After more than 50 years of serving it’s loyal customers, Southwest Airlines has decided to eliminate its open seating policy.
In a press release on Thursday, the airline acknowledge that the “preferences have evolved with more customers taking longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred.” However, it’s unclear whether this is actually what customers want, as they have been a popular choice for those wanting to get their favorite seat without paying extra for seat selection.
Revamping the Boarding Process
The decision to change the open seating policy was influenced by the need to revamp the boarding process.
The Dallas-based company hopes that the new method will appeal to both new and old customers. According to an internal survey, four out of five passengers said that they would prefer assigned seating.
When Will the Change Occur?
Although the company has not given any explicit dates on the big change, it’s expected to occur sometime in late September.
More press releases and information is expected to create a smooth transition for passengers who are used to flying in a certain way with the company.
More Big Changes Are Coming
There are more changes coming to the company aside from just the seat selection.
Southwest will also introduce premium seating options on all flights and introduce more red-eye flight options. Premium seats are often a way to allow a company to increase their revenue for a similar item to what they previously sold.
Cabins Will Look Different Soon
The premium seats will most likely come with more legroom and a wider distance between your seat mate. To integrate these changes, the interior of the planes will most likely need to be altered.
“While specific cabin layout details are still in design, Southwest expects roughly one-third of seats across the fleet to offer extended legroom, in line with that offered by industry peers on narrowbody aircraft,” the airline said.
Refresh Already Unveiled This Year
Earlier this year, Southwest unveiled a new cabin design that was introduced to its new fleet of planes.
The changes that were introduced in 2022 included in-seat USB charging and stronger Wi-Fi on planes.
Locations for Red-Eye Flights
Red-eye (or flights that leave at might night) trips will now be available on Thursdays.
The first flight will land next Valentines day and the five nonstop markets will include: Las Vegas to Baltimore, Las Vegas to Orlando, Los Angeles to Baltimore, Los Angeles to Nashville, and Phoenix to Baltimore.
More Flights Will Be Added if Successful
If the initial run of red-eye flights are popular, the airlines plans of adding more in the future.
Eventually, the company hopes to have 24-hour operational capabilities and be a benchmark for the industry.
Adding Value for Customers and Shareholders
The newly implemented change aim to add value for customers and investors by boosting sales.
Southwest President, CEO, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Bob Jordan said in a statement to the press that “Our goal is to restore industry-leading margins and historical levels of shareholder returns through our comprehensive plan to deliver transformational commercial initiatives, improved operational efficiency, and capital allocation discipline,”
Sales Are up for the Company
Operating revenues were up 4.5% over the past year at a quarterly high of $7.5 billion.
Despite this massive number, the airlines earnings have been under scrutiny in recent months.
Boeing’s Plane Deliveries Are Impacting Southwest
Another reason for Southwest’s issues are the ongoing manufacturing delays with Boeing’s planes which has impacted revenue as the airline has not been able to add new flights.
In recent months, the ongoing lawsuits and manufacturing defects with Boeing have caused the company massive delays in delivering new planes.
Pricing Pressure
Southwest is also facing pricing pressure as the rest of the industry is well over-capacity for their flights and domestic airfares have dampened over time.
It might be the end of an era for affordable and open seating on Southwest flights.
