Southwest Airways technically does not launch assigned seating for an additional 4 months. However beginning now, for those who’re flying with the airline to Hawaii, you may be on a airplane that already has its new extra-legroom seats.
And for the reason that airline hasn’t ended its open seating coverage simply but, which means a main boarding place may land you a kind of spacious seats at no added value.
As of this week, the Dallas-based service has completed putting in extra-space rows on all of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets — the identical plane it makes use of on flights to and from the Aloha State. It is a milestone in Southwest’s push to get all of its planes reconfigured with extra-legroom lodging earlier than late January 2026, when it formally launches open seating and begins charging further for these roomier rows.
So, consider this because the “gentle launch,” of kinds, in the course of the closing few months of first-come, first-served seating.
Practically half of Southwest planes now have further legroom
It is not simply Southwest’s Hawaii flights which have its new extra-legroom seats, both. As of Sept. 8, the service had retrofitted 380 of its planes with the brand new seating setup — about 47% of its fleet.
As a part of the cabin revamp, crews additionally put in in-seat energy shops and bigger overhead bins on all of Southwest’s MAX 8 planes that fly its longer routes.
Associated: Southwest’s ‘variable’ redemptions take impact
Southwest’s MAX 8 (and Boeing 737-800) planes which have been retrofitted now function 5 extra-legroom rows on the entrance of the plane and three extra rows of elevated seating close to the mid-cabin emergency exit.
We should always observe that these are simply common coach seats with extra legroom. So for now, as you board a airplane that has these spacious rows, you could have to look carefully to see what sort of seat you are selecting.
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Southwest not too long ago started putting in specially-colored headrests to make its extra-legroom seats stand out. However you may solely discover the colours on a couple of quarter of the planes which have the brand new seating setup.
This is what the MAX 8 and 737-800 seat map will seem like as soon as the plane is outfitted with the brand new configuration.
Retrofits for each airplane
Southwest started refitting its planes this spring after saying its shift to assigned and extra-legroom seating in 2024.
The service has already began promoting flights with assigned seating, which formally begins Jan. 27, 2026. At that time, prospects who buy the airline’s newly named Selection Further fare could have entry to further legroom.
High-tier Speedy Rewards A-Checklist Most popular members will be capable to choose a kind of seats at no cost inside 48 hours of a flight’s departure. Vacationers who carry the Southwest Speedy Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card (see charges and costs) the Southwest® Speedy Rewards® Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card (see charges and costs) will be capable to do the identical.
Learn extra: Southwest unveils large bank card refresh: 50% payment hikes, however new seating and boarding perks
Greatest methods to get a Southwest extra-legroom seat in 2025
Between now and January — whereas Southwest nonetheless has open seating in place — your finest guess for scoring one of many extra-legroom seats is to safe an early boarding place.
The airline sells Upgraded Boarding as an non-obligatory add-on inside 24 hours of departure. This ensures an A1-15 boarding place — and, in essence, ensures an extra-legroom seat might be accessible whenever you get on the airplane.
Learn extra: What to learn about Southwest Airways’ 8 boarding teams beginning in January
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Southwest nonetheless has to complete retrofitting its Boeing 737-800 fleet with the brand new configuration. The airline now expects to begin updating its 737-700s in December, a spokesperson instructed TPG.
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