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The back of the seat.
The back of the seat just had the tray table.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

  • I flew Southwest Airlines for the first time since it changed basically everything.
  • A-List status made the experience much easier.
  • If I didn't have A-List, I wouldn't go out of my way to fly Southwest.

Southwest Airlines has spent the past year chipping away at the things that once set it apart.

Free checked bags, open seating, and its famously flexible ticket policies have all been largely abandoned.

In their place: assigned seats, new fees, and more tiered perks — part of a broader push to monetize the flying experience and boost revenue after struggling to turn a profit post-pandemic.

It has been a tough pill to swallow for loyal Southwest flyers who long relied on its simplicity and freebies. I wasn't thrilled about it, either.

On my first flight back since the changes, I have to say that having A-List status — the lower of Southwest's two elite loyalty tiers — made the experience far easier than it would have been without status.

Unlike many frequent flyers who earn status through flying, I got A-List through a perk tied to my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.

I hit the card-spending threshold for A-List status last year and decided to put the status to the test on a trip back to the New York area from Las Vegas in March. With A-List, I got a better boarding group, a free checked bag, and the option to reserve premium seats for free.

After two flights — including a red-eye — I wouldn't fly Southwest again without it.

I got to Las Vegas airport around 8 p.m. for my midnight red-eye.
The empty TSA lines.
I could have also used Southwest's A-List-eligible "express" security line.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

My flight was during the height of the shutdown-related TSA chaos.

I have TSA PreCheck, but I still gave myself plenty of time to clear the checkpoint. Fortunately, I was through in five minutes.

In case PreCheck was closed due to staffing, I had a plan B: use my A-List access to Southwest's "express" lines deployed across its bases — Vegas included — to expedite security.

I had the option to check my first bag for free.
Stitched photo of the bag size checker at Southwest and the author's green backpack and black carry on.
I brought a Beis carry-on and my Fjallraven backpack.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

A-List status holders get a free checked bag and priority check-in; the second bag is $35. A-List Preferred — Southwest's highest loyalty tier, which you can largely only get via flying or the airline's co-branded credit card — gets two checked bags for free.

I only had a carry-on for this trip, but I like having the option to check a bag if needed, without worrying about the cost.

My better boarding group meant I didn't have to gate-check my carry-on.
The author's digital boarding pass.
I checked in online so I didn't get a physical boarding pass.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

Both of my 175-seater flights were full, so the agents started gate-checking bags about three-fourths of the way through boarding.

I managed to keep mine because A-List guaranteed me at least a Group 5 boarding position (out of 8), which, on both flights, appeared to be the cutoff.

This is either a network-wide strategy or I just got lucky.

I didn't mind the group-based boarding.
Boarding group 5.
A-List Preferred boards in Groups 1 and 2.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

Many people preferred Southwest's unique open-seating policy, which was first-come, first-served and largely based on when you checked in for the flight. Flyers could also pay extra for a better position.

Personally, I was never a fan. Group-based boarding is perfectly fine for me, and I know exactly where I'm sitting at booking.

I chose a preferred seat for both flights for free.
Southwest uses a split-economy cabin with premium and regular coach.
Southwest uses a split-economy cabin with premium and regular coach.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

A-Listers can choose preferred seats — new premium seats at the front of the plane — at booking; separate extra-legroom seats open 48 hours before departure, if available. None were on my flight when I checked.

I chose 6D for both flights: a preferred aisle seat in row six. The first leg was on a Boeing 737 Max 8, the second a Boeing 737-800.

I usually pay extra for aisle seats, and the cheapest ones are often in the back — so getting one up front, and for free, was a nice change. Boarding and deplaning were quick and easy.

The first leg had Southwest's new power ports.
The power ports on Southwest's Max 8.
Southwest is actively adding the perk across its fleet.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

The Max 8 had USB-C and USB-A ports; the 737-800 did not.

This is a helpful addition given that customers rely on personal devices for in-flight entertainment rather than seatback screens.

The seats are slim but comfortable.
The legroom on the author's flight.
I had plenty of room in the seat.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

The seats were slim but had good cushioning and legroom, and the headrest helped me sleep for most of the three-hour overnight flight to Chicago.

Both planes had standard seats with 31 inches of pitch; extra-legroom seats offer 34 inches. I'm five-foot, three-inches, so I fit into most airplane seats.

Adding extra-legroom seats, however, meant that virtually all of the 32-inch-pitch seats previously on Southwest planes dropped to 31 inches. It's still on par with the industry's average of 30-31 inches.

Neither plane had the device holders yet, but I look forward to them.
The tablet holders on some Southwest planes.
This rendering shows what the new device holders on Southwest look like.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest included an eye-level device holder in its updated cabin.

I've long preferred this over seatback screens because I can watch my own content without getting a neck cramp; American Airlines, for example, has tablet holders.

I got a free non-alcoholic drink and snack.
The author holding the Southwest drink menu.
Free drinks are offered on certain holidays. Extra-legroom travelers get pistachios.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

I opted for the pretzel braids and water on both legs.

There's also an alcohol menu, but you have to pay extra or have premium drinks included with your ticket or status. A-List doesn't get free alcohol; A-List Preferred does.

I wouldn't fly Southwest without A-List.
The Southwest plane at Hartford.
I'm not loyal to any one airline; I usually book whatever offers the best combination of price and convenience.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

Even though the flights were comfortable and on time, and the staff was friendly, without A-List benefits, I wouldn't go out of my way to fly Southwest.

I'm paying for an aisle seat or gambling on gate-checking across most other airlines anyway, and there are often better routing — and often better pricing — options out of my preferred New York and Connecticut airports than Southwest offers.

I see the mutual benefits of this Southwest-Chase deal.
The Southwest check in desk in Vegas.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

The decision to fly Southwest is now largely tied to whether I can maintain status through my spending on the Chase Reserve card each year. (You have to spend $75,000 on your card to get A-List status.)

If I hit the spending threshold again in 2026 and keep A-List through 2027, I'll actively choose Southwest — exactly the behavior Southwest is likely trying to drive with this new Chase deal.

It's a mutually reinforcing loop: Chase earns more as Reserve cardholders increase spending to maintain status, Southwest captures revenue it wouldn't otherwise, and A-Listers get a better flying experience.

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I flew Southwest for the first time since it changed everything. Having A-List …