In September 2024, Southwest Airlines announced that it would introduce attributed and additional seats, such as one of the largest changes in its business model for decades. In the meantime, the company has of course gone much more extreme than that, and plans to start invoice checkered bags, the introduction of the basic economy and much more.
Anyway, with regard to Southwest’s plans to introduce additional seats on the legs, there is an update, because the planes are starting to be reconfigured shortly. However, it will take a while before the airline really begins to invoice an supplement for these seats, which creates an interesting opportunity.
Southwest aggressively regterizing the interiors of aircraft
Southwest Airlines plans to start selling tickets for additional seats at the end of September 2025, for flights to T1 2026. In preparation for this transition, the airline begins to modernize planes with new provisions.
The airline has now explained how it plans to renovate all its fleet:
- Southwest plans to renovate the cabins of each plane between April 30 and the end of 2025, the first reconfigured plane should go into service on May 1
- Southwest plans to start by reconfiguring its 737-800 and 737 max 8s, then after summer 2025, will start to reconfigure 737-700s
- The Southwest reconfigures planes during the night in its maintenance bases in Atlanta (ATL), Denver (DEN), Houston (Hou) and Phoenix (PHX), and expects to be able to modify up to 150 planes per month
- Initially, there will be no visual indicators that some seats have an additional leg hall, but we will start to see them added after the summer of 2025
- While Southwest has announced new style seats, they will only be installed on planes newly delivered for the moment; For many planes, it is simply the spacing between the existing seats that will be modified
For the moment, Southwest continues to use its current boarding process (although it will also change). Thus, during the weeks and months to come, customers will potentially have opportunities to fly in seats in economy for the legs without paying more, which is quite cool.
How cabin configurations of the southwest 737 change
Once Southwest Airlines reconfigure jets, how will the arrangements change? There will be three types of seats:
- Additional seats on the legs will be those at the front of the cabin, with an additional leg space, as well as to the exit lines
- The favorite seats will be those just behind the seats with an additional leg room, and in front of the outing rows
- Standard seats will be the ones behind the output line
For example, below is a seat card that Southwest provided its updated configuration 737-800 and 737 MAX 8.
Southwest’s additional southwest seats are expected will have 34 inches of pitch, while standard seats will have 31 inches of pitch. Essentially, the 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 will have a reduced leg room of 1 ″ for the standard seats, so that they can add more leg space for other seats.
End
Southwest Airlines begins the process of reconfiguring its fleet, to offer additional seats on the legs. All planes should be reconfigured between April 30 and the end of 2025. However, the airline does not plan to sell seats allocated before the end of September 2025, for flights in the first quarter of 2026.
It is worth being aware of this project, as you will start to notice some changes to Southwest planes. So when you get on board Southwest planes in the coming months in the concept of current open seats, keep this in mind …
What do you do with the Southwest project to reconfigure the 737?
