Assigned seating on Southwest flights? Airline announces changes.

After more than five decades, Southwest Airlines is saying goodbye to its open seating policy.

In a press release on Thursday, Southwest Airlines announced its plans to “elevate the customer experience” with assigned seats and “premium seating options.”

According to Southwest, customer feedback and “extensive research” led to the airline’s decision to assign seats on all its flights.

“The research is clear and indicates that 80% of Southwest customers, and 86% of potential customers, prefer an assigned seat,” reads a statement from the airline.

Known for its unique open seating model for more than 50 years, Southwest is hopeful that the switch to assigned seating will help broaden its appeal and attract more passengers.

In addition to assigned seats, Southwest will offer premium seating with extended legroom. According to Southwest, approximately one-third of seats across its fleet are expected to be “premium” seats.

No date was provided by Southwest regarding when these changes will go into effect, though the airline plans to discuss these details during its Investor Day in late September.

During the past two years, Southwest has rolled out “enhanced” onboard offerings such as faster Wi-Fi, charging ports at the seats, and larger overhead bins. The airline is also working on a cabin redesign, which will include seats that are “more comfortable.”

This Thursday’s press release also mentioned another change coming to Southwest: the addition of overnight, redeye flights. The first redeye flight will land on February 14, 2025, in five initial nonstop markets: Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando; Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville; and Phoenix to Baltimore.

Southwest plans to “phase in” additional redeye flights into its 24-hour operation over the next few years.

Since 1996, Southwest Airlines has flown out of Orlando International Airport, offering daily, nonstop flights to dozens of cities across the United States. The airline currently operates out of Terminal A, Gates 101-129.

Last month, Southwest Airlines added six new routes from Orlando to international destinations.