Southwest Airlines will begin boarding most of its flights five minutes earlier from August 1, giving passengers additional time to stow carry-on luggage before departure. The change affects the majority of the airline’s Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 MAX 8 flights, with boarding moving from 30 minutes before departure to 35 minutes.

The revised boarding schedule comes just months after Southwest introduced checked baggage fees for most customers, ending one of its longest-standing policies. While the airline has not directly confirmed these changes, TWU Local 556, the union representing Southwest’s flight attendants, has notified cabin crew of the new gate reporting times ahead of the August 1 rollout.

Southwest Extends Boarding Times On Most Flights

Credit: Shutterstock

Domestic flights operated by its 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft will begin boarding 35 minutes before departure, rather than 30 minutes. Flights operated by the smaller Boeing 737-700 will continue boarding 30 minutes before departure, while international services and flights to and from Hawaii will retain their existing 45-minute boarding window.

The change will affect the majority of Southwest’s network because its fleet is now dominated by the larger 737 variants. According to Planespotters.net, the airline currently operates 799 aircraft, the largest 737 fleet in the world, comprising 309 737 MAXs, 294 737-700s and 196 737-800s. That means the revised boarding process will apply to 505 aircraft, or approximately 63% of Southwest’s fleet, while the remaining 737-700s will continue using the existing 30-minute boarding window.

Simple Flying contacted Southwest for a statement, but a representative was not immediately available.

More Carry-on Bags Are Increasing Boarding Times

Credit: Southwest Airlines

The earlier boarding schedule follows Southwest’s introduction of checked baggage fees for most passengers, replacing the carrier’s long-standing policy of allowing two free checked bags. Customers traveling on most fares now pay $45 for a first checked bag and $55 for a second, unless they qualify for exemptions through fare type, Rapid Rewards status, or a Southwest co-branded credit card.

Charging for checked baggage can encourage more passengers to travel with cabin baggage instead, increasing demand for overhead locker space. As bins fill, passengers often spend longer searching for available space or moving bags, slowing the boarding process and delaying the point at which cabin doors can be closed. Southwest has acknowledged that customers are bringing more carry-on luggage onboard, prompting the airline to build additional time into the boarding process.

Although Southwest has not explicitly stated that the baggage fee policy is the sole reason for the timetable change, the timing closely follows the carrier’s wider commercial overhaul. The airline has simultaneously introduced assigned seating, updated fare bundles and new ancillary revenue initiatives, all of which represent a significant departure from the business model that distinguished Southwest from its competitors for decades.

Operational Efficiency Remains A Key Priority

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Maintaining reliable on-time performance has become increasingly important as Southwest continues its largest commercial transformation in decades. According to The Wall Street Journal’s 2025 airline scorecard, Southwest ranked second among major US airlines for on-time arrivals, while also posting a 0.84% cancellation rate, the second lowest in the industry. Those operational metrics helped the carrier secure the publication’s overall top ranking for 2025, underscoring why even relatively small changes to the boarding process can have network-wide benefits.

Aviation commentator Gary Leff, writing for View From The Wing, argued that the resulting increase in boarding times could offset some of the financial benefits generated by baggage fees, estimating the operational impact could amount to as much as $800 million. However, this figure represents independent analysis and has not been endorsed or published by Southwest.

For Southwest, the earlier boarding process reflects an effort to adapt its operation to changing passenger behavior rather than alter its flight schedules. Whether the additional five minutes proves sufficient will become clearer over the coming months, but the move illustrates how even relatively small policy changes can have far-reaching operational consequences for one of the world’s largest airlines.