Southwest Airlines makes major change to decades-old open seating policy

Southwest Airlines has announced a major change coming to its current seating system.

The Texas-based airline previously had a “pick any seat” policy, allowing customers to purchase tickets in different boarding groups by selecting where they wanted to sit upon boarding the plane. 

On July 29, Southwest will be assigning seats to customers booking flights beginning on Jan. 27, 2026 — making it the last airline to drop open seating. 

Tony Roach, Southwest executive vice president of customer and brand, said in a press release that customers want “greater control over their travel experience.”

“Assigned seating unlocks new opportunities for our customers — including the ability to select Extra Legroom seats — and removes the uncertainty of not knowing where they will sit in the cabin,” said Roach.

He added, “This is an important step in our evolution, and we’re excited to pair these enhancements with our legendary customer service.”

A Senate investigation report last year reviewed data from five airlines: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines.

It found they collectively earned $12.4 billion in revenue from seat fees between 2018 and 2023.

The airlines recently implemented a substantial change by ending their well-known “bags fly free policy” in May.

The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations’ majority-staff report, “The Sky’s the Limit: The Rise of Junk Fees in American Travel,” also found the airlines made $1.2 billion from checked bag fees.

Flight passengers had mixed reactions to Spirit’s news on social media, sharing their thoughts on the policy change.

“Outstanding. That mad scramble for seats was always aggravating,” said one man on X.

Another user wrote, “No more free checked [bags], no more free changes. Suddenly it’s no different from any other airline.”

“The ability to avoid babies and pets was the only reason I flew them. No more,” said one user.

A person posted on X, “This is a good move for faster boarding at the airline and more fair for A-listers.”

FOX Business reached out to Southwest Airlines for comment.