Summary Southwest Airlines is transitioning to standard seat assignments in 2025 due to customer preference for assigned seats. Across its 737 variants, Southwest's best seats are those with extra legroom. The worst seats are in proximity to loud areas like the galley and/or lack any recline.
Passengers have different preferences when choosing airline seats. Some prefer a quiet flight, away from the hustle and bustle common around the plane’s lavatories or galley. Others dream of catching picture-worthy shots from the air.
Nervous passengers just want a smooth ride. Most travelers look for seats that provide as much extra legroom as possible . Although Southwest Airlines has traditionally used an open-seating policy, the airline will be transitioning to standard seat assignment next year.
Travelers looking to fly with the leading US low-cost airline should examine the various seating arrangements used on its 737s to determine which best fits their travel needs. Across all three 737 variants flown by Southwest, the best seats tend to be those with the most legroom. On the 737-700, this is seat 12A.
On the 737-800 and 737 MAX 8, these seats are 16A and 16F. The worst seats vary depending on travel preferences, but many passengers dislike the last row in the airplane due to its proximity to loud cabin areas and lack of seat recline. On Southwest’s 737-700s, this is row 24.
On its 737-800s and MAX 8s, the final row is row 30. Southwest's move to allocated seating Southwest Ai.