After more than 50 years, Southwest Airlines is getting rid of its open seating policy. The Dallas-based airline announced Thursday it would be scrapping its open seating policy in favor of assigned seating. The shift more closely aligns with the changing consumer preferences.
The implementation of assigned seating is just one among the handful of changes Southwest detailed in its recent press release. Here’s what we know.
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Southwest Airlines introduces assigned seating policy
In a press release Thursday, Southwest acknowledged “preferences have evolved with more customers taking longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred.” The airline hopes moving to assigned seats and revamping its boarding process will broaden Southwest’s appeal to both new and existing customers: Research found 80% of current Southwest customers and 86% of potential customers prefer assigned seating.
The airline did not provide an exact date for the switch.
Changes to ‘enhance customer experience, improve financial performance’
In addition to assigned seating, Southwest is also rolling out premium seating options on all flights, and introducing red-eye flights.
“While specific cabin layout details are still in design, Southwest expects roughly one-third of seats across the fleet to offer extended legroom, in line with that offered by industry peers on narrowbody aircraft,” the airline said.
Southwest already unveiled a cabin refresh earlier this year and is in the middle of upgrading its fleet with changes announced in 2022, including in-seat USB charging and stronger Wi-Fi.
Southwest said the changes are “designed to elevate the customer experience, improve financial performance, and drive shareholder value” without sacrificing operational efficiency.
The airline reported it had analyzed financial results from the first three months of 2024, as well as product preferences and expectations, to create a comprehensive plan. The airline will share the details of the plan during its Investor Day in late September.
— USA TODAY reporter Eve Chen contributed to this report.