via Early Bird and A1-15 boarding fees. But doing that for specific seats is going to end the gaming, for better and for worse. And in so doing it ends the unique character of the airline, that also made Southwest fun, because ending up with the empty middle seat felt like a victory. You had more control over getting extra value on your flight. Now it’s just luck. And Southwest becomes just like every other carrier.
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