Big Changes Are Coming at Southwest

Southwest Airlines is unveiling what it says will be the biggest changes in its 53-year history, per CNBC.

• No more open seating; after an undisclosed date, assigned seats only
• Seats with extra legroom to be available next year, for a premium
• Red-eye flights (initially Las Vegas to Baltimore; Las Vegas to Orlando, Florida; Los Angeles to Baltimore; Los Angeles to Nashville, Tennessee; Phoenix to Baltimore) to begin in February

Travelers cited Southwest's model of grabbing any available seat as the top reason for choosing to fly with a competitor, and 80% of Southwest fliers said they preferred an assigned seat. "Preferences have evolved with more customers taking longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred," Southwest said Thursday, per USA Today. With the change, the low-cost airline said it "expects to broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future customers," per CNN.

The FAA still needs to approve new cabin layouts for the airline's fleet of Boeing 737s, which will extend legroom for a third of its seats. This is "in line with that offered by industry peers on narrowbody aircraft," Southwest said. The change means the airline can charge more for some tickets. Southwest, once the most profitable US airline, reported a 51% drop in profit in the second quarter, down to $370 million, after losses in the last two quarters. The airline said it would provide more details about the changes at the end of September. As of now, there's no sign of change to some of Southwest's most beloved policies, including two free checked bags and no flight change fees. (Boeing isn't having such a great day.)