SAY goodbye to picking your own seat before takeoff.
Southwest – which has slashed multiple policies that once made it stand out from other major flyers – has just announced when its seating policy will change.
The company will now have assigned seating[/caption]
Southwest has made major changes to its options over the past year[/caption]
The airline said that the move toward assigned seating will start to be rolled out at the end of July.
In just a few days, travelers will be able to start picking their own seat for flights next year, an option that was notoriously not offered to flyers through the airline before.
The new rules will officially take flight next year, with assigned seating starting January 27, 2026.
On July 29, customers can start booking the flights while picking their seats.
Earlier this year, Southwest ended its infamous “Bags Fly Free” policy, angering longtime customers.
The first checked bag now cost $35, while the second has a price tag of $45.
In an interview with the New York Times published earlier this month, CEO Bob Jordan labeled the move as “really about choice” for flyers.
“Customers today want a lot of choice, especially coming out of the pandemic. The customer’s needs and wants are just different,” he told the publication.
“We have a wider variety of products, including this new basic fare that comes with a lot of restrictions. For just a few more dollars, you can buy up to the next fare, and it has fewer restrictions.”
The new seating options include Standard, Preferred, and Extra Legroom.
“Change is hard, and change is emotional,” he said during the interview.
“I know we have some that are not happy — and we have many, many, many that are happy.”
Many posted on social media expressing their dismay with the company and its quickly-changing policies.
“@SouthwestAir is gaslighting everyone into thinking that somehow assigned seating is a good thing, when getting my own seat when I got on was the only reason I liked flying with them,” wrote one user on X.
New seating structure for Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines said the following on the new seating types offered:
- “Standard Seat: Standard legroom seats, located in the back of the cabin.”
- “Preferred seat: Standard legroom seats, near the front of the cabin.”
- “Extra Legroom seat: A roomier experience with more legroom to stretch out, at the front of the cabin as well as the exit rows, with up to five additional inches* of extra legroom compared to Standard seats. Plus, earlier access to bin space, extra snacks, and complimentary premium beverages. *Five extra inches of seat pitch is available on the 737-700 aircraft. Seat pitch will vary by aircraft type”
Source: Southwest Airlines
“Their prices have gone sky high. Customer service terrible. And uniqueness is gone.”
“Southwest Airlines has literally become the worst airline now. Four years ago, Southwest was the airline I flew on when I moved across the country to start my life anew,” posted another.
“I had two free checked bags and no assigned seating, however today you wouldn’t have any of that.”
In a press release for the change, Southwest Executive Tony Roach said that “assigned seating unlocks new opportunities” for customers, and “removes the uncertainty of not knowing where they will sit in the cabin.”
“This is an important step in our evolution,” he said.
The no-assigned seating policy, which launched in 1967, was once a prominent reason why flyers chose the airline.
“The core of Southwest is still really different. But what you saw is that other airlines went through these changes over a decade or more,” Jordan said.
“There is a bit of catch-up here because we’re moving to that world, but in months, not a decade.”
Three new seating options will be available for customers[/caption]
