Open seating coming to an end at Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines, the second-largest airline in Atlanta, has announced it will end its long-standing open seating policy in favor of assigned seating. This marks a significant shift from the carrier’s traditional boarding practice, which allowed passengers to choose their seats upon boarding. The change, set to start with bookings next year, will also introduce premium seating with extended legroom, constituting about a third of the seats across Southwest’s fleet. The Dallas-based airline signaled earlier this year it was looking at making a change and made it official in an announcement Thursday. 

The decision follows extensive research and customer feedback, according to Southwest CEO Bob Jordan, who noted that the move aims to enhance the airline’s financial performance and appeal to a broader customer base. This shift returns Southwest to a model more similar to its pre-2014 acquisition of AirTran Airways, which featured seat assignments and business class options.

Joe Leader, CEO of the Airline Passenger Experience Association, acknowledged Southwest’s open seating as a distinctive and efficient system but noted that the move to assigned seating is intended to attract more passengers.

That change is part of an effort by Southwest to improve its financial performance, with Jordan saying it “will unlock new sources of revenue.” It’s also a return to the past of another sort for Southwest. The airline entered the Atlanta market through the acquisition of AirTran Airways, which had an Atlanta hub and offered seat assignments and business class seats. Southwest absorbed AirTran into its operations and converted it to Southwest’s open seating model. While Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and other carriers across the industry have seat assignments, Southwest has been known for having open seating for more than 50 years. 

Southwest says it expects the changes to take effect with bookings starting next year.