Southwest Airlines announced today that they will be changing their current seating policies and adding new flight options. The airline states that after extensive research, they will be switching out their long-held open seating option to assigned seating. Even though Southwest has offered open seating for 50 plus years, and many customers prefer the option, their research has showed that assigned seating will better cater to their current clientele and aid in their efforts of modernization.
The airline’s research discovered that 80% of current fliers and 86% of potential customers prefer assigned seats. When fliers were asked why they chose a competing airline, the number one leading answer was because of the open seating. Along with the new seating policy, new “premium” seats will be offered where guests will have more leg room.
Although the current plans for premium seats are still in the works, Southwest expects to have a third of their aircraft seats with extended leg room. While the airline did not outright say how much this premium seating upgrade will be, we can expect it to be similar to competing airlines, as Southwest competes for revenue. There is no official launch date for the change, but more information will be released in late September.
This change was met with negative reviews from loyal fliers who see the move to assigned seating as Southwest losing its identity and conforming to competitors standards. Many frequent fliers cite that their main reason for flying with Southwest was the ability to choose their own seat or pay for early bird seating. Many loyal customers have expressed that they will be changing airlines.
This drastic change may be a response to the airline’s recent 51% drop in profit as a last-ditch effort to once again be the most profitable US airline. The company’s profits started to see a decline after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and have not recovered.
On the brightside, Southwest is expanding their flight options and offering overnight red-eye flights. The first overnight flights are scheduled to begin in February of 2025 with five flight options: Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando; Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville; and Phoenix to Baltimore. Southwest states that this addition will increase revenue and help with cost-savings.
Words by Emily Cigan @emily.cigan