Southwest Airlines Breaks with Tradition and Abandons Open Seating Policy

Clear Facts

• Southwest Airlines is set to abandon its open seating policy, opting for assigned seats and premium seating options on all flights.
• The decision is primarily influenced by customer preference, with approximately 80% of passengers and 90% of potential customers preferring a specific seat assignment.
• Although a specific timeline is yet to be confirmed, Southwest Airlines is expected to provide more information about this during its Investor Day in September.

Southwest Airlines is set to undergo a significant shift in policy. For the first time since its establishment over half a century ago, the airline will depart from its unique open seating model to introduce assigned seating on all flights.

Thursday’s announcement also disclosed that passengers would now be able to opt for premium seating on their flights. Traditionally, Southwest Airlines has been known for its single economy-class cabin with open seating assignments. Although passengers were assigned a boarding group, they had the liberty to choose any available seat once onboard. The new policy will alter this practice. However, for an additional fee, customers will still be able to secure their preferred seats by opting for early boarding.

The decision to revise the seating policy was made to potentially increase profits by charging higher prices for premium seats. Southwest’s CEO says the airline is contemplating changes to its open seating policy.

“Southwest plans to offer a premium, extended legroom portion of the cabin and anticipates roughly one-third of seats across the fleet to offer extended legroom. This aligns with what industry peers offer on narrow-body aircraft.”

The decision to change the seating policy followed research findings that 80% of its customers and nearly 90% of potential customers prefer to have an assigned seat. “When a customer chooses to stop flying with Southwest and opts for another airline, open seating is cited as the primary reason for the switch,” Southwest disclosed in its Thursday release.

“By introducing an assigned seating model, Southwest aims to broaden its appeal and attract more passengers from its current and future customer base.”

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan had previously hinted at potential changes to the boarding and seating policies as a strategy to enhance the airline’s financial standing. This was especially important considering the financial implications from Boeing delays and the decision to withdraw from several underperforming airports.

The airline reassured that these changes will not affect its operational efficiency. Although no specific timeline for implementation was given, more details will be released during its investor day in September.

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