Southwest Airlines to introduce extra-legroom seats and assigned seating changes in May

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Southwest Airlines to introduce extra-legroom seats and assigned seating changes in May

Research

Mimi Wright Social media manager | The Points Guy

By Sky Industry News

Apr 21, 2025

The introduction of Southwest Airlines' extra-legroom seats on its planes is set for May 1, 2025. These seats will be available for free initially, a move confirmed by the Dallas-based airline. The aircraft chosen for the first upgrade are the Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 models. "Southwest expects to deploy its first newly retrofitted aircraft sporting the more spacious rows May 1," the airline stated.

This shift toward more spacious seating is part of Southwest's transition to assigned seating, a plan introduced last year following customer research. Extra-legroom seats will be fitted in the first five rows and surrounding the exit doors in the middle section of the aircraft.

Southwest aims to complete all cabin reconfigurations by the end of 2025, allowing ticket sales under the new seating model to commence by early 2026. "Technically, the airline doesn't plan to start selling tickets under its assigned seating model until the third quarter of 2025," the report noted.

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The airline plans a "soft launch," which will see the upgraded planes enter service quietly. Maintenance crews in Denver, Phoenix, Houston, and Atlanta are tasked with implemeting these upgrades. "I think it'll be a nice surprise when customers walk on," Ryan Green, Southwest's former Executive Vice President, remarked earlier this year.

Customers with A-group boarding and those with A-List elite status or pre-boarding options like EarlyBird will have a better chance of securing an extra-legroom seat. Southwest's Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson assured, "An increasing percentage as you go throughout the year."

Apart from adding extra-legroom seats, the retrofitting process will bring other changes. Aircraft will receive in-seat power outlets and larger overhead bins. The standard seat pitch in the 737-800 and MAX 8 cabins will decrease slightly from 32 inches to 31 inches to accommodate these changes.

Post-summer, retrofits will also begin on the smaller 737-700 aircraft where legroom will remain unchanged. The airline's transition away from open seating includes planned changes to benefits for A-List elite members and Rapid Rewards credit cardholders. In May, checked baggage fees will be implemented, ending the "bags fly free" policy.