Southwest Airlines announces when it plans to start assigning seats

(Gray News) – Southwest Airlines’ boarding process will see some changes next year.

The airline announced on Thursday that its passengers will be able to book a reserved seat from the end of 2025 for flights in early 2026.

Southwest previously announced in July that it would begin moving away from the open-seat model it has become known for over its 53 years of service.

CNN reports that the airline will also begin offering premium seats for the first time, but this will delay the start of seat assignments because planes will now need to be reconfigured.

Southwest CEO Robert Jordan said earlier this year that many of the airline’s passengers had told them they wanted an assigned seat.

According to Jordan, surveys showed that 80% of his customers and 86% of his prospects wanted the opportunity to be assigned a seat.

“I know there will be customers who say, ‘I want to stay with open seating.’ It’s a minority,” Jordan told CNBC.

Additionally, Southwest will still allow passengers to check two bags for free. Jordan said the airline has no immediate plans to end the program banning flying bags.