I flew Southwest for the first time since it changed everything. Having A-List elite status made things a lot easier.

My flight was during the height of the shutdown-related TSA chaos.

I have TSA PreCheck, but I still gave myself plenty of time to clear the checkpoint. Fortunately, I was through in five minutes.

In case PreCheck was closed due to staffing, I had a plan B: use my A-List access to Southwest's "express" lines deployed across its bases — Vegas included — to expedite security.

A-List status holders get a free checked bag and priority check-in; the second bag is $35. A-List Preferred — Southwest's highest loyalty tier, which you can largely only get via flying or the airline's co-branded credit card — gets two checked bags for free.

I only had a carry-on for this trip, but I like having the option to check a bag if needed, without worrying about the cost.

Both of my 175-seater flights were full, so the agents started gate-checking bags about three-fourths of the way through boarding.

I managed to keep mine because A-List guaranteed me at least a Group 5 boarding position (out of 8), which, on both flights, appeared to be the cutoff.

This is either a network-wide strategy or I just got lucky.

Many people preferred Southwest's unique open-seating policy, which was first-come, first-served and largely based on when you checked in for the flight. Flyers could also pay extra for a better position.

Personally, I was never a fan. Group-based boarding is perfectly fine for me, and I know exactly where I'm sitting at booking.

A-Listers can choose preferred seats — new premium seats at the front of the plane — at booking; separate extra-legroom seats open 48 hours before departure, if available. None were on my flight when I checked.

I chose 6D for both flights: a preferred aisle seat in row six. The first leg was on a Boeing 737 Max 8, the second a Boeing 737-800.

I usually pay extra for aisle seats, and the cheapest ones are often in the back — so getting one up front, and for free, was a nice change. Boarding and deplaning were quick and easy.

The Max 8 had USB-C and USB-A ports; the 737-800 did not.

This is a helpful addition given that customers rely on personal devices for in-flight entertainment rather than seatback screens.

The seats were slim but had good cushioning and legroom, and the headrest helped me sleep for most of the three-hour overnight flight to Chicago.

Both planes had standard seats with 31 inches of pitch; extra-legroom seats offer 34 inches. I'm five-foot, three-inches, so I fit into most airplane seats.

Adding extra-legroom seats, however, meant that virtually all of the 32-inch-pitch seats previously on Southwest planes dropped to 31 inches. It's still on par with the industry's average of 30-31 inches.

Southwest included an eye-level device holder in its updated cabin.

I've long preferred this over seatback screens because I can watch my own content without getting a neck cramp; American Airlines, for example, has tablet holders.

I opted for the pretzel braids and water on both legs.

There's also an alcohol menu, but you have to pay extra or have premium drinks included with your ticket or status. A-List doesn't get free alcohol; A-List Preferred does.

Even though the flights were comfortable and on time, and the staff was friendly, without A-List benefits, I wouldn't go out of my way to fly Southwest.

I'm paying for an aisle seat or gambling on gate-checking across most other airlines anyway, and there are often better routing — and often better pricing — options out of my preferred New York and Connecticut airports than Southwest offers.

The decision to fly Southwest is now largely tied to whether I can maintain status through my spending on the Chase Reserve card each year. (You have to spend $75,000 on your card to get A-List status.)

If I hit the spending threshold again in 2026 and keep A-List through 2027, I'll actively choose Southwest — exactly the behavior Southwest is likely trying to drive with this new Chase deal.

It's a mutually reinforcing loop: Chase earns more as Reserve cardholders increase spending to maintain status, Southwest captures revenue it wouldn't otherwise, and A-Listers get a better flying experience.