Southwest Boeing 737 800 Seat Map

Picking Your Seat on Southwest's 737-800

This is a single-cabin airplane: 175 economy seats in 3-3 across rows 1–30, 17 inches wide, pitch running 32 to 38 inches depending on where you land. Recline is shallow everywhere — measured at about two and a half inches — so "reclines" and "doesn't recline" matter less here than on most jets. What actually separates a good seat from a bad one is legroom, window alignment, and how close you sit to the aft lavatories.

Economy seats worth booking

Row 16 is the best row in the airplane, and it isn't close. 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E and 16F all get extra legroom, and the exit-row seats ahead of them don't recline into your knees. One traveler who drew 16F called it a lucky break; another said 16C is one of the two best seats on the jet. The trade at the windows: 16A and 16F have the tray table in the armrest, which narrows the seat a little and kills underseat stowage for takeoff and landing. 16B through 16E get the legroom with no such penalty — those are the cleanest seats on the map.

2A, 2B and 2C are the next tier in economy: extra legroom, normal recline, and far enough forward to be off the airplane quickly. Same armrest tray table and no underseat bag during taxi. A passenger in 2A rated it a five.

14B, 14C, 14D and 14E in economy are exit-row seats with real legroom and nothing reclining into them. They don't recline themselves, but on a jet with 2.5 inches of recline that's a small loss.

For views, 9F and 18A in economy are quietly good. 9F sits just ahead of the wing with a clear look down the leading edge; 18A is at the back edge of the wing, where travelers report two windows, a bit of extra shoulder room and an engine view.

Economy seats to avoid

10A has no window at all — just wall. It's the single worst pick in the airplane for anyone who wants to see out, and the sidewall curves in at the shoulder besides. Windows are also poorly aligned at 11A and 11F, and the whole 11–18 band sits over the wing, so expect metal rather than scenery.

Row 30 — 30A through 30F — is the last row in economy, with limited recline, and it backs onto the lavatory and aft galley. (One tall traveler at 30B was pleasantly surprised, so it isn't unlivable; it's just the worst-equipped row.) 29C and 29D sit directly in the lavatory queue, which means elbows and shuffling for the whole flight.

15B, 15C, 15D and 15E in economy look like exit-row prizes and aren't. They have the legroom, but with a second exit row behind them they're locked upright for the entire flight — travelers seated there consistently rate them poorly. 13A through 13F have the same problem without the legroom payoff: limited recline, nothing gained.

Economy wildcards and trade-off seats

1D, 1E and 1F are the bulkhead row — there is no 1A, 1B or 1C on this airplane, so row 1 is right side only. You get open space in front of you and no seat to recline into your face, but also fixed armrests, a narrower seat, nothing under the seat ahead, and the forward galley right there. 1D is the pick of the three.

14A and 14F are exit-row seats with the same legroom as 14B–14E, plus two quirks: the armrest may be missing on the window side, and the cushion is noticeably firmer. Row 15 windows, A and F, are blocked on this map and can't be assigned.

Two things apply to every economy seat here: there is no in-seat power or USB anywhere, and there are no IFE boxes stealing your foot space. Entertainment streams free to your own device — live TV, movies and a flight map — and Wi-Fi is a paid add-on whose speed is genuinely hit or miss.