Southwest Airlines To End Its Open Seating Policy

CNBC reports:

Southwest Airlines is ending open seating and will offer extra legroom seats on its airplanes as mounting pressure on the carrier to increase revenue prompts the biggest changes to its business model in its 53 years of flying.

The airline plans to start selling the first flights that will offer extra legroom next year, it said Thursday. The airline also plans to start overnight flights, starting in February.

When travelers choose a competitor over Southwest, the airline found in its research that its open seating model was the No. 1 reason for that choice, the carrier said in a release that outlined the changes. It also said 80% of its own customers prefer an assigned seat.

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Southwest Airlines says it’s abandoning its open seating policy and plans to sell seats with extra legroom, the biggest change to its business model in 53 years. https://t.co/f43ZyR9b5x

— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) July 25, 2024