If you are used to Southwest Airlines’ open sitting set-up on its flights, it is time to say goodbye to that. The airline has announced that is introducing several new initiatives to enhance its services. These changes include plans to assign seats, offer premium seating options, redesign the boarding model, and introduce redeye flights, ending the 50-year tradition of open sitting.
Southwest Airlines has been closely monitoring customer expectations and preferences. During its quarterly financial results in April, the airline revealed that it was studying product preferences, including onboard seating. The new amenities aim to meet customer demand, generate additional revenue, and strengthen financial performance. Details of this comprehensive plan will be shared during the Investor Day in late September.
Assigned and Premium Seating
After listening to customers and conducting extensive research, Southwest has decided to implement assigned seating over open sitting, and offer premium seating options on all flights. The airline, known for its open seating model for over 50 years, recognizes that preferences have evolved, especially for longer flights where seat assignments are preferred. The airline conducted operational testing, including over 8 million simulation-based boarding trials, to ensure that these enhancements meet expectations without compromising operational efficiency.
Research indicates that 80% of Southwest customers and 86% of potential customers prefer assigned seats. Customers often cite open seating as the reason for switching to competitors. By adopting an assigned seating model over open sitting, Southwest aims to broaden its appeal and attract more customers.
In addition to assigned seats, Southwest will offer a premium section with extended legroom. About one-third of seats across the fleet will offer this option, in line with industry standards for narrowbody aircraft.
The move to assigned seating is part of Southwest’s modernization efforts. Over the past two years, the airline has enhanced onboard offerings with faster WiFi, in-seat power, and larger overhead bins. The addition of assigned and premium seating will provide customers with more choices and further enhance the value that Southwest Airlines is known for.
“Moving to assigned seating and offering premium legroom options will be a transformational change,” said Bob Jordan, President, CEO, and Vice Chairman of the Board. “Our thoughtful and extensive research makes it clear this is the right choice for our customers, our people, and our shareholders. We have been building purposefully to this change as part of a comprehensive upgrade to the Southwest experience.”
Introducing Redeye Flights
Southwest is also adding 24-hour operation capabilities with the introduction of redeye flights. Booking for initial routes is available through Southwest.com, with the first overnight flights starting on Valentine’s Day 2025. These initial nonstop routes include Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando, Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville, and Phoenix to Baltimore. Southwest plans to expand redeye flying in future schedules as part of its transformation to a 24-hour operation. This will provide incremental revenue and cost savings, enabling Southwest to fund nearly all new capacity over the next three years without additional aircraft investments.
Southwest will share further details about product designs, cabin layout, timing, and financial value at its Investor Day in late September. The move to assigned and premium seating will be significant. The new cabin layout will require approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration, and Southwest expects to make bookings available in 2025.
Gary Kelly, Executive Chairman of the Board, expressed confidence in the leadership team, saying, “The Board fully supports these efforts to usher in a new era for Southwest Airlines. We have the ultimate confidence in Bob and our leadership team to design and deliver an experience that is unique and true to our Southwest legacy.”
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
