Southwest Airlines just announced a monumental shift in its passenger experience. The Dallas-based carrier said on July 25 that it plans to soon introduce seat assignments, as well as premium extra-legroom areas on board its fleet of narrow-body aircraft.
The changes mean an end to Southwest’s famous open-seating policy, in which passengers were assigned a boarding group and number at check-in and then could select any available seat once they stepped onto the plane. Southwest had hinted on an earnings call back in April 2024 that a shift in its trademark seating arrangement could be looming.
As part of the new onboard seating policies, the airline will also begin to offer premium seating sections of the cabin that offer seats with more generous legroom. Although the new cabin designs have yet to be finalized, the carrier estimates that about one-third of seats across its fleet will be dedicated to the more expensive extra-space options.
The open-seating plan has been a hallmark of Southwest’s business since it began flying in 1971. The rule had been a notable outlier in recent years, as most other US airlines have begun charging hefty seat selection fees for almost every spot in their cabins. According to the airline statement, “preferences have evolved with more customers taking longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred.”
In 2019, the airline began extending its route map to more remote destinations like the Hawaiian islands, to which they fly from six airports in California, as well as Las Vegas and Phoenix. Those Hawaii-bound flights can range up to nearly six hours long. In fact, according to the airline’s own research, “80% of Southwest customers, and 86% of potential customers, prefer an assigned seat.” By switching up its seating scheme, the airline hopes to “broaden its appeal” and attract new passengers as well as more returning fliers. Its boarding process will also be updated, but details on what that will entail weren’t released.
Will flying Southwest get more expensive?
Among these massive changes, Southwest loyalists are probably wondering whether the new policies mean other beloved aspects of the airline’s business model, like affordable airfares and offering two free checked bags, will also be pushed to the wayside. “No one can say with any certainty what will happen to airfares,” says Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, “Southwest has a 52-year history of being known for offering low fares. It can’t—and I expect won’t—turn its back on that.”
But even if Southwest’s airfares stay affordable, passengers will likely start paying more for additional services. “There is no question this will lead to more junk fees that will drive up the cost of flying on Southwest Airlines,” says William McGee, senior fellow for aviation & travel at the American Economic Liberties Project. “Like the other major carriers, Southwest will be collecting more ancillary revenue for seat selection, early boarding, and bundling of fees with other services.”
As for the free checked bags, those could potentially be on the chopping block next as hedge fund Elliot Investment Management, which recently bought a stake in the airline, pressures the carrier to increase revenues. “Elliott has said it wants Southwest to implement assigned seating, offer extra-legroom seating, and end free checked bags,” says Hartevedlt. “Southwest has stated that approximately half of its passengers choose the airline because of its free checked-bag policy. Clearly, the airline sees that as an important point of differentiation and is maintaining it for now.”
Overnight flights taking off in 2025
Southwest also announced another move to increase its revenue: the introduction of red-eye flights. The overnight flights are a significant change to the airline’s operational model, which historically parked its planes nightly. The first redeye flights are open for booking and are scheduled to land on Valentine’s Day 2025, and will launch on five initial routes: Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando; Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville; and Phoenix to Baltimore. The carrier says that in the years to come, it plans to phase in more overnight flights as it shifts to a total 24-hour operational model.
More delays and cancellations on the horizon?
The airline also mentioned that it plans to squeeze out more revenue by shortening turnaround times in between flights. Experts say that could potentially lead to more disrupted flights for passengers. “Southwest tried once before to shorten its turn times, and that became an operational mess,” says Hartevedlt. “If flights perpetually are behind schedule, that could compromise passengers’ abilities to make their connecting flights at Southwest’s hubs. Critically, if an airline isn’t reliable, people are less willing to pay a premium to fly it.”
There could even be more scheduling meltdowns that strand passengers. “The real problem with bean counters imposing even faster quick turns was exemplified this week with Delta Air Lines, and in December 2022 with Southwest itself,” McGee says. “Transportation systems are not designed to operate at peak capacity all day long, and when something goes wrong, the schedules fall apart. Faster scheduled turns will lead to even more meltdowns, and will have a domino effect on flight delays and cancellations.”
Southwest didn’t give a timeline for when all of its new products and processes would roll out, but it plans to discuss the policies more in-depth at its Investor Day this September.
