Southwest Airlines made a lot of promises when it overhauled its boarding process. Despite the uproar from longtime fans who said the airline was losing what made it special, Southwest insisted it was for the best.
This frequent flyer shared how horribly things went for her, now months into this new but maybe not improved version of Southwest.
What Happened To The Extra Legroom?
In a viral TikTok with more than 527,000 views, Roya (@azroya) opens with a warning. It was aimed squarely at anyone who hasn’t flown Southwest since the airline ditched its famously chaotic open-seating model: “Do not fly Southwest.”
Roya and her travel companion paid for what Southwest advertises as extra-legroom seats. They were assigned row 7 (close to the front, in theory). However, when they finally boarded as group five, every overhead bin within reach was full, so their bags ended up in row 22.
“It is an absolute s— show,” she says. “We had to wait for the entire plane to deplane, and then walk back to get our bags.”
That very much defeats the purpose of getting to deplane first.
Plus, paying for a premium seat didn’t land them in a higher boarding group. The woman sitting directly next to Roya in row 7 boarded in group three, a whole two groups earlier.
“Why was she boarding in group three, and we board in group five when we’re sitting right next to each other in the same row?” Roya asked. That passenger’s bags ended up in row 9.
Plus, Roya says, passengers at the back of the plane kept stowing their bags up front, with no crew intervention stopping them.
“There’s no one monitoring it,” she says. “There’s no one telling them they can’t.”
“I used to love flying on Southwest,” she writes in her caption.
Southwest’s New Seating System Explained
Southwest officially ditched its open-boarding model on January 27, 2026. This was after decades of being the only major U.S. airline without assigned seats.
Under the new system, according to NerdWallet, passengers are now placed into one of several seat categories: standard seats in the back of the cabin, preferred seats closer to the front (same size, different location), and extra legroom seats at the very front and in exit rows, which are supposed to come with reserved overhead bin space and upgraded snacks.
Frequent Miler documented a similarly frustrating debut with the new system in February 2026. It noted significant confusion around boarding group assignments and seat maps that showed different available seats depending on which passenger’s reservation was being viewed.
As for what you’re actually paying for when you upgrade: paid seat upgrades can cost up to $250 per flight segment, per NerdWallet. This is more than the annual fee on Southwest’s own top-tier credit card.
Did Southwest Acknowledge The Issues?
In March 2026, the airline sent customers an email from Chief Customer and Brand Officer Tony Roach. It acknowledged “several enhancements” underway to address complaints, according to The Hill. The airline said it would refine how boarding groups are assigned to improve bin availability near passengers’ seats, upgrade the majority of its fleet with larger overhead bins, and formally designate certain bins as reserved for extra legroom customers.
“We’ll keep listening to feedback and keep you updated as we roll out additional enhancements,” Roach said in the email.
It’s not just passengers frustrated with the rollout. Sam Wilkins, first vice president of the TWU Local 556 flight attendants’ union, said crews had faced new challenges since the transition took effect. This included being put in the position of policing bin usage themselves.
“When new processes are rolled out without fully taking into account the realities of the cabin environment, it increases pressure on the Crew and can negatively affect both the customer experience and Crew working conditions,” Wilkins said. “More thoughtful implementation with direct input from frontline Employees could have made the difference.”
What Did Viewers Say?
“I will scream this till the day I die. Overhead storage should be assigned to the seats directly below it,” a top comment read.
“Unfortunately we are flying SW in April. I’ve heard nothing but negative comments. We won’t be flying SW after this next flight,” another person said.
“I don’t understand why they let people put their bags in a place not near their seats,” another wrote.
“Southwest is going to go bankrupt because of their greed,” a commenter added.
@azroya I used to love flying on Southwest #southwestairlines #travel #CapCut
BroBible reached out to Roya via email and TikTok direct message and Southwest Airlines for comment via email.
UPDATE: In an email to BroBible, Roya shared how Southwest reached out to her a couple of weeks ago.
“[Asked] me to give them another chance by offering me two free round-trip tickets for myself and a guest. I will be taking that trip in a couple weeks,” she said.