Southwest Airlines Moves Forward With Major Change

Southwest Airlines has been undergoing several high-profile changes over the past several months as the airline looks to boost profits and provide a more elevated experience that will help it compete with legacy airlines like Delta, United, and American. This month, the airline is rolling out one of those changes.

As part of its shift to an assigned seating model that will begin in 2026, Southwest Airlines is also rolling out a new premium seating option that will give customers the opportunity to purchase a seat with some extra legroom.

Southwest has been gradually retrofitting its aircraft with these new seats with extra legroom over the past few months. Now, just a couple of months before the airline will begin officially selling the seats, the airline has rolled them out for a test flight, giving a first look at the new experience.

Southwest Adds Premium Seating

Throughout its history, Southwest Airlines has always been more of a budget-friendly option without many frills or add-ons, and that included its democratic boarding procedure and cabin layout.

Unlike most airlines, Southwest's seats have always been mostly the same throughout the entire plane with no tiered first class, business, or premium options. The airline also had a longstanding open-seating policy, allowing its customers to simply choose any seat they like once they board the plane, with boarding order assigned based on check-in time.

Now, all that's changing.

Beginning in 2026, Southwest Airlines will move toward an assigned seating model. In this new system, customers who wish to choose their seat will have to pay a little bit extra compared to the economy price, and the airline will be rolling out new premium seating for the first time, allowing customers the chance to purchase seats with extra legroom.

Are the Seats Worth It?

As the airline prepares to officially offer the sale of the new extra-legroom seats, Southwest offered a select few the opportunity to try out the new extra-legroom experience on a recent ceremonial flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to the airline’s Dallas Love Field (DAL) home base.

Sean Cudahy of The Points Guy was among those invited on the trip, and he wrote an extensive review of the experience. Right off the bat, he was quick to point out that while this is a premium experience, it does not compare to first-class or business class offerings at most other airlines.

"It's certainly not first class; don't expect an upscale premium-style recliner seat, a hot meal or a curtain separating these seats from the rest of the cabin," he wrote. "Southwest designed this to simply be an elevated offering over its standard coach product."

That said, it does sound like he enjoyed the experience.

"Altogether, the whole experience is probably most comparable to what you'd find in sections like American Airlines' Main Cabin Extra or Alaska Airlines' Premium — a more premium coach offering that Southwest, until now, hasn't had in its repertoire," he wrote for The Points Guy.

"Personally, that extra space makes a huge difference for me when it comes to comfort on a long flight, especially when I'm trying to get work done — which I did with all the ease I'd expect in, say, a United Airlines Economy Plus seat."

Cudahy also said that those in the extra-legroom seats get some special perks, like premium snacks and complimentary premium beverages – including alcohol.

Extra-Legroom Seats Already Available

It's worth noting that while Southwest Airlines is just now debuting the extra-legroom experience, these seats have been available on many Southwest Airlines flights for months as the airline has gradually been retrofitting its fleet to include these seats.

Currently, the airline is still operating under its open seating policy, meaning that many customers have been lucky enough to snag these premium seats free of charge over the past several weeks. However, beginning in January, they will be sold as a premium option as the airline moves toward its assigned seating model.