Southwest Airlines Co. Customers have more choice from booking to arrival beginning with assigned and premium seating available for purchase at Southwest.com®. In addition, the airline’s previously announced service to St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands is now on sale. 

The Choice is Yours  

All tickets purchased for travel starting Jan. 27, 2026, will feature assigned seating. Moreover, Southwest Airlines® Customers can choose their preferred fare bundle, including the opportunity to purchase assigned and premium seating and select a seat at booking. Customers connecting into the Southwest® network from transoceanic journeys with airline partners, currently Icelandair and China Airlines, will be able to select seats for all flights in their itineraries. Flights operating until Jan. 27, 2026, will continue with open seating. 

See You in St. Thomas 

St. Thomas, USVI – the first of three new destinations Southwest plans to announce this summer – is now available for booking at Southwest.com for year-round trips. The first daily roundtrip flight between St. Thomas and Orlando is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2026. Peak-day service to and from Baltimore/Washington is slated to begin Feb. 7, 2026.  

Southwest will volunteer its next new destination when its schedule is extended in August. 

Seeking the Sun 

Southwest’s schedule is available for booking through March 4, 2026, and the airline is giving Customers many sunny locales to choose from during the coldest months. Seasonal service on numerous routes connecting the northeast and Florida is set to return, as is service connecting the upper Midwest to Phoenix and Palm Springs, Calif. Customers in four locations looking to beat the Spring Break crowds at Orlando’s theme parks are in luck–the airline is returning seasonal service between Orlando and Boston, Portland, Maine, Salt Lake City, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Want even more from Southwest? 

Join Rapid Rewards®. As a Rapid Rewards Member, you earn points by flying or spending with the partners. Use them how and when you want. Plus, if you’re short on points, you can always purchase more to get that reward you’ve been eyeing.  

The reimagined Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Cards from Chase now make everyday spending and flying even more rewarding. For a limited time, new Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, Priority or Premier Consumer Credit Cardmembers can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 5 months from account opening – the best points offer this year.  

1.  Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey as of Q4 2024
2. Fulltime-equivalent active Employees as of March 31, 2025