Crucial Things To Know About How Southwest Airlines Family Boarding Works

Some people may question if traveling with young children is worth it — after all, keeping everything organized, keeping kids entertained (and quiet), and the costs can all be a bit much. But some airlines aim to be family-friendly. For example, Southwest Airlines offers family boarding, which lets travelers with young children board the plane earlier than other passengers.

Southwest is known for its open seating system, which boards people in lettered groups by assigned numbers rather than assigning seats to passengers. Family boarding allows up to two adults traveling with children age 6 or younger to board the plane after the "A" group is called. Be aware that the official cutoff is 6 years old, but sometimes they may usher young kids through without checking their date of birth. For ages 7 to 13, Southwest will try to seat you together if you request help from the gate agent or a flight attendant.

A big reason for Southwest's family boarding policy is so that young children don't get separated from a parent or grown-up. If you've ever been assigned to Group C on a Southwest flight, you likely ended up in a middle seat between two strangers if the flight was fully booked. However, if you're traveling with young kids on Southwest and get assigned to the "A" group, it's better to board with your group than wait for family boarding to be called.

In 2024, Southwest announced it would begin assigning seats to passengers. This is expected to begin in late 2025, with flights fully transitioned in early 2026. While this means no more crossing your fingers hoping for a window or aisle seat, it also means tiered sections with different perks and price points. Southwest's seating change has sparked some controversy, but it's keeping its two free checked bags policy — a big relief for many Southwest fans who rely on this perk. You'll also be able to book red-eye flights under the new policies.

That said, the company hasn't specified how the family boarding policy may be affected. Because the whole idea was to ensure little kids were sitting with an adult they know, it may be tossed out since assigned seating takes care of that. But according to CrankyFlier, the airline will keep the boarding poles, meaning there will still be assigned boarding groups — and potentially, family boarding could stay to allow more time for adults to get kids settled in their seats.

But with Southwest adopting the industry standard of assigned seats, families will need to book well in advance to ensure they get the seats they want. The change may satisfy customers who have complained about passengers who use family boarding to save seats for the rest of their group (which isn't allowed). It could also address complaints that the family boarding age cutoff is either too low or not enforced.