Southwest to have assigned seating

[focusondisney]

This is what I think too.


Okay. For some reason I thought that was on Friday.

It’s on the 26th.

 

[focusondisney]

Here you go..

https://www.southwest.com/customer-experience-enhancements/

“We will begin selling flights with seat assignments in the second half of 2025 for travel in the first half of 2026.”

 

[han22735]

I wonder how much it's going to cost to pick seats early. And if you don't it says you get an assigned seat a few days before travel. I wonder how they are going to choose? Random throughout the plane or together based on your reservation.

 

[LoveToDisney]

I wonder how much it's going to cost to pick seats early. And if you don't it says you get an assigned seat a few days before travel. I wonder how they are going to choose? Random throughout the plane or together based on your reservation.

Good questions.

 

[keishashadow]

the current expectations follow.

Changes Credit card holder benefits TBD

expect 1/3rd of seats on every plane to include extra legroom.

SWA is switching the seats on its 175-person Boeing 737-800 plane for a skinnier seat

Will remove a row of seats on Boeing 737-700 planes.

waiting to receive final certification on its new cabin layouts from the FAS

actual retrofitting is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2025.

SWA also plans to implement larger overhead bins and double its Wi-Fi bandwidth.

 

[R&RsMom]

I wonder how much it's going to cost to pick seats early. And if you don't it says you get an assigned seat a few days before travel. I wonder how they are going to choose? Random throughout the plane or together based on your reservation.

If it works as it does on the US legacy airlines, those who don’t choose seats early get what is left. That often is middle seats for full flights. I don’t know at all what SW will do about families with small children.

 

[sam_gordon]

Some details... https://thepointsguy.com/news/southwest-airlines-new-seating-boarding-policy/

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

Some details... https://thepointsguy.com/news/southwest-airlines-new-seating-boarding-policy/

That was really informative, thanks. With the standard seats in the back losing an inch, my husband is forced out of them so we'll be springing for extra legroom. He was already at the point where his knees almost hit the metal hinges on the seats in front of him.

 

[Best Guest]

If it works as it does on the US legacy airlines, those who don’t choose seats early get what is left. That often is middle seats for full flights. I don’t know at all what SW will do about families with small children.

What do the legacy airlines do with families with small children?

 

[Marrila]

What do the legacy airlines do with families with small children?

Most parents choose to book seats together with their kids.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That was really informative, thanks. With the standard seats in the back losing an inch, my husband is forced out of them so we'll be springing for extra legroom. He was already at the point where his knees almost hit the metal hinges on the seats in front of him.

Yeah that's pretty much what it is with my husband too.

The disappointing news is 48 hours with A-list (non-preferred). It means it's a non-perk for A-list member for free seat selection because is way too close to the flight date and others are able to buy it. SWA should have reconsidered doing it this way because it devalues A-list in the worst of ways.

 

[Sykes]

What do the legacy airlines do with families with small children?

It depends on the airline. Some airlines guarantee that a child 13 or younger can assign a seat next to a parent at no additional charge, provided that it's possible to do so (e.g. there are unassigned seats available). The DOT put out a dashboard that helps families navigate which airlines have this policy. Most airlines also block out a number of seats to help with this scenario as well--the seats show as already occupied to consumers, but in the backend agents can see that they're actually just blocked from assignment and can be assigned to families, customers who need to sit together for disability reasons, etc.

The DOT has proposed a rule to make guaranteed family seating a regulation, and that rule has widespread support, so it's likely that those provisions will be required by law soon. The DOT has a nice summary of the requirements of the proposed rule here:

Ban family seating junk fees: The proposed rule would ban airlines from charging junk fees to assign seats for a young child (age 13 or under) next to their parent or accompanying adult.
Require adjacent family seating when available: The proposal would require airlines to seat parents next to their young children for free within 48 hours of booking when adjacent seats are available.
* The proposal defines adjacent family seating as seats next to each other in the same row and not separated by an aisle.
* Airlines would be required to make adjacent family seats available in every class of service and prohibited from defining class in a way that limits availability of family seating, such as structuring basic economy to consist of only middle seats.
* In situations where it is impossible to provide adjacent seating for multiple young children, airlines would be required to seat them across the aisle from, directly in front of, or directly behind the parent or accompanying adult.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

Yeah that's pretty much what it is with my husband too.

The disappointing news is 48 hours with A-list (non-preferred). It means it's a non-perk for A-list member for free seat selection because is way too close to the flight date and others are able to buy it. SWA should have reconsidered doing it this way because it devalues A-list in the worst of ways.

Yes that was exactly my thought about A-list too. We'll just have to see how it shakes out.

 

[keishashadow]

SWA should have reconsidered doing it this way because it devalues A-list in the worst of ways.

Or they are gambling it’s an incentive to the lowest tier of A-list to try harder lol. Tongue in cheek there, if anything I won’t worry about booking another line now for fear of jeopardizing potential SWA A-list

 

[LoveToDisney]

That was really informative, thanks. With the standard seats in the back losing an inch, my husband is forced out of them so we'll be springing for extra legroom. He was already at the point where his knees almost hit the metal hinges on the seats in front of him.

We are in the same boat. I only had 1/2” before the pitch decrease. I won’t fit in the regular seats with the change. Unfortunate.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I read the explanation of Southwest's new seating policy. I think that one of the results of the assigned seating is that people will be more likely to book their flights as early as possible in order to get better seats. I usually check prices every day to get the lowest prices for our flights. But with the new policy, I'm not sure if there will be too many price reductions. In general, I'm expecting to pay more to fly SWA then I have in the past.

 

[_19disnA]

I wish airlines would show the TOTAL cost of your ticket so you can do meaningful comparison of prices between various airlines. The 'base price' is all you currently see which generally does NOT include the added price of checked baggage or choosing a seat. With some airlines, their website makes the price as obscure as possible until you actually go far enough in the process to see what those added costs might be.

Even if you don't care where you sit, the cost of 1-2 pieces of checked luggage can add significantly to the ticket price.

 

[sam_gordon]

I wish airlines would show the TOTAL cost of your ticket so you can do meaningful comparison of prices between various airlines. The 'base price' is all you currently see which generally does NOT include the added price of checked baggage or choosing a seat. With some airlines, their website makes the price as obscure as possible until you actually go far enough in the process to see what those added costs might be.

Even if you don't care where you sit, the cost of 1-2 pieces of checked luggage can add significantly to the ticket price.

The problem is not every one needs to check a bag or choose a seat. Or, because of what credit card or status they have, they get that free. So how could an airline give a total cost without getting more information?

 

[_19disnA]

Airlines don't want to you price shop (or make it as difficult as possible to compare prices for the same route on various airlines). They could assume 1 checked bag and a basic seat option. Your price would be +/- that depending on your particular travel plans but at least a place to start.

 

[Sykes]

I’ve checked a bag twice in my last ~100 flights, so I’m happy that checked bag fees are not shown in the advertised price.