Travel News
Say goodbye to the boarding scramble: Southwest Airlines changes seating policy in 2025
Southwest abandons its unique seating system to quell customers critisism. When will the change go into affect?
Southwest customers will notice a familiar seat distribution system replacing the unique “first-come, first-served” system that the airline used for nearly fifty years.
For those who have never flown with Southwest, the previous system might be a mystery. Instead of assigning ticketed passengers specific seats or allowing them to pay for seat selection, the airline let the first customers to check in board the plane first and choose their seats. For those who were diligent with their airline check-in, this system worked well. However, over the years, the airline reported receiving increasing criticism from customers.
“After listening carefully to customers and conducting extensive research, Southwest decided it will assign seats and offer premium seating options on all flights,” the company announced in July.
READ MORE: Say goodbye to carry-on luggage as you know it? American Airlines changes baggage policy in 2025
Possible impacts of the change in the seating system
Southwest noted that many customers found the previous seating system frustrating, particularly on “longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred.” While the system was regarded as one of the fastest ways to board passengers, it sometimes left customers with middle seats even when they would have paid to avoid them.
Addressing concerns about potential delays, the airline stated it had “conducted robust operational testing that included live and over 8 million simulation-based boarding trials” and is confident the changes “will meet expectations and not compromise the airline’s operational efficiency.”
Other changes on Southwest flights
The change in the seating system is not the only one that customers may notice if they choose to fly Southwest this year.
The airline also informed customers that they would transform into a 24-hour operation, which would include the addition of red eye flights. These overnight options allow passengers to travel to their destinations at night to wake up and arrive in a new city. The airline noted that red eye flights for Valentines Day 2025 to help couples looking to spend the romantic holiday together would include:
- Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando;
- Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville;
- and Phoenix to Baltimore.
The airline also announced that they would be adapting their aircrafts to offer a premium economy class with seats that feature extended legroom. These seats are expected to represent around a third of the total seats on Southwest aircrafts across its fleet.
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