Marketing

Subway takes on Southwest Airlines' middle seats with gift card offer

Photo: Subway

January 22, 2026

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With Southwest ending its open seating policy Jan. 27, assigned seats means passengers may end up in the spot they dread the most: the middle seat. Subway wants to help middle seaters with a one-day-only promo.

Those flying Southwest on Jan. 27 and sitting in the middle seat can take a selfie and upload it to SubwayMiddleSeat.com. Subway will reward 737 passengers who fly Tuesday with a $20 Subway gift card, redeemable for your favorite footlong sandwich or other menu items.

"Getting sandwiched in a middle seat no matter how early you check in is not something many travelers will love. So, on Tuesday, we're going to turn a bad 'sandwich' into a great sandwich by reassigning 737 middle-seaters a $20 Subway gift card. It's as easy as A-B-C, and the bag is free," Dave Skena, CMO, Subway North America, said in a press release.

The promotion is valid only for travelers on flights departing Tuesday, Jan. 27 who register and submit proof of their middle-seat assignment at SubwayMiddleSeat.com. Visit the website for complete promotion details.

Subway operates nearly 37,000 restaurants.