This Is Where You Should Sit on Southwest Flights for Fastest Drink Service, According to a Flight Attendant

While Southwest just announced changes to its seating program (gone are the days of seat free-for-alls), one thing that hasn’t changed is its beverage program. The jostle of the cart, the “what would you like?” and the “ice or no ice?” But while you wait for your drink, you might be interested to know that the service starts in certain rows, and those rows are well-known before a flight. So yes, you can get your drink first. 

As one Southwest flight attendant shared on Reddit, there are certain seats on certain planes (the majority of which make up the Southwest fleet) that are served first when it comes to drinks. “It’s based on seat order. We all have our sections that we take care of. A little secret, on the Boeing 737-700, if you sit in row 1, 9 or 17, you will get your drink first. If you’re flying on a Boeing 737-800, if you sit in row 1, 9, 16, or 23, you will get your drink first.”

Of course, we had to verify whether this is true or not — and turns out, it very much is. 

“Those are the defined service areas in our flight attendant manual on our different aircraft types, as our -700s have three flight attendants and our -800s and -8s have four flight attendants,” says a Southwest spokesperson to Travel+Leisure via email. He notes that some things could come up during flight which may change the order, but that the likelihood of this was low. So while highly likely that this is the order, it’s not promised. “There can be some overlap or changes on a specific flight based on need — and I wouldn’t call it a guarantee that the customer will get their drink first.”

As for your drink order, that’s your call, though many flight attendants say to avoid certain drinks on board — including Bloody Marys and tap water (aka coffee or tea). And while Southwest doesn’t give free alcoholic beverages (you have to buy them or fly Business Select, which includes a drink ticket), there are certain days where scoring a free drink is pretty much guaranteed: Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Southwest’s birthday (June 18), and Halloween. 

“Southwest offers Free Drink Days on each big holiday that represents something special and unique about the Southwest culture and history. It’s our way of showcasing our hospitality and appreciation to our customers,” a Southwest representative previously told Travel + Leisure via email.

Valentine’s Day harkens to their logo (a heart) and their home base of Dallas Love Field. St. Patrick’s day is a nod to the heritage of the founder, Southwest’s birthday is self-explanatory, and the airline has a longstanding history with Halloween — both crew and corporate staffers have dressed up for the holiday since the 1970s. 

However you get your drink (free or bought), you now know what row to pick to get it first. A win, in our book.