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Coverage dated July 24, 2024 to July 25, 2024

Southwest Airlines does away with open seating, biggest change in 53 years

Headline from ABC 7 Los Angeles, from the development of Jul 25, 2024

Newest development Jul 26, 2024 · 3 reportsSouthwest’s Open Seating Policy Changes Spark Mixed Flyer Reactions

Southwest Airlines is moving from its famously open seating to assigned seats, adding a premium cabin with more legroom and adding redeye flights.

ABC 7 Los Angeles's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Developments in this update

2 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Names this update

    Southwest Airlines does away with open seating, biggest change in 53 years

    Headline from ABC 7 Los Angeles ·

  2. Newest

    Southwest’s Open Seating Policy Changes Spark Mixed Flyer Reactions

    Headline from Forbes ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

97 articles, oldest first.

  1. ABC 7 Los Angeles

    Southwest Airlines does away with open seating, biggest change in 53 years (opens ABC 7 Los Angeles)

    Published

    ABC 7 Los Angeles's feed description

    Southwest Airlines is moving from its famously open seating to assigned seats, adding a premium cabin with more legroom and adding redeye flights.

  2. FOX Business

    Southwest ending its open seating policy (opens FOX Business)

    Published

    FOX Business's feed description

    Southwest Airlines is getting rid of its open seating model for the first time in its history as it tries to boost profits. It did not specify when the changes would take effect.

  3. Foxla

    Southwest breaks 50-year tradition and will start assigning seats, offer extra legroom (opens Foxla)

    Published

    Foxla's feed description

    Southwest Airlines is ditching its open seating model and will start assigning seats and offering premium seating for customers who want more legroom.

  4. NBC News

    Southwest to get rid of open seating, offer extra legroom in biggest shift in its history (opens NBC News)

    Published

    NBC News's feed description

    Southwest Airlines is ending open seating and will offer extra legroom seats on its airplanes as mounting pressure on the carrier to increase revenue prompts the biggest changes to its business model in its 53 years of flying.

  5. ABC 7 Los Angeles

    Southwest plans to start assigning seats, breaking 50-year tradition (opens ABC 7 Los Angeles)

    Published

    ABC 7 Los Angeles's feed description

    Southwest Airlines is doing away with a 50-year tradition and plans to start assigning seats.

  6. Tampa Bay Times

    Southwest Airlines is scrapping its open-seating model (opens Tampa Bay Times)

    Published

    Tampa Bay Times's feed description

    The company will also start offering redeye flights.

  7. NBC Chicago

    When will Southwest start assigning seats? What to know after airline announces big change (opens NBC Chicago)

    Published

    NBC Chicago's feed description

    Southwest Airlines has been known for its unique "open boarding" model for more than 50 years. In 2025, that will change.

  8. Daily Journal

    Southwest breaks with 50-year tradition and will assign seats; profit falls at Southwest, American (opens Daily Journal)

    Published

    Daily Journal's feed description

    Southwest Airlines plans to drop its tradition of more than 50 years and start assigning seats and selling premium seating for customers who want more legroom. The airline said Thursday that it has been studying seating options and is making the changes because passenger preferences have shifted.

  9. Tucson

    Southwest breaks 50-year tradition, plans to start assigning seats (opens Tucson)

    Published

    Tucson's feed description

    The airline said that it has been studying customer preferences and that its plans are also a way to bring in more revenue.

  10. New York Times

    Southwest Airlines Will End Its Longstanding Open-Seating Policy (opens New York Times)

    Published

    New York Times's feed description

    The airline said it was scrapping its trademark, 50-year tradition of offering open seating, where passengers choose seats once they have boarded the plane.

  11. Breitbart News

    Southwest Airlines Announces the End of Open Seating (opens Breitbart News)

    Published

    Breitbart News's feed description

    Southwest Airlines is making a major change to its unique business model — no more open seating after 50 years of the practice.

  12. FOX 4 Dallas

    Southwest Airlines switches to assigned seating (opens FOX 4 Dallas)

    Published

    FOX 4 Dallas's feed description

    Dallas-based Southwest Airlines announced a huge change for passengers. It will shift to assigned seats starting sometime next year.

  13. WFMZ Allentown

    Southwest breaks with 50-year tradition and will assign seats (opens WFMZ Allentown)

    Published

    WFMZ Allentown's feed description

    Southwest Airlines plans to drop the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and will start assigning passengers to seats, just like all the other big airlines.

  14. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

    Southwest Airlines is getting rid of open seating (opens NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

    Published

    NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth's feed description

    Southwest plans to offer pricier seats with extra legroom and end open seating on its planes.

  15. Deseret News

    Southwest Airlines is ending its open seating policy (opens Deseret News)

    Published

    Deseret News's feed description

    After 50 years, open seating is coming to an end on Southwest Airlines. Now, passengers will be assigned their seats.

  16. Forbes

    Big Changes At Southwest: Assigned Seats, Red-Eye Flights And More (opens Forbes)

    Published

    Forbes's feed description

    The Dallas-based airline is shaking up some of its long-held protocols in an effort to please customers and stave off attacks from an activist investor.

  17. NBC New York

    Southwest Airlines open seating changes: Read full company statement (opens NBC New York)

    Published

    NBC New York's feed description

    Southwest Airlines announced plans Thursday to begin assigned seating on its flights, a change to its longstanding, much-talked-about open seating policy

  18. Fox7 Austin

    Southwest Airlines to start assigning seats, offer extra legroom (opens Fox7 Austin)

    Published

    Fox7 Austin's feed description

    Southwest Airlines is ditching its open seating model and will start assigning seats and offering premium seating for customers who want more legroom.

  19. Bloomberg

    Southwest Airlines Moves to Assigned Seats in Major Policy Shift (opens Bloomberg)

    Published

    Bloomberg's feed description

    Southwest Airlines Co. will begin offering assigned seats, ditching the free-for-all policy that has been a defining feature of the carrier for more than half a century.

  20. The Federalist

    Southwest Airlines: Where Freedom (Open Seating) Goes To Die (opens The Federalist)

    Published

    The Federalist's feed description

    RIP open seating. You were the last semblance of freedom in a greedy industry dominated by subsidized tyrants.

  21. Jalopnik

    Southwest Airlines Drops Open Seating (opens Jalopnik)

    Published

    Jalopnik's feed description

    You'll soon be able to pick your seat and pay extra for more legroom on Southwest flights

  22. Investopedia

    Southwest Airlines To Introduce Assigned Seating, Overnight Flights (opens Investopedia)

    Published

    Investopedia's feed description

    Southwest Airlines is changing its longtime policy of unassigned seating and, starting next February, introducing overnight flights.

  23. Kokomo Tribune

    Southwest Airlines breaks with 50-year tradition, to offer assigned seating and new boarding procedures (opens Kokomo Tribune)

    Published

    Kokomo Tribune's feed description

    Southwest Airlines breaks with 50-year tradition, to offer assigned seating and new boarding procedures.

  24. The Buffalo News

    Southwest Airlines plans to start assigning seats, breaking with a 50-year tradition (opens The Buffalo News)

    Published

    The Buffalo News's feed description

    Southwest Airlines plans to drop the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and will start assigning passengers to seats, just like all the other big airlines.

  25. Las Vegas Review-Journal

    Southwest will assign seats on flights; breaking 50-year tradition (opens Las Vegas Review-Journal)

    Published

    Las Vegas Review-Journal's feed description

    Southwest Airlines plans to drop its tradition of more than 50 years and start assigning seats and selling premium seating for customers who want more legroom.

Showing the first 25 of 38 headlines. ·

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.