Southwest Airlines announced a major policy change on Thursday, abandoning a nearly 60-year-old tradition of allowing passengers to choose their own seats on board.
Southwest Airlines will join other major airlines in starting to assign seats to passengers. according to Press release. The new policy is “aimed at enhancing customer experience, improving financial performance and enhancing shareholder value,” the release said.
In addition to reserved seating, the airline plans to redesign its boarding process, offer premium seats with extra legroom and introduce late-night flights, according to the announcement.
Southwest said it came to the decision after conducting an investigation and taking customer feedback into consideration. (Related article: Southwest Airlines lays off 2,000 employees, stops service to four airports)
“For more than 50 years, the airline has been known for its unique open-seat model, but preferences have changed as more customers on long-haul flights prefer to be assigned a seat,” the release read. “Surveys reveal that 80 percent of Southwest customers and 86 percent of potential customers prefer assigned seats.”
Southwest believes the changes will “broaden” the airline's appeal and attract more boardings from current and future customers.
Southwest Airlines will begin offering assigned seats, ending a 50-year tradition. Details: https://t.co/54XJAOlcB9 pic.twitter.com/XjTeeE8mxN
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) July 25, 2024
“Southwest's unique open-seat model has been a hallmark of our company since our founding, but a thorough and extensive search made it clear this was the right choice at the right time for our customers, employees and shareholders. We are excited to incorporate customer and employee feedback and design a unique experience that only Southwest can deliver,” Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines president, vice chairman of the board and CEO, said in a press release.
According to the release, the major airline plans to introduce late-night flights starting February 14, 2025. Currently, five routes are planned, with more to be added in the future, according to the release.
Users took to Twitter to share their disappointment over the airline's changes.
“When Southwest announced assigned seats, it rocked my world to its core,” Outkick founder and radio host Clay Travis wrote on Twitter, “But this is going to be chaotic. I don't like this change.”
Southwest is a Nashville based airline that has more direct flights than anywhere else. I love it and take it everywhere I go. Their app is so smooth it's amazing how easy it is to book and change flights. But this can be a pain. I don't like changes.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 25, 2024
“this is [the] “The end of an era. A beautiful airline destroyed by greed,” said one user. I have written.
