Southwest Airlines Scraps Open Seating and Introduces Red-Eye Flights

A Southwest Airlines airplane comes in for a landing at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, on May 12, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Coming off a poor second-quarter financial report and after decades of open-seat commercial flights and low prices, Southwest Airlines announced July 25 that it will be pivoting to an assigned seating system and introducing red-eye flight options for passengers.

The company said it was making the changes “to meet evolving customer preferences and increase revenue opportunities,” according to a press release.

The changes come after the airline’s 2024 second-quarter financials were published, also July 25—showing a profit of $367 million, a 46 percent decline from the same quarter last year.

“Our second-quarter performance was impacted by both external and internal factors and fell short of what we believe we are capable of delivering,” said Bob Jordan, president, CEO, and vice chairman of the Southwest board, in a press release.

Since 1971, Southwest Airlines has been famous for its open-seat model, which set it apart from most airlines that organize flights using first-class cabins and priority boarding passes.

The airline’s strategy also helped keep airfares at a more affordable price point, according to Southwest.

According to the company’s research, 80 percent of its customers—and 86 percent of potential customers—prefer assigned seating.

That prompted them to make the change, they said.

“Although our unique open seating model has been a part of Southwest Airlines since our inception, our thoughtful and extensive research makes it clear this is the right choice—at the right time—for our Customers, our People, and our Shareholders,” Mr. Jordan said.

The airline is also working on upgrading its cabin design, which will include seats made by RECARO, a seat-manufacturing company known for comfortable chair designs for aircraft, cars, and gaming.

Under the new policy, Southwest will offer premium seats with extended legroom. The company said they expect around one-third of the seats across their fleet to offer such an option.

The airline has not stated when the new seating system will be implemented.

Red-eye flights will become available on Feb. 14, 2025, according to the company’s press release. The new 24-hour operation will provide the airlines with more revenue and cost savings, company officials said.

Overnight flights will be available on five nonstop routes: Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville; Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando; and Phoenix to Baltimore.