Southwest Airlines Switching to Assigned Seating Model

Published on July 25, 2024

Southwest Airlines is ditching its long-standing open seating policy and will now assign seats to passengers, the company said in a July 25 press release. The Dallas-based airline has operated flights on an open-seating basis for more than 50 years, but is introducing the new seating policy to align with customer preferences and boost revenue opportunities, the company said. The airline cited customer feedback and a study it conducted, which revealed that 80 percent of current customers and 86 percent of potential customers prefer assigned seating. Beyond the changes to how seats are assigned, passengers will be offered “premium, extended legroom” seating. The airline said its research shows customers “strongly prefer” the option for more legroom on flights....

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