Farewell, Southwest Open Seating: A Love-Hate Relationship

Whether you loved it or loathed it, the lack of assigned seating on Southwest Airlines has been a longstanding tradition. However, this 50-year legacy of open seating is set to come to an end soon.

On Thursday, Southwest announced it will phase out its longstanding choose-your-own-seat policy in a bid to increase revenue and cater to evolving passenger preferences.

The airline’s unique group-boarding system, where passengers scramble for a seat once aboard, will soon be history. In its place, Southwest will implement assigned seating and introduce “premium seating options” featuring extra legroom. The carrier stated that it anticipates approximately one-third of all seats on its Boeing fleet will eventually offer this added space, though no specific timeline for these updates has been shared.

“Transitioning to assigned seating and introducing premium legroom options will be a game-changing shift affecting nearly every aspect of the company,” stated Southwest CEO Bob Jordan.

Although the airline reported that 80 percent of its existing customers prefer assigned seating, some devoted Southwest fans, like aviation journalist Benét J. Wilson, hold a different view.

“It’s quirky and not everyone liked it, but I adored open seating, and I’m disappointed to see it go,” Wilson remarked. “Sure, Southwest needs to boost its profits, but this move aligns the airline more with traditional carriers and takes away its unique charm.”

The airline will adopt the same model as all other major U.S. carriers by implementing assigned seating and offering separate extra legroom options, likely at an additional cost. This strategy is expected to attract new customers.

“When a customer decides to stop flying Southwest in favor of a competitor, open seating is frequently mentioned as the primary reason,” the airline noted in its announcement. Indeed, this was my own reason for not flying with Southwest for leisure, despite having traveled on all other major U.S. airlines and numerous international ones as an aviation reporter—the anxiety of finding a seat was simply too overwhelming for me.

Conversely, Michelle Baran, deputy news editor for Dinogo and a mother of two, supports Southwest’s current seating system.

“I came to value this model once I became a mom traveling with kids,” Baran shared. “I could place them beside me, which gave me a chance for extra space if the flight wasn’t full. Not being squeezed in is a lifesaver for parents with small children, and it’s also a relief for those who prefer to avoid sitting next to a crying toddler throughout the flight.”

Indeed, Southwest’s boarding process can sometimes induce anxiety and lead to uncomfortable situations. Ashley Yu compared the experience of open seating to students in a classroom trying to evade the teacher’s attention. “As passengers walk down the aisle, those in their seats look away, hoping no one will ask them to sit there,” Yu remarked. “It’s usually not a major issue, but there’s that underlying feeling of ‘Oh no, please don’t look at me’ that isn’t present with other airlines.”

Alongside these forthcoming changes, Southwest will introduce red-eye flights in February, starting with overnight services for the following routes: Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando; Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville; and Phoenix to Baltimore.

Earlier this year, Southwest also underwent a significant digital transformation by launching a pilot program that enables the airline’s fares to appear in Google Flights search results, similar to other major U.S. carriers. The airline is undoubtedly evolving. But will these changes drive away its loyal customers?

Only time will tell, but the airline has successfully attracted at least one new customer: me.