Southwest Airlines has encountered some turbulence in its transition to assign seats. The policy, first announced in 2024, launched in January.
Though CEO Bob Jordan said customer response had been positive on a January earnings call, EVP Chief Customer and Brand Officer Tony Roach sent a letter to customers last Friday acknowledging customer feedback and saying the airline was refining its experience.
“As we’ve transitioned from open seating to assigned seating, the feedback we’ve received has been invaluable,” Roach said in a letter to customers. “We’re already made several enhancements and will continue refining the experience to reward your loyalty while delivering the industry’s best operation reliability and hospitality.”
Roach laid out three ways the airline was improving the process including better balanced boarding groups, more overhead bins and designated bin space for extra legroom reservations.
“We’re refining how boarding groups are assigned to improve overhead bin availability near your seat while maintaining the fast boarding and deplaning process you expect from Southwest,” Roach said.
The airline is also upgrading its cabins with larger bins to hold up to 50% more bags. By the end of the year, the airline plans to have at least 70% of its fleet installed with larger bins. Staff are adding signage to the bins above its extra legroom seats to reserve it for those customers, too, after some customers who purchased extra legroom seats complained of not having space for their carry-on baggage.
The assigned seating changes follow the airline’s elimination of its “bags fly free” policy, which allowed customers to check two bags for free until last spring. Experts had suggested that the change in policy would lead to more customers bringing carry-on baggage.
Despite online complaints, the airline is overall pleased with the rollout of assigned seating and is making minor adjustments, according to Southwest spokesperson Chris Perry.
“While the complaints are what typically drive engagement on social media, we’re internally receiving positive feedback from customers,” Perry said in an email. “They find the new process to be smoother, calmer, and more intuitive.”
When Southwest announced the elimination of its open seating policy, Jordan attributed the change to customer preference. Among potential customers, 86% preferred assigned seats, and among Southwest customers, 80% said they preferred assigned seats, according to Southwest.
