November 19, 2025
Nixing the wheelchair and seat selection loophole sharpens Southwest’s boarding efficiency,
Southwest Airlines prepares to end its long-standing wheelchair boarding advantage as the carrier shifts to assigned seating early next year.
The move comes after years of advantage to passengers who request wheelchair assistance primarily for early boarding privileges. Although federal rules require airlines to accommodate mobility requests without challenge, Southwest’s open-seating model made preboarding a valuable perk. The upcoming switch to assigned seats removes much of the incentive for travelers looking to bypass standard boarding groups, View From the Wing reported.
Southwest’s leadership intends for the assigned-seating system to help reduce misuse of preboarding. The change will still adhere to legally mandated disability accommodations. Southwest’s procedures for passengers who need mobility support will remain in place. However, since the airline will now operate with assigned seating, the accommodations will no longer offer first-choice seats.
Southwest’s move reflects both operational concerns and public pressure. Over the years, passengers without accommodations have complained about the increased number of wheelchair users. The number of passengers requesting wheelchair assistance has increased significantly across the airline industry in recent years. While other airlines do not have choice seating, wheelchair assistance allows passengers to bypass lines at TSA and boarding. Â
Nixing the wheelchair and seat selection loophole sharpens Southwest’s boarding efficiency. Additionally, the airline has added a new mobility aid procedure for safety. Southwest policy now requires removable lithium batteries found in mobility aids, such as mobile wheelchairs, to be carried into the plane cabin. Devices with batteries above 300 watt-hours will be reviewed for compliance by Jan. 11, 2026. These measures aim to strike a balance between passenger access to travel for people with disabilities and growing concerns about fire risks linked to lithium batteries.
Southwest has framed the transition to assigned seats as part of a broader modernization plan. The airline will be able to track seat assignments more accurately and better identify disruptive passengers. Identifying potential liabilities has been an occasional challenge under the open-seat model. That change aligns with the carrier’s efforts to update aircraft cabins, refine boarding efficiency, and improve the customer experience, following two years marked by staffing shortages and shifting travel patterns.
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