Southwest Airlines to Begin Aircraft Cabin Retrofits in May, Shifting to Assigned Seating Model

The low-cost carrier plans to transform more than 800 Boeing 737s by year’s end, marking a significant departure from its 50-year open seating policy as it adds premium legroom options to meet evolving customer preferences.

Southwest Airlines will begin retrofitting its Boeing 737 aircraft cabins with new premium seats on May 1, 2025, aiming to complete its entire fleet of more than 800 planes by the end of the year, company officials said.

The cabin retrofit program represents a major shift for the Dallas-based carrier, which is partially moving away from its long-standing open seating policy as it introduces extra-legroom seating and assigned seating options. The airline plans to retrofit up to 10 aircraft per night across various maintenance bases.

“We have to touch a little more than 800 aircraft between May 1 and Dec. 31 so that the company is ready to go with the extended legroom product,” said Southwest Airlines Senior Vice President of Technical Operations Landon Nitschke.

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While the refreshed aircraft will begin flying as early as next month, passengers won’t be able to book assigned seats until the third quarter of 2025, with the first flights offering the new seating arrangement scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.

Southwest’s Technical Operations division will conduct the retrofits across multiple bases including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Atlanta, Orlando and Denver. The airline has conducted multiple prototype tests of the cabin retrofit process and aims to complete each individual aircraft overnight.

The carrier will also open a new line maintenance hangar at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshal Airport in May. The facility can accommodate three Boeing 737s inside with apron space for up to eight aircraft.

“Baltimore is less about scheduled C checks or scheduled overnight maintenance and more about a line maintenance hangar or a hangar for aircraft to remain overnight just to get them out of the weather,” Nitschke added.

By the end of the retrofit program, approximately one-third of Southwest’s seats will feature extra legroom, which will be marketed as premium seating. RECARO will supply the seats, while Boeing will provide larger overhead bins for the retrofitted aircraft.

The premium seats will offer passengers up to five additional inches of legroom and will be located at the front of the aircraft and near exit rows. The airline will also offer “preferred” seats positioned just behind the front-cabin extra legroom section, providing standard legroom but preferred positioning.

Southwest had operated its open-seating model for more than 50 years, which allowed for faster boarding times than many competitors. However, the carrier’s research indicates passenger preferences have evolved, particularly on longer flights where seat assignments are increasingly valued.

According to the airline’s research, 80% of its current customers and 86% of potential customers prefer assigned seats. Many travelers who choose other airlines cited Southwest’s open seating as their primary reason for looking elsewhere.

“Moving to assigned seating and offering premium legroom options will be a transformational change that cuts across almost all aspects of the company,” said Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan.

The airline is expected to share more details about the new cabins in the coming months, with its next financial results scheduled for release on April 24.

According to aviation data provider ch-aviation, Southwest currently operates a fleet of approximately 814 aircraft, consisting of 355 Boeing 737-700s, 203 Boeing 737-800s, and 256 Boeing 737 MAX 8s. The carrier’s order book includes 185 additional Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 296 Boeing 737 MAX 7s.