*Southwest Airlines retired its iconic open-seating approach early Tuesday. A red-eye departure from Honolulu carrying 112 travelers to Los Angeles represented the carrier’s last flight where passengers could freely choose available spots after boarding, ending a practice spanning more than five decades.
As CNBC News reports, under the new system, all customers receive designated seats before stepping onto aircraft, with extra-legroom options at the plane’s front costing upwards of $70 each way. Airport staff in Los Angeles made numerous announcements clarifying the revised procedures, instructing flyers on how to identify their specific seat locations. New digital boarding displays featuring dual lanes now occupy spaces where numbered metal posts once stood.
Travelers expressed contrasting views about the transformation. “It’s overdue, honestly,” said Lisa Tate, 33, a teacher from Honolulu traveling to Atlanta via Las Vegas. “I like the reassurance that I can sit with my loved ones. It makes the situation less stressful.” However, Vicki Economou, 68, from Houston, voiced dissatisfaction. “Now they’re like everybody else, and nothing is setting them apart,” she said.
Cabin crew members expressed considerable relief about the policy change. One flight attendant told CNBC that passengers moving through aisles seeking available spots generated substantial anxiety for staffers. The former boarding process organized flyers into lettered categories with numerical designations, prompting many to schedule reminders exactly one day before departure to optimize their queue position.
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CEO Bob Jordan referenced research indicating 80% of passengers favor predetermined seating. Southwest anticipates the modification will contribute $1 billion in annual revenue.
Southwest Airlines also plans to revamp the interior design of its fleet of 800 aircraft. As part of the major changes rolling out over the next two years, passengers will benefit from larger overhead bins, redesigned seat trays, and device holders and charging ports at each seat. Additionally, premium seating will be available in the front and back of the plane.
“This is a very significant change. It may be one of the most significant changes we’ve ever gone through,” Ryan Green, Southwest’s executive vice president of commercial transformation, told CBS News.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Southwest to Introduce Assigned Seating and Redesigned Cabins by Early 2026
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