Southwest Airline’s open seating coverage is coming in for its last strategy.
The Texas-based provider stated Monday that flights with assigned seats will start on Jan. 27, 2026, marking the end of an era through which the low cost provider for many years bucked business norms by having passengers select their seats throughout boarding.
Southwest, which introduced final yr that it was abandoning open seating, said clients can begin reserving flights with assigned seats for 2026 beginning on July 29.
“Assigned seating unlocks new alternatives for our Clients — together with the power to pick out Further Legroom seats — and removes the uncertainty of not realizing the place they’ll sit within the cabin,” Tony Roach, government vp of buyer & model at Southwest Airways, stated in a press release.
The brand new coverage will permit vacationers to select from different fare bundles and seat options, together with these providing extra legroom. A Southwest spokesperson stated the airline is unable for now to supply particulars on how its fares will change beneath the brand new reservation system.
The airline additionally lately did away with its “bags fly free” policy, signaling a broader shift in its income technique amid mounting monetary strain. Individuals who e book flights on or after Could 28 ust pay $35 for the primary checked bag and $45 for the second.
New boarding course of
Southwest additionally introduced on Monday that it’s overhauling its boarding course of.
The brand new boarding sequence will group passengers primarily based on seat location, with precedence given to individuals who select seats with additional legroom and to loyalty program members. Southwest clients can even pay for precedence boarding in the event that they wish to transfer up within the queue.
Whereas Southwest passengers are currently assigned a group letter (A-C) and number, they’ll now be assigned a gaggle quantity, 1-8.
The brand new strategy is meant to “ship a clean and environment friendly Buyer Expertise on each flight,” Southwest stated.
