07/25/2024
DALLAS – Big changes are coming to Southwest Airlines.
The Dallas-based airline announced Thursday it is putting an end to its open seating policy, will begin offering premium seating and is introducing redeye flight options.
The airline said the changes are the next step in a "continuing strategic transformation" and are designed to "elevate the customer experience."
In addition to assigning seats, Southwest will offer premium, extended legroom portions of plane cabins. One-third of seats will offer the extended option.
Southwest will sell tickets for redeye flights starting Thursday. The first overnight flights will land on Valentine's Day next year in five initial nonstop markets: Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando; Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville; and Phoenix to Baltimore. Southwest said it plans to phase in additional redeye flying.
The announcement came as Southwest reported that its second-quarter profit dropped to $367 million — down 46% from a year earlier.
President and CEO of Southwest, Bob Jordan, said the changes are part of "a comprehensive upgrade to the Southwest experience."
"Moving to assigned seating and offering premium legroom options will be a transformational change that cuts across almost all aspects of the company," Jordan said in a news release about the changes. "Although our unique open seating model has been a 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. We are excited to incorporate customer and employee feedback to design a unique experience that only Southwest can deliver."