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.

People are also reading:Austin-Bergstrom ranks 10th best in the U.S., only Texas airport to make new list

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.

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 parked at the gate.

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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *