Southwest Airlines is gearing up for some big changes over the next two years, an overhaul the airline hopes will win big with passengers.
Along with more red eyes flight and a shift to assigned seat after 50 years of open seating, Southwest is redesigning the interior cabins of its 800 existing aircraft.
“This is a very significant change. It may be one of the most significant changes we’ve ever gone through,” Ryan Green, Southwest’s vice president of commercial transformation, told CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave, who recently got a sneak peek at the future cabins .
Southwest passengers will notice the difference, Van Cleave said of the redesign. Changes include new seat trays and device trays for all passengers throughout the cabin, as well as charging ports in all seats.
For an additional fee, premium seating with 3-4 inches of extra legroom will also be offered on refurbished planes.
“Customers want premium of all kinds, and if you’re flying longer, that extra legroom is worth a lot,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told CBS News.
Southwest says it will begin booking flights with assigned seats in the second half of 2025 for travel in the first half of 2026. That’s also when the airline expects the redesigned cabins to be available, pending Federal Aviation Administration approval.
Jordan and other Southwest executives described the airline’s restructuring plans this week at an investor meeting in Dallas. The changes come as the company, long known for its loyal customers, looks to meet the changing needs of passengers and strengthen its bottom line.
Said Jordan, “Consumer preferences have changed and the way we fly has changed.”
contributed to this report.