Southwest Airlines ditches open seating, will move to assigned seats

July 25 (UPI) -- Southwest Airlines' open seating for flights, a staple of the carrier since its inception, is going away after extensive research with passengers and an opportunity to increase revenue, the company said on Thursday.

Southwest was unique in allowing passengers to pick their own seats as they boarded the flight, based on when they entered the airplane, where they were separated by zones. The airline said that has worked for them for more than 50 years but admitted it was time for a change.

The airline will also offer premium seating for higher prices and will present details of a comprehensive plan in late September.

"After listening carefully to customers and conducting extensive research, Southwest decided it will assign seats and offer premium seating options on all lights," Southwest said in a statement. "Preferences have evolved with more customers taking longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred.

"The research is clear and indicates that 80% of Southwest customers and 86% of potential customers prefer an assigned seat. By moving to an assigned seating model, Southwest expects to broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future customers."

Southwest said it found in its research that customers are willing to pay for "extended legroom" and it expects that roughly one-third of its seats across the fleet will be able to provide such a service, which will provide a new stream of income.

"Moving to assigned seating and offering premium legroom options will be a transformational change that cuts across almost all aspects of the company," Bob Jordan, Southwest's president and CEO, said.

"Although our unique open seating model has been part of Southwest Airlines since our inception, our thoughtful and extensive research makes it clear this is the right choice at the right time for our customers, our people and our shareholders."

Southwest also announced redeye flights as part of its 24-hour operations with initial routes currently available. Additional flights of Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando, Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville and Phoenix to Baltimore will be added in February 2025.