Southwest Airlines to Assign Seats, Ending Open Policy
Historic Shift for Low-Fare Carrier
Details to be Revealed in 2025
Southwest Airlines, known for its open seating policy, will begin selling tickets with assigned seats in 2025. This marks a significant change for the low-fare carrier, which has allowed passengers to choose their own seats on a first-come, first-served basis.
The airline will reveal additional details about the new seating arrangement in the coming months. However, it has announced that it will offer assigned and premium seats, as well as a revamped boarding model.
Southwest Airlines has long been known for its unique boarding process, which allows passengers to line up in numbered groups and then board the plane in that order. The airline says that the new seating arrangement will not significantly change this process, but it will allow passengers to have more certainty about where they will be sitting on the plane.
The change to assigned seating is a major shift for Southwest Airlines, which has been using its open seating policy for more than 50 years. The airline says that the new seating arrangement will provide a number of benefits for passengers, including:
- The ability to choose your seat in advance
- More certainty about where you will be sitting on the plane
- Reduced stress and anxiety about boarding the plane
Southwest Airlines is not the only airline to make changes to its seating policy in recent years. American Airlines and United Airlines have both moved to assigned seating in recent years, and Delta Air Lines has announced plans to do the same in the future.
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