Southwest is ditching its open seating policy

Southwest Airlines is ditching the open seating policy it’s had since its founding over 50 years ago.

Transcript

00:00Southwest Airlines is ditching its free-for-all policy when it comes to seating.

00:04Starting next year, the airline will begin offering assigned seats and premium seating with extra legroom.

00:10And for the first time, it will also offer overnight red-eye flights.

00:14Southwest has been facing pressure from investors to revamp underperforming operations,

00:19and adding premium seat prices could open the door for the airline to begin offering business and first-class options.

00:26Southwest said the number one reason its travelers choose to book with a competitor is because of the open seating model,

00:32and 80% of customers prefer an assigned seat.