Southwest Airways passengers made their last boarding-time scrambles for seats on Monday because the provider ready to finish the open-seating system that distinguished it from different airways for greater than a half‑century.
Beginning Tuesday, prospects on Southwest flights could have assigned seats and the choice of paying extra to get their most popular seat nearer to the entrance of a airplane or seats with additional legroom. The airline started promoting tickets formed by the brand new coverage in July.
Right here’s what vacationers can count on as Southwest does away with one other of its signature options and turns into extra like different airways:
Goodbye, A/B/C teams
Below the open-seat system, Southwest prospects may examine in beginning precisely 24 hours earlier than departure to safe locations in boarding traces at departure gates.
Early check-ins had been positioned within the coveted “A” boarding group, primarily guaranteeing they’d discover an open window or aisle seat. Others landed in “B” or “C,” the probability of solely center seats being obtainable rising the longer they waited to examine in.
The Dallas-based airline’s uncommon seating course of started as a solution to get passengers on planes shortly and thereby scale back the time that plane and crews spent on the bottom not making a living. It helped Southwest function extra effectively and to squeeze a number of extra flights into the each day schedule; the system additionally was a key motive Southwest remained worthwhile yearly till the coronavirus pandemic.
The open-seating association grew to become much less democratic over time, nevertheless, as Southwest additionally had beginning permitting passengers to pay additional for spots close to the entrance of the road.
Whats up, assigned seating
An eight‑group boarding construction is changing the find-your-own-seat scrum. As an alternative of numbered metallic columns at departure gates, passengers will file by means of two alternating lanes as soon as it’s time for his or her group to board.
The airline mentioned its gate areas shall be transformed in phases beginning Monday evening, a course of that would take about two months to finish. Columns that stay standing previous Tuesday could have their numbers eliminated or coated within the meantime.
Southwest is promoting tickets at fares with totally different seating decisions, together with normal seats assigned at examine‑in or paid most popular and further‑legroom seats chosen at reserving. For sure flights, passengers additionally could have the choice of paying for precedence boarding starting 24 hours earlier than departure.
The way it will work
Newly designed boarding passes will present seat assignments and boarding teams, in response to Southwest. A reservation made for 9 or fewer individuals, together with households, will assign these passengers to the identical boarding group.
Southwest says the boarding teams are based mostly on seat location, fare class, loyalty tier standing and the airline’s bank card rewards advantages. Passengers who buy seats with additional legroom shall be positioned in teams 1-2. Prospects with premium fares and the airline’s “most loyal vacationers” may also have entry to preferential seats and earlier boarding, the provider mentioned, whereas these with primary fares will possible be positioned in teams 6-8.
Different modifications
With the change to assigned seating additionally comes a revision of the airline’s coverage for patrons who want additional room. Below the brand new rule — additionally efficient Tuesday — vacationers who don’t match inside a single seat’s armrests shall be required to buy a further seat prematurely.
That represents a change from the airline’s earlier coverage that allowed passengers the selection to buy a totally refundable additional seat earlier than arriving on the airport, or request a free one on the gate. Below the up to date coverage, refunds are nonetheless attainable however not assured and rely on seat availability and fare class.
In Could 2025, Southwest additionally ended its many years‑outdated “baggage fly free” coverage, changing it with baggage charges for many vacationers.
The modifications mark one of many greatest transformations within the airline’s historical past, because it alters its longstanding buyer perks to deliver it extra in step with the practices of different bigger U.S. carriers.
Why all of the change?
The shift comes amid stress from buyers to extend profitability.
“We’ve great alternative to satisfy present and future buyer wants, appeal to new buyer segments we don’t compete for in the present day, and return to the degrees of profitability that each we and our shareholders count on,” Southwest CEO Robert Jordan mentioned final 12 months.
When the Texas-based airline first introduced plans in 2024 to modify to assigned seating, it mentioned research on seating choices confirmed that buyer preferences had modified over time, with the overwhelming majority of vacationers saying they now wish to know the place they’re sitting earlier than they get to the airport.
Jordan mentioned on the time that open seating was the highest motive surveyed vacationers cited for selecting one other airline over Southwest.
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
